Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-10-23
! STAGE COACH
/ TALES
|Bv E. C.. TAYLOR
A President Takes a Tumble
UXX/E DO not travel any more; we
w merely arrive"

eve EDO do not r, travel e any m0re' we
Macauley wrote this in commenting
on the passing of the old days, when
a trip was an adventure, when one
lived every moment of his journey,
whether 1t was few hours trip of a
few miles, or a trek across the CONT
nent.
One Of the most romantic periods of
the history of the United States was
that between 1900 and the coming Of
the railroads prior to 1850. That was
the day of the stage coach.
The notes Of the coachman's horn,
the stamping Of four or six horses,
and the rafting of the old Concord
stages that filled the highways Of
America in those years are nearly for
gotten. Few records have been kept
of their era, although for decades the
life of the young nation flowed through
these great arteries Of travel.
The lords of that distant day were
the drivers Of the stage coaches. They
were the boys heroes, like aviators
are today. Their word was law, and
they were looked up to and respected
by the great and the lesser individuals
who comprised the general public.
OF the tales that are left of these
romantic figures the most amusing
perhaps is the one of how they ven
tured to express their emphatic disap-
prevail of a President of the United
States.
When Martin Van Buren, was occu-
plying the White House, he vetoed a
bill appropriating funds for the I'M
proyement Of the National road In In
diana. That great highway was the
backbone Of the nation between 1880
and 1S48, when the railroads pushed
westward over the Allegheny noun
tains.
Everywhere along the road there
was great indignation over Van Bur
ems action. The stage drivers being
sort Of overlords of their community,
and no doubt somewhat tired of the
severe joltings they received when
they drove their coaches at full speed
over rocky, rough and swampy high
way, nursed their revenge.
Their opportunity came when Van
Buren, was returning to Washington,
D. G., from a trip up the Mississippi
valley. The President rode in as much
peace and state as the highway then
provided, until he reached Plainfield,
Ind.
When his coach left Plainneld, II
had an accident" and the President
Of the United States was unceremoni-
ously spilled out in the road where
the mud was deepest.
The identify Of the driver Of his
coach is cloaked in mystery. Every
one denied responsibility for what had
happened, although it is probably they
all laughed up their sleeves.
Investigation showed that an axle
had been sawed nearly in two, and it
was brought out that the driver, when
he reached particularly muddy
stretch of road, had not avoided any
Of the numerous bumps. The coach
hit a big rock, and the axle broke. AS
it was going at good speed, the We
hlcle turned over, of course, and Mr..
Van Buren, was sent sprawling into
the mud puddle.
The President returned to the tav-
ern at Plainfield, and after cleaning
up. started off again and reached the
nations capital without further mis-
hap. But he had been taught an Oh
ject lesson on the importance of kCo,,-
ing the country's greatest highway III
repair. When the bill came to him
again soon after his adventure, he
promptly signed 1t.
The position held by the drivers of
the old stage coaches was like that OF
the captain of a steamboat Some of
the drivers stood on as lofty plane
as the commanders of great ocean lin
crs of the present day. Their word
was law while on the road.
They came into constant touch with
all the prominent political, social and
commercial figures of the country, and
their attention and favor was eagerly
sought.
Although they were paid only n
standard wage of $12 n month AMI
their board and lodging, they too';
precedence over even their most 4. =
tlnguished passengers.
In the eyes Of small boys they were
even above the President of the Unit
ed States. They also thought well Of
themselves; as one driver remarked:
"While drive this coach l am the
whole United States of America"
&C., 1891. Western Newspaper Unlonl