The Coolidge examiner., 1931-10-02
STAGE COACH
TALES
The Runaway Stage
B y E. C.. TAYLOR

or even hlIllHS passengers, so the
stage coaches that were the chief
mode of transportation between the
Atlantic coast and the Middle West
along the old National road a cen
fury ago, had their mshaps, some
times fatal.
Runaways were infrequent, but
several are recorded. In three or
four there was loss of life, but
more often the passengers suffered
only minor injuries when the stages
overturned.
David Gordon. who was driving
for James Resides June Bug" line
so named by Resides rival, Lu-
cius w. Stockton, who said the line
would last only until the June bugs
came-was driving west from Clays-
Vile, Pa, soon after he had started
handling the reins, when his horses
ran off.
The coach carried a full load of
passengers, and young Gordon, see
ing that the flying horses could not
be checked by ordinary methods,
pulled the coach off the road and
turned II over against a high bank.
The passengers were badly fright
ened, but none was hurt. They at
tributed their escape from death or
injury to the skillfulness of the
driver. After righting the coach,
which was little damaged, Gordon
proceeded to ROney's Point.
This incident, or accident. gave
Gordon a wide reputation as a cool
and sKillful driver and he rapidly
advanced to the front rank of his
calling. When the June Bug" line
was withdrawn from the road, as
Stockton had predicted, Gordon took
, service with the Good Intent" line
and continued with it until all
through lines of stage coaches were
taken from the road.
Gordon was a very strong man.
He was feet tall and weighed 200
pounds, and there was not an ounce
of fat on his body. 1t was said that
he could fight, but was not quarrel
some.
On one occasion he was compelled
to engage in knOckdOwn, in self
defense. That was at Triadelphia,
Va. Three toughs fell upon him at
that place, declaring their inten-
ton of doing him up" as the
phrase then was.
They failed ANONYMOUSLY. Cor,
don routed all three completely and
decisively, and they never again
sought an encounter with him. And
the example of their fate rendered
others with pugnacious proclivities
to be shy about encOuntering him.
David Gordon was one of a class
Of quiet, well-mannered, soft-spoken
stage drivers who did much to keep
the reputation Of all coach drivers
of his time on a high plane before
the public.
According to A. ]. Endsley, who
was born and reared along the old
Nationa. road, the old-time stage
coach drivers, as class, were bet
ter morally than the old wagoners
along the highway.
When the great road was opened,
these wagoners Immediately took
possession, usurping all rights, and
kept to the middle of the highway
with their long trains of brightly
painted covered gondolas filled with
the farm products of the West, or
the manufactured goods and staples
of the East, forcing other vehicles
to turn around them.
The stage drivers resented this
autocracy, and decided to put
stop to it. They armed themselves
with long poles. at the ends of
which they placed spikes. On
given day, they started out, and as
they met the wagon trains, refused
to turn out, driving into the wagon
trains with their make-shift lances
and completely routing them. The
hardy wagoners knew when they
were beaten, and the fast stages
thereafter were given the right of
way.
Endsley says that some Of the old
stage drivers were given to bias
phemy and heavy drinking. but that
the worst of the stage drivers could
be beaten in those respects by those
of the wagoners.
He named, besides Gordon and
"Red" Bunting, as well behaved
stage drivers Thomas Grau, Alex
Thompson, John Mills, Charley
Howell, John High, William Rob
inson, Isaac Frazee, Isaac Denny,
James A. Carroll, Samuel Halsted.
William White, Samuel Jaco, ThOm-
as Moore, William Bishop and John
Bunting.
Two of the old stage drivers, Will
liam Robinson and Pate Side. were
among the most noted penmen in
the country.
20. 1881 Western Newspaper UnionO