Show I STAGE COACH b TALES By E. E C. C TAYLOR TAYLORA A President Takes a Tumble g DO not travel any snore more we VV V V merely arrive Macauley wrote this tills In is commenting on the passing of ot the old days s 's when a It trip was an adventure when one lived Jived every moment of his Journey whether It was a few hours' hours trip of ot a afew afew afew few miles or a trek across the conti conti- nent One o of the tale most romantic periods of the history of ot the United States was that between 1800 and the coming of the railroads prior to 1850 That was the day of the stage coach The notes of ot the coachmans coachman's horn the stamping of or four or six horses and the rattling of the old Concord I stages that filled the highways of America In those years are nearly for for- gotten Few records have been kept of their era although for decades the life of the young nation Mowed flowed through these great arteries of ot travel The lords of that distant day were the drivers of the stage coaches They TIley were the boys' boys heroes like aviators are today Their word was law and they were looked looked- up to and respected by tho the great and the lesser individuals who comprised the general public O Of the tales that are arc left of ot these romantic figures the most amusing perhaps Is the one of ot how they ventured ventured ven yen to express their emphatic disapproval of ot a President of the United States When Margin Marn Van Buren was occupying occupyIng occupying the White House he vetoed a abill abill bill appropriating funds for tor the Improvement Improvement Im Im- Improvement provement of the National road In In- In In In- diana That great highway was the tho backbone of ot the nation between 1830 and 1848 18 when the tle railroads pushed westward over the Allegheny moun moun- Everywhere along the road there was great Indignation over o Van Burns Buren's Burens Burns Burn's Bur- Bur en's ens ns n's action The stage drivers being sort of overlords of th their lr community and no doubt somewhat tired of ot the severe they received when they drove their coaches at full speed over a rocky rough and swampy highway highway highway high high- way nursed their revenge Their opportunity came when Van Guren was returning to Washington D D. C. C from a trip up the l Mississippi valley vaHey The President rode In as much pence peace and state as the highway then provided until he reached Plainfeld Ind lad When his coach left leet Plainfield It had hod an accident and the President of the United States was unceremoniously unceremoniously spilled out In the road where the tIle mud was deepest The Identify of ot the driver of at hisco his Ills co coach ch Is cloaked In mystery Everyone Every 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 Vou brought out that the driver drIer when he reached a particularly muddy stretch of road had not avoided any of ot the numerous bumps The coach hit a Ll big rock and the tIle axle broke As AsIt Asit Asit It was going at good speed the vehicle ve ye- c- c bide hicle turned over of ot course and Mr Van Buren was sent sprawling Into the mud puddle The President returned to the ta tavern tar ern at Plainfield and after cleaning up started ot off again and reached tho nations nation's capital without further mis mis- hap But But he had been taught an ob object object ob- ob lesson on the importance of ot keepIng keepIng keeping keep- keep Ing the tho country's greatest highway In repair When the bill came to him again soon after neter his adventure he ho promptly signed It The position held by the drivers of ot the old stage coaches was like that of I the captain of a steamboat Some of ot the drivers stood on as lofty a plane I as the commanders of ot great ocean liners lin ers of the present day Their word I was law while Willie on th the road They came Into constant touch with all the prominent political social and commercial figures of the countr country and their attention and favor was eagerly sought Although they were paid only a standard wage of ot 12 a month and their board and lodging they took precedence over even een their most passengers In the eyes es of small boys they were even above aboe e the President of ot the United United Unit Unit- ed States They also thought well of ot themselves es as one driver remarked While I drive drle this coach I am the tho whole United States of America c 1931 Western Newspaper Union |