Show STAGE STACE COACH j TALES By By E E. E C G. G TAYLOR The Lost Whisky JOHN jOllN M M. M MEISSEn was WIlS a noted J stage coach conch driver of ot the early days In Wisconsin Ho He afterward became a farmer and tavern keeper keep keep- er an and his name Is written In the annals of the development de of that state from a wilderness to a thriving thrIve ing commonwealth One day was driving riving his stage between Madison l and Prairie du Sac Besides his passengers he was carr carrying Ing on the coach a barrel of ot whisky consigned to Max Stin- Stin of Sauk City The Time barrel of ot whisky accidentally rolled ot off the time coach some distance out from Sauk City an and did not notice the time loss until he pulled up in front of ot the post office at ot Sauk Sank City While the postmaster sorted the mall mail hurried his horses back over oyer the roa road In the forlorn hope of finding the lost barrel He had gone only a n short distance distance dis dis- Is tance when he be noticed the missing keg resting on a pair of ot brawny shoulders disappear behind a rick of ot woods by the side of ot the road Pulling his stage nn and horses up near the woo wood he be was able to to look over the brush There on the other si side o was an Irishman sitting on the keg and mopping his bis brow Hello sir Have e you seen a keg of ot whisky asked Yes sir It Is right here I 11 lost It from my load and would like to have It back again said W We Wll g ll Il sir the Irishman replied 1 you you will have to be a bigger man manthan manthan than I am tc get It What transpired during the next half baIt hour never nefer would say He explained that after some time Ume and persuasion the Irishman agreed to give up the whisky but hut only on condition that l carry him free of charge on his stage coach conch to Madison Which did Henry Hem Cowles was a famous driver er on the Baraboo Madison stage line In Wisconsin Bridges had not been built In those da days s In the summer time the coaches and horses forded the streams an and In winter they crossed on the Ice One day ay Cowles was driving his stage across the Wisconsin river rI over the ticklish bender Ice of ot boyhood da days s When driving over o this rubbery Ice that undulated as asIt asit asit It was crossed It was vas necessary for stage coach drivers ers to gallop their horses to keep from breaking through Cowles' Cowles teams broke through The The- horses were extricated with much difficulty Timid passengers always walked across The more daring rode but always held themselves es In rea readiness iness to leap for safety at atan atan an nn Instants Instant's warning Salmon E. E Cowles was driver when his kinsman Henry later owned the line Salmon Cowles was driving four horses and a stage between LodI Lodl and the present site site- of when one wheel horse became stubborn stubborn stubborn stub stub- born and deliberately la lay down In Inthe Inthe inthe the water and mud which filled the highway It lay Iny there for a D long longtime longtime longtime time and after much coaxing threatening and punishing even the coach and Its load of ot passengers were stuck fast The other horses could not pull them out Mud was knee deep and the situation was embarrassing to the several se ladles ladies I who were passengers At last a n big natured good-natured Individual Individual Indi Indi- vidual who ho had appeared amused at Salmon Cowles' Cowles frantic efforts to free the mud fast coach and relieve the stranded passengers stepped I from the time coach and waded through the mud to high dry ground He volunteered to carr carry all nil the passengers to dry r land and removed removed re re- re- re moved the women omen and children one by one Then he be mn made e the men men wade After much more maneuvering the men pulled pulle the coach to firm ground and finally persuaded the balky horses to resume Its task and the coach rolled on again c 1931 Western Newspaper Union |