Show STAGE COACH 0 TALES N by E breaking up a whig parade LORGE FISHER risher was one of the GLOEGE best known stage coach drivers on the old national pike in the 1840 s he was noted for his maniph lation of fiery steeds there was a fractious team at clays olle pa that was the terror of all the drivers on that section of the road it had run off once killing one passenger and injuring several on caldwell s hill seven miles west of washington pa every driver who had been given the team had despaired of taming these fiery horses so fisher was sent for lie ile had been driving out of washing ton I 1 a and after taking charge of the team he soon had it under control he ile drove it many years without an accident fisher risher was mas driving this team in 1844 during the celebrated political contest between james X polk and henry clay opposing candidates for the presidency I 1 lisher isher was an ar dent supporter of polk poll and bitter in his enmity toward the whigs one day in 1844 there was a large mass meeting of whigs in washing ton pa an extra coach specially chartered passed over the road going west with fisher at the reins going from Clays claysville ville to poney s point there was a delay just beyond the state line of west virginia A dele gallon gation of whigs flaunting banners and with music blaring wei wel e en route from west nest alexander to washington to attend the mass meeting on their return home in the eve n ng while they were ng along the national pike with banners fly ing and bands playing they were olver overhauled hauled by george fisher and h s co coach ich fisher drove his teams one of which was the famous unbroken span he had mastered years before and his coach into the whig groces slon sion at several points buggies were damaged 7 carriages and light wagons broken and several persons were in aured col n wilson a prominent citizen of washington pa was one of the injured the town of washington de banded that fisher risher be held to account for his action and the resultant in vesti Nesti gatlon gation stirred that section of the country as nothing else had done for years fisher explained that the bad team he was driving darivin became fright ened when it encountered encountered the banners and the music he ile claimed that the breaking up of the whig procession was unintentional was just an ac aident the reputation of his team was well known especially in the vicinity of washington pa and his explanation served as a plausible excuse the fame of the team saved aliher from prosecution and probable severe pun ashment but the whigs of that ne went ent to their graves solemnly believing lievin that fisher did it on purpose fici fisher in later years would not dis cuss the incident but he intimated to his many friends that the team must have known the pa were whigs and had the same feeling toward them that he bad had the same team just before fisher took tool the reins had made a reputation as killers tillers one man had been killed and several injured in a mad dash of the horses A few days before fisher risher took toot charge of the recalcitrant team the horses dashed down the long hill from the locust tree at caldwell s tavern to s bridge A mr air moses he never was fled further was seriously injured the driver was severely hurt and three passengers were injured mr air moses a kentucky Ren tucky merchant suffered a adly badly crushed leg he ile d ed two days later in the hospital at washington pa ra the driver of the stage coach was so seriously injured that he d d not recover until the next spring g H he e the winter recuperating at th the e caldwell tavern the other passengers in the coach were not injured 0 E 19 1931 31 western News rarer union I 1 |