[CHAPTER XXIII.]
The first Mail Coaches—The stage yard at Uniontown—Employees therein—Mr. Stockton goes back on John Tyler—Names of Coaches—Henry Clay and the drivers—Anecdote of Clay, and Humes, of Claysville—Jenny Lind and Phineas T. Barnum on the road—Exciting race between an old liner and a Good Intent driver—Old Mount, the Giant of the road—Sim Houser, Archie McNeil, Watty Noble, the Nestor of stage drivers, and other familiar names.
The first mail coaches were arranged to carry but three passengers, in addition to the mail pouches, upon a model furnished by the postoffice department. Drivers and residents along the road called the passenger compartment of the early mail coach a “monkey box.” This was at the front end of the vehicle, and rested on springs, and the mail pouches were placed behind it, on a lower plane, and in a long, tight, wooden box or bed, resting on the axles of the wagon, without springs. It made a loud noise when passing over the road, was altogether a curious contrivance, and after a short term of usage was abandoned, and the ordinary passenger coach substituted in its stead. Mr. Stockton established a coach factory in Uniontown, where many of the coaches of his line were made, and as necessity from time to time existed, repaired. Blacksmith shops were also set up in connection with this factory, where the stage horses of the Stockton line were shod. It was called the “stage yard,” and located on Morgantown street, on the lot now covered by the residence and grounds of the Hon. Nathaniel Ewing. Many mechanics in different lines of work were employed in the “stage yard,” and some of them still linger on the shores of time, and in Uniontown. [E]Philip Bogardus is probably the oldest of the surviving employees of the old stage yard, and is a well known and respected citizen of Uniontown. He was born in Dutchess county, New York, September 25, 1811, and came to Uniontown in 1838. On his journey to that place he halted for a season and worked at his trade, that of a coach trimmer, at Bloody Run, Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and there first met and formed the acquaintance of Henry Nycum, the well remembered and respected old blacksmith, who lived many years in Uniontown, and died there about a year ago. Soon after his arrival in Uniontown, Bogardus obtained employment in the stage yard. The foreman of the yard at the time was William Gaddis.
MAJ. WILLIAM A. DONALDSON.
Next in seniority, among the surviving employees of the stage yard, is [F]Maj. William A. Donaldson, one of the best known citizens of Uniontown. He is a painter. He was born in Emmettsburg, Frederic county, Maryland, a village situate ten miles south of Gettysburg, on February 14, 1818, and came to Uniontown February 15, 1839. He located first at Brownsville, and remained there a year and upwards before going to Uniontown. His first engagement in Uniontown was with Col. William B. Roberts, in whose service he continued about a year, after which he entered the stage yard as a painter and ornamenter of coaches. He is not only a skillful artisan, but a gentleman well read in history, philosophy, theology, and politics, in short a good and useful citizen. When Dr. Braddee was first lodged in the Uniontown jail for robbing the mails, Maj. Donaldson called in the evening to see him. The accused was placed in charge of a special police force, which consisted of Zadoc Cracraft, George Martin, and Stewart Speers, who “stood guard” over the noted prisoner. Soon after Maj. Donaldson entered the jail the guardsmen informed him that they were very hungry, and desired to go down town to get some oysters, and requested him to remain in charge of the prisoner until they returned. To this Maj. Donaldson assented, provided the hungry guardsmen would speedily return. They went out for oysters and did not get back until one o’clock in the morning. The Major and the Doctor, being old acquaintances, spent the intervening time as pleasantly as circumstances would admit of, but it was not exactly the thing the Major had bargained for. Mr. Stockton had one of his coaches named John Tyler, in honor of the vice-president of the first Harrison administration. When Tyler, by the death of Harrison, succeeded to the presidency, and vetoed the United States bank bill, Mr. Stockton was very much angered thereat, and going into the stage yard, soon after the veto was announced, accosted Maj. Donaldson thus: “Donaldson, can’t you erase that name (pointing to the Tyler coach) and substitute another? I won’t have one of my coaches named for a traitor.” “Certainly I can,” replied Donaldson, “what shall the new name be?” “Call it Gen. Harrison,” said Stockton. “All right,” said Donaldson, and the change was made. Maj. Donaldson was a Democrat, and much amused by the incident.