Alfred Wolf, an old stage driver, is remembered as a large, fine looking and blustering sort of a man. His wife was a sister of Watson and Robinson Murphy, two well known, thrifty and highly esteemed farmers of Fayette county, Pennsylvania. The marriage ceremony that made Miss Martha Murphy the lawful wife of Alfred Wolf was performed by the late Hon. William Hatfield, when that gentleman was an acting Justice of the Peace for Redstone township, and the writer hereof was present at the wedding. When stage drivers were no longer required on the National Road, Alfred Wolf engaged in the business of tavern keeping, and for a number of years kept a public house in McClellandtown; and when the strife between the States culminated in actual hostilities, he enlisted as a Union soldier and perished in the cause. His widow went to Ohio, re-married, and is still living in that State.
Henry G. Marcy, called Governor, because of his near kinship to the old time, distinguished New York statesman of that name, who was at the head of the War Department during the conflict with Mexico, was a stage driver and lived in Uniontown. He was a small man in stature, but had a bright and clear intellect. He died in Uniontown a number of years ago at an advanced age, leaving a widow, still surviving, but quite feeble by reason of her great age. George E. Marcy, also called Governor, a well known and active Democratic politician of Uniontown, is a son of the old driver.
Joseph Hughes, an old stage driver, is still living in Washington, Pennsylvania, vivacious and sprightly despite the weight of years piled upon his back. He was an expert and trusty driver, well known along the road, and cherishes the memory of the stirring times, when the road was the great highway of the Nation and he and his fellow drivers rode on the top wave of the excitement incident thereto.
James Bradley, an old stage driver, worked sometimes at repairs on the road. He made a breaker of unusual height on the hill east of Washington, Pennsylvania, and upon being questioned as to his motive for making it so high, replied that “he wanted to give some of the boys a lofty toss.” A few days thereafter, he was in service as a driver himself, and going down the hill mentioned at a rapid rate, to “scoot the hollow,” as he termed it, his coach struck the high breaker and he got the “lofty toss” himself, having been thrown from the box, a distance of nearly two rods, causing him a broken arm and other less serious injuries. He said, after this accident, that he would never again make high breakers on the road, or advise others to do so.
John Teed, husband of Mrs. Teed, who keeps the popular and prosperous boarding house on Morgantown street, Uniontown, was an old stage driver. His first engagement as a driver on the road was with the Express line, called derisively “The Shake Gut.” After driving a short time on the Express, he was given a team on one of the regular coach lines. He was an approved driver and promoted to the office of guardsman. The guardsman was a person sent with the coach to superintend its progress, and aid in protecting it from the incursions of robbers, which were not uncommon in the night time on the mountainous sections of the road.
Thomas Poland was in every essential a stage driver, and zealously devoted to his calling. He drove out from Uniontown, east and west, as occasion required. He was a man rather below the average stature, but stoutly built and of swarthy complexion. Many old drivers were moved to grief when business ceased on the road, but no one felt the change more keenly than Thomas Poland.
John Guttery, of Washington, Pennsylvania, was one of the early stage drivers of the road, and a good and trusty one. He was a tall man, rounded out proportionately to his height, and closely resembled the renowned old driver, Redding Bunting. He was a brother of Charles Guttery, the old wagoner and tavern keeper mentioned in another chapter of this volume. John Guttery, after driving stage a number of years, gave up that exciting occupation and established a livery stable in Washington, which he conducted successfully until his death in that place a number of years ago.