The fares on the stage lines were as follows:
| From | Baltimore to Frederic | $ 2 00 |
| ” | Frederic to Hagerstown | 2 00 |
| ” | Hagerstown to Cumberland | 5 00 |
| ” | Cumberland to Uniontown | 4 00 |
| ” | Uniontown to Washington | 2 25 |
| ” | Washington to Wheeling | 2 00 |
| Through fare | $17 25 |
A paper was prepared by the agent of the line at the starting point of the coach in the nature of a bill of lading, called the “way bill.” This bill was given to the driver, and by him delivered to the landlord at the station immediately upon the arrival of the coach. It contained the name and destination of each passenger, and the several sums paid as fare. It also bore the time of departure from the starting point, and contained blanks for noting the time of the arrival and departure at every station. The time was noted by an agent of the line, if one were at the station, and in the absence of an agent, the noting was done by the landlord. If a passenger got on at a way station, and this was of daily occurrence, he paid his fare to the landlord or agent, which was duly noted on the way bill, together with the passenger’s destination.
In addition to the stage lines hereinbefore mentioned, there was a line known as the “Landlords’ Line,” put on the road by tavern keepers, prominent among whom were William Willis (the old driver before mentioned), Joseph Dilly, and Samuel Luman. There was also a “Pilot Line” and a “Pioneer Line.” These lines had but a short run. The railroad managers east of Cumberland favored the older lines, and gave them such advantages in rates that the new lines were compelled to retire from the competition. They sold out their stock to the old companies. James Reeside owned the “Pilot Line,” and the “Pioneer Line” was owned by Peters, Moore & Co.
The compensation paid stage drivers was twelve dollars a month, with boarding and lodging. They took their meals and lodged at the stage houses, except the married men, who lodged in their own dwellings when chance threw them at home.
At Uniontown a number of contiguous frame buildings on Mill and South streets, in the rear of Brownfield’s tavern, known as “Hopwood’s Row,” were occupied almost exclusively by the families of stage drivers. They were erected and owned by the late Rice G. Hopwood, Esquire, and hence the name given them. Two or three of these old houses are all that are left standing, and they are in a dilapidated condition. The spirit of improvement which in late years entered Uniontown, seems to have carefully avoided the neighborhood of “Hopwood’s Row.”
The Good Intent and Stockton lines were taken from the National Road in 1851, and placed on the plank road from Cumberland to West Newton. From the latter point passengers were conveyed by steamboat to Pittsburg by way of the Youghiogheny river, which was made navigable at that date by a system of locks and dams like that of the Monongahela. Upon the withdrawal of the lines mentioned, a line was put on the National Road by Redding Bunting and Joshua Marshe, and ran as far west as Washington, Pennsylvania. William Hall subsequently purchased the interest of Mr. Marshe in this line, which was kept on the road until about the close of the year 1852, when the era of four-horse coaches ended.
JOHN McILREE.