Major Jesse B. Gardner, of Uniontown, ex-jury commissioner and ex-soldier of two wars, drove a team several trips on the old road for Archibald Skiles, who kept a tavern at Monroe, and was a thorough pike boy.
Huston McWilliams, Joseph Pixler and John Riley were old wagoners who retired to farms in German township when the steam railway usurped the functions of the old pike.
William Hankins, a well known farmer of North Union township, still living, is an old wagoner, and made many a dollar on the road. He is a son of James Hankins, who owned the farm at Frost’s Station, and was reputed to have a barrel of money. One Hook, P. U., merchant and auctioneer of Uniontown, and member of the Legislature, was accustomed to speak of ready cash as “Hankins’ Castings,” in allusion to the Hankins barrel. He had a small store in an old frame house near the store room and residence of the late Col. Ewing Brownfield, on which he nailed a rough board for a sign, bearing the legend: “Hook and Hankins versus Boyle and Rankin.” Boyle and Rankin kept a rival store further up town. Hook also frequently advertised his business under the firm name of “Hook and Wife.” He was well known and is well remembered by the old citizens of Uniontown.
James Ambrose was a regular. He drove from Baltimore to Wheeling. He was a strong driver, and well known on the road. He married the youngest daughter of Robert Shaw, the old tavern keeper near Braddock’s Grave. After business ceased on the road, he engaged in mining coal in the Connellsville coke district, and died near Vanderbilt, in January, 1892. His wife survives him.
Isaac Hurst was a sharpshooter, and appeared on the road near the close of its prosperous era. He hauled flour from his father’s mill on George’s Creek, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, to Cumberland, and “loaded back” with merchandise to Brownsville. His experience on the road as a wagoner was confined between the points named. He subsequently became first, Treasurer, and afterward, Commissioner of Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He is still living in Uniontown, pursuing the calling of a contractor, and taking an active interest in public affairs.
[CHAPTER XX.]
Old Wagoners continued—An Exciting Incident of the Political Campaign of 1840—All about a Petticoat—Neri Smith, Isaac Stuck, John Short, William Orr, Ashael Willison—A Wagoner Postmaster—Robert Douglas—A Trip to Tennessee—Abram Brown, William Long, Samuel Weaver—A Quartet of Bell Teams—A Trio of Swearing Men—A Peculiar Savings Bank—William C. McKean and a Long List of other Old Wagoners—Graphic Description of Life on the Road by Jesse J. Peirsol, an Old Wagoner—Origin of the Toby Cigar—The Rubber—The Windup and Last Lay of the Old Wagoners.
The political campaign of 1840, as is well known, was one of the most spirited and exciting contests ever witnessed in the United States. It was a campaign made memorable by log cabins, hard cider, coon skins and glee clubs. William Henry Harrison, the hero of Tippecanoe, and grandfather of the late chief executive, Benjamin Harrison, was the Whig candidate for President, and John Tyler, of Virginia, was his running mate, and the whole country resounded with shouts for “Tippecanoe and Tyler too.” Martin Van Buren was the Democratic candidate for President, and his associate on the ticket was Col. Richard M. Johnston, of Kentucky. Harrison and Tyler were triumphantly elected. One day during this exciting campaign Neri Smith, an old wagoner, drove his big six-horse team through Uniontown, exhibiting from the front of his wagon a petticoat, in allusion to a partisan and groundless charge of cowardice made against General Harrison, the Whig candidate. The coming of the wagon with the petticoat was made known to the Whigs of Uniontown before it reached the place, and a delegation met Smith a short distance east of town and requested him to take down the offensive symbol, but he stubbornly refused. Upon reaching Uniontown an attempt was made by some of the muscular Whigs, led by John Harvey, to “tear down the dirty rag,” but an equal number of muscular Democrats rallied to the support of the old wagoner, and the attempt failed. The affair caused great excitement in Uniontown, leading to violence and almost to the shedding of blood.