Isaac Stuck, now residing in Perryopolis, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in service on the extensive Fuller estate, near that place, was an old wagoner, and is not forgotten and never will be forgotten by the old pike boys. He drove a fine “bell team,” which was notice to all the world that he was on the road in earnest and to stay. The team belonged to William Stone, the well remembered old farmer of Menallen, and tanner of Uniontown.
ASHAEL WILLISON.
John Short, an old wagoner, retired from the road at an early day and took up his abode in Franklin township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. Before going on the road he learned the trade of a cooper, and upon leaving it resumed work at his trade. He was a good mechanic, and made most of the barrels used at Cook’s and Sharples’ mills, on Redstone creek, for many years. His team on the road was a good one, and he owned it. He met with an accident while working at his trade by cutting his knee with an adze, which crippled him for life. He died in Franklin township about eight years ago, aged nearly eighty. The old citizens of Franklin township all knew and respected him.
William Orr, a well known old wagoner, died of cholera at Keyser’s Ridge in 1853. He left three sons. One of them died a soldier of the Northern army in the late war, leaving a widow surviving him, now residing in Cumberland and drawing a pension. Another son of the old wagoner is a watchman at the rolling mill in Cumberland, and the third is on the police force of that city.
Ashael Willison, another of the old wagoners, is still living in Cumberland, and one of the most prominent citizens of that place. He was postmaster at Cumberland during the first administration of President Cleveland. From the saddle horse of a six-horse team on the old pike to the control of a city postoffice is distinctively an American idea, and a good one. The old wagoner made a capital postmaster. Mr. Willison is now deputy collector of Internal Revenue for the State of Maryland.
Robert Douglas, father of the well known real estate dealer of Uniontown, was an old wagoner. He owned his team and wagon, and hauled between Baltimore and Wheeling at an early day. He resided near West Newton, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and died there in 1861. He was esteemed as an honest man, and was one of the few pike boys who never took a drink of liquor.
In the year 1839 John Snider, Isaac Browning and Black Westley, made a trip with their teams from Baltimore to Jonesboro, Tennessee, a distance of six hundred miles. They were loaded with goods for Jonesboro merchants, and were paid six dollars a hundred for hauling them. On their return they drove with empty wagons to Lynchburg, Virginia, a distance of two hundred miles, where they loaded up with pig lead, and got two dollars a hundred for hauling it to Baltimore.