Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1898 — HE HAD NERVE [ARTICLE]

HE HAD NERVE

He Proved the Possession of H to the PiujseiMtere’ Satisfaction, Bill Henderson was driver on the Ixw Angeles, Santa Ana and San Diego stage line for tw’enty-one years. Pot years he drove eight horses and often ten. The railroads have deprived the ■tage lines of their business, and Uncle Bill, like others of his calling, has gons tn to retirement. His tales of ad ven ture are seemingly without limit. One of the stories he tells is as follows: “One trip we had a new driver who was going up the road to take his place He was a handsome young fellow, who, from his unusual height, was called Lanky Jim. He was a skillful reins man, but was cool and cautious, and took no desperate chances, as some of the drivers did. On reaching the break-ing-in station we thought we would have a little fun at his expense, so 1 asked him to take the ribbons. He gathered up the Lines, shouted to turn them loose, aud away we went It was h wild ride for a mile or two, and then be tried to hold up, but this the pas •Bilgers objected to. “ ‘Turn ’em loose; this ain’t a hearse,’ •touted a big-nosed man. ** ‘Give them the silk,’ yelled a drummer. “ ‘Give Charley the ribbons,’ cried a ■tfner. “He stood it pretty well till I, too, lagan poking fun at him, when he cried: •“Gentlemen, I can drive as fast as W one,’ and with this he suddenly leaned forward, and before I could imMine what he Intended to do threw the Ims out of his hands to the ground and lagan whipping his horses. Run? If Em ever saw a team run those horses d that day. The coach rolled to and fro till I thought a dozen times it would Rp over, yet that fellow stood up in his JMt plying the silk and shouting: ‘Turn wn loose; this ain’t no hearse!’ ‘Don’t Pt on the brakes!’ ‘Give the ribbons Charley!’ and other expressions we |*d used. Fortunately for his neck, lad ours, there was not a stick or stoney mt a rock, clod or rut in the whole **fley, or we would have struck sometong and tipped over. About a mile from the other station there W®* a Ifrwteh of sand, and here the horses had |p atop their run. The moment they towed down into a trot a dozen of us fipnmg from the coach and caught up Mm lines, thus stopping the team. As *• handed him the lines he gathered tom up as coolly as you please and •aly Kdd: • *Gentl.emen, did we ride fast rough f Then* was no more attemjf fry his nerve. ’ RAINS OF GOLD. ■ We pray the most ftr whf* we de need. Sin always eaxrlee a knife under ft eloak. A fool never learns anything from y mistake. Mo man does his best who world <Uj for pay. A self-made man always spoils Mb somewhere. The cheerful giver is always the Mk VtK> gives much. Health is another word for temper ■Bee and exercise. What a multitude of ugly sins cal Mde behind one doubt 1 The devil won’t let a stingy max tore any mercy on himself. Tbat man is a thief who is hones* tofr because he is watched. The birds with the brightest feattb an do not sing the sweetest The sheep that goes astray neve* finds a green pasture for itself. We hate our own sins when we •• Wan full grown in somebody else. There is a policeman called Tim< ■nd he says to every lingering son O Bant “Move on.” We will find no Mrmanent resting place in thia |ad to-morrow may find us gone.