National Pike, Road of History, Romance

Saturday, March 19, 1955 page 5 of The Washington Reporter, Washington, Pennsylvania by Earle R. Forrest

James Reeside's "June Bug" line.
     The first through mail on the pike, was carried by James Reeside, 
proprietor of the "June Bug" line. After the pike was completed to Wheeling 
no company owned a through line from Baltimore to the Ohio River. 
Reeside was awarded the contract for carrying the mail, and he immediately 
made arrangements with proprietors of stage lines then running on the pike. 
Under contract with Reeside, Stockton and Stokes carried the mail from 
Baltimore to Hagerstown. From Hagerstown to Cumberland, it was carried by 
James Boyd; from Cumberland to Little Crossings by Abraham Russell; 
from Little Crossings to Somerfield by Jacob Sides; from Somerfield 
to Brownsville by James Kinkead, and from Brownsville through Washington 
County by Hill, Simms and Pemberton. 
     Later Reeside established a line of coaches, which Stockton scornfully 
said, would not last until the June Bugs came. Thus it gained the name 
of the "June Bug" line, by which it was known  throughout its history. 
But it lasted until long after the June bugs came, and became one of 
Stockton's strongest competitors.
     In 1836 Reeside purchased the People's Line that ran between 
Cumberland and Wheeling, from John W. Weaver, and changed it from a 
tri-weekly to a daily. Later he changed this to a thrice a day, and added 
a tri-weekly line. He sold his National Road stage lines in 1839 to Shriver, 
Steele and company, which were merged into the Good Intent Stage Company. 
     At one time Reeside was the largest mail contractor in the United States, 
and in connection with his mail contractors owned and operated a number of 
stage lines. He had more than 1,000 horses and 400 men in his employ, 
and was called the "Land Admiral."

Good Intent Stage Company.
     After Shriver, Steele and Company purchased Seeride's [Reeside's] 
National Pike lines and merged them into the Good Intent, they became 
Stockton's chief rival. The general equipment was equal to Stockton's, 
and the rivalry between them was intense. Its stages ran on the pike until 
the railroad arrived.
     The local agents were S. B. and C. Hayes, proprietors of the American 
House which stood on the site of Hotel Main of later years, with stage 
stables in the rear, of East Beau street. When Messrs. Hayes moved to 
the Greene House, on the east side of Main Street at the corner of Pine 
avenue, the Good Intent followed them. Daniel Brown became the agent when 
the Hayes left this stand. Some time later the head-quarters were changed 
to the Mansion House.
     It is interesting to note in this connection that Pete Burdine, 
one of the best and fastest drivers on the road, was employed by the Good 
Intent. Like all men of those days he was very loyal to his employers,
and composed the following lines which became popular among the Good Intent 
employees:
"If you take a seat in Stockton's line,
You are sure to be passed by Pete Burdine."

"Oyster Line."
This line got its unusual name because it was started primarily to carry 
fresh oysters from Baltimore to as far west as Cincinnati. This is shown 
by the following item in The Reporter of November 28, 1835:

"THE OYSTER LINE"
"The Oyster Line."
Oysters are now carried from Baltimore to Cincinnati in five days, by 
the line recently established on the National Road for that purpose.  
This we believe is traveling more rapidly, or full as fast, as the United 
States Mail.
     It probably did travel faster than the mail. It is doubtful if any 
attempt was made to transport the bivalves during warm weather, for ice 
would be a problem. It is a safe guess that either Lucius W. Stockton or 
James Reeside had a hand in this operation.
     On one occasion William Willis, an "Oyster" driver, passed the noted 
Pete Burdine in a race along the pike. Someone composed two lines to 
commemorate this event, which was big news in the pike days:
"Said Billy Willis to Pete Burdine,
You had better wait for the Oyster Line."

Pioneer Line.   
     This stage was owned by Peters, Moore and Company, a small firm. Nothing 
more has been found of its history.

Landlord's Line.
     This line was started by a member of tavern keepers or landlords 
along the pike. Searight says that the men prominent in the company 
were William Willis, an old stage driver and later tavern keeper; 
Samuel Luman, a stage driver turned tavern keeper, and Joseph Dilly. 
Nothing more has been found of its history.

People's Line.
     This line was operated by James W. Weaver between Cumberland 
and Wheeling. After he sold out in 1836 to James Reeside he transferred 
his operations to the pike in Ohio.

Pilot Stage Company.
     Not much has been found of the history of this company; but it was in 
operation for several years in the 1830's with headquarters at the Mansion 
House, and was owned by James Reeside.

A Fatal Accident on the Road.
     Accidents occurred during stage coaching on the National Pike, just 
as they happen to automobiles today, but not nearly as frequently. 
In old newspaper files I found them listed in other sections, but only 
one in Washington County, with exception of the coach carrying Black Hawk.  
There were undoubtedly others, for the old road with its many hills and 
sharp curves, was hazardous; but as there were few fatalities they were 
not considered worthy of mention.
     One accident with fatal results to a passenger was found in The Reporter of 
October 10 and 17, 1846. On October 8 an east bound Good Intent stage upset 
on the hill west of the "S" Bridge. Clark Moses, of Louisville, Kentucky, 
was fatally injured, and James Walker, the driver, was seriously hurt. As 
the stage was broken to pieces it must have gone over with considerable 
force. The injured were taken to the public house of Mrs. Caldwell at 
the hill.
     Searight gives the date of this accident as October, 1843, but he was 
mistaken by three years. According to his account the driver lost control 
when the horses started to run down the hill from a locust tree near Caldwell's 
and the stage upset at Wicker's Bridge near the bottom. Moses and his 
nephew were on the seat with the driver, but the nephew and other 
passengers escaped injury.
     Moses had both legs broken and died two days later of gangrene. 
The body was brought to Washington the next day, Sunday, and buried in 
the old grave, in West Spruce avenue. The Reporter account states 
that "this whole community" met the funeral procession as it entered 
town and accompanied it to the burial ground. The deceased was a merchant 
on his way East to purchase goods.
     Walker, who was from Franklin County, was seriously injured, 
and, although he was reported in a critical state on October 17, Dr. John 
Wishart, one of the attending physicians, said that hopes were entered
for his recovery. No blame for the accident was attached to him. Searight 
says that he was nursed at the Caldwell House until he recovered the next 
spring.
     Wicker's Bridge, where this accident occurred, was the scene of a 
noted murder in the early history of the pike. The account of this will 
be told.

THE LAST STAGE COACH OVER THE PIKE
     Fortunately we have the passing of the last stage coach over the 
National Pike from Baltimore to Wheeling. The story which appeared 
in The Baltimore Sun in December 1894, was published in The Reporter on 
January 1, 1895, exactly 42 years after its arrival in Wheeling.
     James E. Reeside, who had charge of the coach, was a resident of 
Baltimore in 1894, and he gave the details. He was a son of James Reeside, 
at one time the largest mail contractor in the United States, carried the 
first mail from Baltimore to Wheeling as already related here. His son was 
about 15 years old when he entered the business with his father and before 
he quit he had extended stage lines westward to the Pacific Coast.
     In this interview Mr. Reeside said: "The 272 miles from Baltimore 
to Wheeling was first made in four days with nightly stops. The best stage 
coach time was afterwards reduced to 50 hours by the old Eclipse line, 
established by James Reeside."
     He said he had charge of the last mail coach which left Baltimore 
and arrived in Wheeling on January 1, 1853. Under the 50-hour schedule 
which he mentioned, the coach must have left Baltimore about December 30, 
1852.
     In describing staging on the National Pike, Mr. Reeside said:  
"The stage-coach head-quarters in Baltimore were at old Barnum's 
Hotel and the Fountain Inn, which stood on the site of the Carrollton 
Hotel. The coaches used were open at the front and sides, with seats for 
11 passengers besides the driver. All seats faced the front of the vehicle. 
Saddlebags, which were carried at that time for baggage were hung on 
posts supporting the top of the stage. A small rack behind, for trunks, was 
seldom used. A tin lantern, with a tallow dip, placed over the driver, 
was used at night.
     "Four strong horses drew these coaches, with relays every 10 or 12 
miles at stages or stations, from which probably came the name of the 
vehicle. The average rate of fare was six cents a mile. At first travel 
was only in the day time, with stops every night at the numerous excellent 
inns or taverns which lined the road. 
     "One of the great obstructions to travel along the road were 
larger droves of cattle, sheep and hogs being driven from western 
plantations to eastern markets. The cattle especially, with their long 
horns pointed towards the oncoming coach, made a formidable obstruction."
     Much interest would have been added to this trip of the last coach 
if he had given the name of the driver from Washington to Wheeling. 
The account states that Mr. Reeside was probably the only surviving 
stage coach contractor of National prominence. He was a native of Cumberland.

THE PONY EXPRESS.
     It is doubtful if many people know that the original Pony Express 
ran on the National Pike 25 years before that institution was made 
famous in the Far West, nor was the name original with the western 
system. Searight gives the interesting information that about 1835 or 
1836 Postmaster General Amos Kendall conceived the idea of a line of 
couriers on the pike to be called "Pony Express," to carry light mail on 
horseback with greater speed than by coaches. 
     Kendall's idea was pretty much the same as the western express 
in later years. Each rider was to be a boy carrying a leather mail sack 
fastened to his saddle, and each horse covered six miles at top speed. 
The rider was equipped with a tin horn, which he blew lustily when nearing 
the relay station as notice to the station keeper to have a fresh horse 
ready, and the change was made in the quickest time possible.
     There were several pony express contracts along the line, one of whom 
was William Morris, proprietor of a tavern on the hill just west of Monroe, 
the present Hopwood. Another contractor mentioned by Searight was Bryant 
and Craven, of West Alexander. 
     In the list of riders, Searight gives the name of William Moore, 
Thomas Wooley, William Meredith, Frank Holly and James Nease, who carried 
the mail east of Cumberland. Moore and Wooley subsequently became 
stage drivers. Sandy Conner, Pete Sides, Thomas A. Wiley  and William Conn 
rode west of Cumberland. The first three were later stage drivers.
     Wiley rode between Uniontown, Washington and Wheeling. In 1852 he 
entered the employ of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and was still with 
the company at Camden Station, Baltimore, in 1894.
     Calvin Morris, a son of William Morris, one of the contractors, 
and William Downer, whose father lived at and maintained the big watering 
trough, still a noted landmark on the western slope of Laural Hill, rode 
through both Washington and Fayette counties. John Gilfillan rode between 
West Alexander and Wheeling.
     The life of the Pony Express on the National Pike was short. Like 
the western express it probably did not pay or it would have been kept 
up; but while it was in existence "it kicked up quite a dust,' to use an
expressive description by the old Pike Boys.
     Searight is the only authority I have found for the Pony Express on 
the National Pike, but coming from a man who lived on the road at that time 
it is certainly correct. John Weiner inquired at the National Archives, but 
found that the post office and legislative records in the Archives do 
not contain any information on this subject. Unfortunately, the early post 
office records have not been preserved.
 (to be continued)

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