The Old Coaching Days—James Carmichael.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 22

The Old Coaching Days—James Carmichael.

TO THE BDITOB. Sib,— My attention has only recently been drawn to "a pa.ragra.ph in an issue of the

.Witees* ©ftorly in April laat from your Wei- T iington icorsrespondent, ;n; n which he refers ' to »'M)«n Kingaland, who- used to drive Yeend and Pope's coach between Lawrence •nd th* Dunetaai, just after the Hartley and Riley rush. He was then contemporary with 'Cabbage Tree Ned,' Hairry | Kettlofold, Jimmy Duncan, and other well- j known whips in those- days and for years afterwards." ! Now, Sir, I wish to correct liis state- j ment, and I have beem asked to do so j by several old identities who know the real faete of the case, «-ikt know them better than, your '""Wellington Correspondent." The only coach on the coad between Lawrence- and the Dunstan after the Hartley and Riley rush was Cobb and Co.'s, and . it "was driven t>y; me. Many a tale of the , road in these days I could tell you. but , that is not my objest just now. Yeen<t and j Pope - never had <b coach on that road. > "feend started as a 'groom in Cobb and , Co.'s stables *n Dumedin, and some yeairs J later, ia iho early seventies, he ran a coach j between Dunedin and Baklutha. Before this, ; however, he had been driviug the after- { noon, or "night" coach for Cobb and Co. ! from Dtmedin to Tokoniskiro. The connection ceased owic^ to an error of judgment on his part in letting his team run , away from the old bcok;ng- office near the • corner of Manse and Ptamres streets^ The ■ team boltfed, without a. -driver, *in tho - direction of , the Water of Leiih, and I was ssnfc after fch-sm in a cab and brought them back. ac<d drove them as faar as tli« Taieri, with Harry Teen-d as a-^ pa^sen^er. Tommy Pope was always in Cobb and Co.'-s service, and drove between Tokomairiro and Lawrence. sNei-ther Yee«d cor Popa were capable of driviog: on th-3 I*awrenes- 1 Dunstan read at tlie- tin:e-roferred to, ai^l < neatfeetr of them, would have dared to j tackle it. ' I am told that the late Mr W. Fenwiok had been making inquiries a3 to the whereabouts of "Jimmy" Cannichael, who used to drive the Governor's (Bowen and Ferguson), but I did not hear of the inquiries in time. >. However, I am pleased to tell you, and through you m/ many friends and old passengers, that "Jimmy" Carmiohael ie stfll alive, and pretty active yet — in fact, some of my old frieods tell me they can see very little change i.n my appea-rano?. but I feel "auld age" ereepin' on me. — 1 , am, etc., Jambs Cabuichasl. Ohatton read. Gore.