Did I Mention the Mail?  And the Newspapers? And the Snow?   And how little profit I make on the Deal?

You have to love John Stavers, the keeper of the Earl of Halifax tavern in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.   For many years, if his advertisement (below) is to be believed, he maintained a stage coach between Portsmouth and Boston so that travelers could count on some method of making that journey at least once, and perhaps twice a week.   Country roads being what they were, it doesn’t take too much imagination to see a coach sinking to the axles in mud and fearfully stymied by snow in the winter, and, well, John Stavers is going to remind you that it hasn’t been easy.   No, sir.

But you have to read the ad a few times, and perhaps imagine him dictating it, out of breath, to the publisher of the New Hampshire Gazette, to read between the lines.  Some upstart has gone into competition against him! Just wait until they try to take passengers to Boston in their first snow storm, brother.   They won’t be so big with importance and hopeful of mighty things then, brother!  Them and their flaming coaches!

Re-printed from the New Hampshire Gazette, July 12, 1771

John, Stavers, who at a very great expense, has supported a STAGE COACH, post chaise, &c. for several years past, between Portsmouth and Boston, informs the Public, that one or either of these carriages, will as usual, continue to ply between these two places once a week, to set out from the Earl of Halifax Tavern every Tuesday Morning, which is kept by said Stavers in Pitt Street, Portsmouth, and from Boston every Friday Morning, and be in town again on Saturdays.  —-  A careful driver will always be provided, and both carriages and horses kept in such order, that nothing but some unforeseen accident, shall at any time give hindrance, or by any means retard the journey.

The public, after taking these matters into serious consideration, and at the same time reflecting, with what difficulty, expense, discouragements, and very little, if any profit, said Stavers, when no other person would undertake it, surmounted every obstruction, and through heat and cold, rain and snow storm, pushed forward, at times when every other conveyance failed, to bring and carry his passengers, as also the mails of letters and newspapers — will now give his coach the preference, which he thinks it entitled to, before any others, whose drivers, big with importance, new and flaming coaches, expect mighty things — However he wishes great success to their undertakings, but thinks it would have been full as generous to have omittted (what the first snow storm will frighten them into) or at least taken days and a road, separate, from the

STAGE-COACH, NUMBER ONE