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"It is nearly sixty years ago (about 1839) since I began driving stage between Wilkes- Barre and Carbondale," said Mr. David Laraway. "That was before there was a house in Scranton and at that time Wilkes-Barre was a village of less than a thousand Inhabitants. There were no railroads here then, and goods were drawn in wagons from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre to supply the people of this section.

There were two brick houses here then—one on Market street and the other on South River street. An old wooden school house stood on the Square where the court house now stands and the old stone prison stood on East Market street near Washington.

There were about five hotels here then—one on River street where the Valley House now stands, kept by Peter M. Gilchrist, father of the late John W. Gilchrist; one about on the site where now stands Phelps & Straw's hardware store, kept by 'Farmer' Steele, who at one time was sheriff of Luzerne county; another on the east side of the Square called the Exchange, and conducted by Mr. Puterbaugh; a fourth down on South Main near Northampton street, of which Aaron Wambolt was proprietor; and a fifth on West Market street, where the Courtrlght House now stands, kept by Milton Courtright. Mr. Gilchrist, for whom I drove stage for many years, kept the place on the Valley House site for over thirty years.

"Twelve stages ran into Wilkes-Barre every night and the same number ran out in the morning, so you can imagine that the stage traffic was very considerable. We used to change horses at Scranton, Carbondale and Honesdale, and we also drove as far as Port Jervis, before the New York & Erie R. R. extended its line to that point about fifty-seven years ago.

There was one hotel at Pittston known as 'Ford's Hotel,' and situated near the old Susquehanna bridge. The next public house was at Hyde Park and the next at Razorvllle, the latter two being one mile apart.

Among the best known of the old stage drivers, all of whom are now dead, were 'Old Jep' Swainbank, Old Joe' Mitchell, 'Hy' Spencer, Harrison Williams, Stewart Rainow and Abe Kress."

Mr. Laraway informed the reporter that among the most prominent Wilkes-Barreans of the old stage days were Charles Reets, Nathaniel Rutter, John T. Slocum, Mr. Beaumont, father of Col. E. B. Beaumont, the father of Judge Woodward, the Conynghams and the Parrishes. Judge Conyngham was then on the Luzerne bench.

When stage driving was an active business the principal occupation in this valley was farming. The coal industry was only In its infancy then, the only mine which was open being the Empire. After Mr. Laraway quit stage driving, after a service of a score of years, he worked for Mr. Gilchrist at the hotel and for seven years on a farm at Lee Park. Mr. Laraway was born in Green county, N. Y., and has lived in Wilkes-Barre for fifty-five years. His health Is still good and his lease of life promises to continue yet for a good many years. (Wilkes-Barre Times - April 8, 1899)