Overland Stage Driver (Nat Stein, 1865)  This wonderful song, written by a driver for the legendary western overland stage company owner Ben Holloday, was published in the Montana Post newspaper on April 8, 1865.  The song tells of the joys and tribulations of a stage coach driver making the run on Holloday’s stagecoach line between the Montana mines and Salt Lake City, passing through the difficult country of eastern Idaho.  The song no doubt was sung by drivers while they were making the run to pass the time and amuse riders.  The air is given as that of “High Salary Driver on the Denver City Line” which in turn, in all likelihood, was derived from the earlier song “Knickerbocker Line” about driving coaches in New York City.  An excellent rendition of “Knickerbocker Line” by Pete Seeger can be found on Time Records LP L1001 in 1961. The rendition here is by Gary Eller of Pickles Butte on vocals and guitar and Scott Knickerbocker of Caldwell on frailing banjo.