Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-26
STAGING IN EASTERN NEVADA.
"Reminiscences OF Coaching Over
the sierra Nevadns.

"There amt much style about thai
outfit, is there, pard?" We were com.
PEELED TO admit that style was moi
much looked after, as we gazed at the
stage and mentally noted the miscel.
laneOus character of its load OF freight,
consisting as it did of a small lot oil
lumber. second. hand furniture, cases
of fruit, etc. The Jehu's mind re-
verted to the time when he held the
ribbons ove a dashlng team of SIX
spirited horses and sat on the box of a
gayly painted Concord coach some
fifteen years ago, while in the employ
of the Pioneer stage Company. A ride
over the mountains from Sacra-
mentO to Virginia City was "A pleasant
episode and iull of delight from the
start to the finish. Lucky individual
he, who secured the seat alongside of
the great man who presided over the
destinies of the team. lie was an ell
We'd character, and commanded al
most as much attention as the driver.
The first thirty miles out vas "A trifle
tedious, perhaps, the arid plains offer
ing very little In the way of variety,
but on entering the foothills the vista
changed and the full enjoyment OF the
journey commenced.
THE FOOTHILLS.
At what a spanking gait the coach
rolled down the gentle declivity, the
velocity gained going far to aid the as
cent OF the opposite slope! Noble oaks
dotted The landscape, and as we passed
one on the roadside its spreading
branches brushed The top and caused
an involuntary ducking Of the head to
avoid the blow. Innumersble SOUR
rels, disturbed in their acorn hunting
expeditions, scampered away to their
holes, and then faced the approaching
vehicle aud chartered their anger at
being disturbed. The blsck,jscke,ed
woodpecker, with his crest of flaming
red, paused from his drumming on the
bark, and cooking his head knowingly,
surveyed the coach and passengers
until they passed. The impudent
bluejay fitted from tree to tree, and
dIscorddntly screamed its contempt OF
the intruders in his woody park. DC
c~asionally "A rabbit would spring from
behind a low bush and scurry off up
the hillside, gathering added speed al
every jump, until finally disappearing
| over the crest of the hill. These were
all incidents carefully noted by the oh
server OF Nature, and very refreshing
they were to the jaded city denizen on
his way across the mountains. And,
then, with what a grand flourish we
drove up in front OF 4 stage station, the
center of admiration for the group
gathered on the porch of the tavern!
How carelessiy the %auItocrat of h out
lit tossed the lines TO the waiting host
Ter, alighting with serious dignity
from his perch and condscendingiy ac-
cepting ar invitation to drink from
some passenger who desired To culti-
waite his Highness' acquaintance. The
stops were short. for there was no time
wasted in those days. The hostler held
the praucing horses heads until the
driver gathered up the ribbons again,
and away we went at a slashing gait
until another station was reached.
III MOUNTAINS.
A stretch of thirty miles brought us
still nearer the grand old mountains,
and the long hills that we slowly
climbed checked the speed. One now
commenced to snuf the balsamic
odors of the breezy pines "a the vege-
tation changed from the oaks of the
foothills to the cedars and frs that
grew in these high attitudes. We
were now in the midst of an Alpine
region, and the road la graded into
the side OF noble mountains with pre-
cipitous ascents on the M hand and
yawning canyons on the other. As
the coach whirled around the grades,
the wheels approaching the edge just
l go n Al - ri ~. E I.A
and cause ~ to involunt.rily grasp
the rail and draw a long breath as he
looked down into the bed OF the can
yons thousands OF feet below. Our
admiration OF the skill displayed by
the knight of the whip increased, and
we paid inward homage to the dex-
terity Of that n%onchalant individual.
That ride was the ne Plus ultra of
stage coaching, and the romance and
enjoyment OF the trip almost made one
willing To eschew railroads forever.
BASE RANGE ROUTES.
A days journey on the Typo or Pi-
oche line would, however, d~isenchant
the most enthusiastic advocate of that
mode of travelling. The barren hill
sides and plains of Eastern Nevada,
although teeming with metallic wealth.
offers but very slight inducement
TO the pleasure seeker. A journey to
one of the towns south of Eureka,
means a time of discomfort and weari
ness. The rays of the burning sun
gather added heat from their reflection
on the sand and rocks. A cloud of
alkali dust shrouds the stage, enters
the nostrils aud chokes the unfortunate
passenger. until he gaspingly eiacul.
ates that God Almighty never in
tended that a white man should occu.
py or penetrate the desolate region
and he mentally swears that nothing
will ever induce him To undertake the
trip again. Staging is a practical and
unromantic fact on these routes, and
there Is very little attention paid To
romance or appearances. The pranc-
ing horses, gay coaches and stylish
drivers, are all very well OF the pleas
ant roads over in California, tut a few
trips over the highways of the Base
Range soon takes the nonsense out OF
them, and they get down to a mathod
i al jog trot, every day ~ay Of trsnspl IT
ation that comports better with sur