Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-08-21

EDITOR GOLD HILL News: Agrssably
to promise. I herewith furnish you. for
publication. q brief account Of my
recent trip to Mammoth. Leaving Car
son by the 5 o'clock A. n. stage, via An
telops Valley. We take dinner at Doc.
G~oodnough's. where we change stages
and drivers. About feur miles from
Goodnough's the road enters the can
yon and follows the West Walker river
for . distance Of twenty miles. This
portion OF the road 10 pleasant and pic
turesque. the scenery ane; the rapids OF
sparkling water are many. and on hot,
sultry days the place looks very inviting
to travellers. There are many pleasant
hooks. whore valuable pine. Or and tam
arack timber abounds. In many places
the scrsggy rocks are covered with trees
high up the mountain sides. and the
passsr.by wonders how they obtain
moisture sufficient to live. After leav.
ing the canyon we come to the open
plain. where We intersect the Sonora
and Bodis stage road. About twenty.
five miles from this point We reach the
Hot Springs Hotel. now kept by Mr.. and
Mrs. Leonard. formerly Of Gold Hill.
This resort il to the people OF Bodie and
vicinity what Steamboat Springs are to
our people. bridgeport Is reached about
6 o'clock p. ~. same day. where we stop
only to change mails. Four miles dis.
lance might DO saved on this trip by
leaving Bridgeport on the left,
and going straight to the oval
Icy View House." Leaving Bridgeport
the road now enters the canyon. and in
tho muddy water and debris are seen
evidences Of the near approach to tho
old Dogtown placer mines. A long ride
up grade carries US to Bodie, which
place we reach at 1890 P. u. The route
described Ii now the ~favorits one to
Bodie, as by II the traveller can 60
through from Carson in ono day. and
avoid much dust and the all.night ride
Of the old Wellington aud Aurora stage
route. As now run-three trips per
week-San Francisco passengers are OBJ
liged TO stop over n day in Carson.
Still the route is very popular and con.
vsnient. aud travellers appreciate the
quick time made over 1t. The road In
we'll stocked. the agents and drivers are
courteous aud attentive. and NO time Is
lost at stations. But the stages are hor-
ribls - simply mud-wagons with two
seats inside facing each other. the bot
tom Of the wagons resting on the thor
ou2h-braces, and the stage company call
them coaches. A vehicle OF the kind
described is well enough in its placs-in
mud-where IL cannot be driven faster
than Q walk ; or it might answer for 9
freight. vegetable or fruit wagon. but for
q passenger wagon. when the team at.
tached goes faster than q walk. 1t Is q
fraud upon the travelling public. Short.
gsared. the wagon has no swing
to 1t. and riding in II one
feels every jar. One OF the
drivers Of the wagon in which the
writer rode compared the ride to a ride
In O freight car of the track, humping
across the ties. On one OF these wagons
the company often put twelve to fifteen
passenpers-six inside and six to nine
on top-and always have ''room for one
more" Just back OF the drivers seat
is q seat for three persons. whose feet
either hang over the side or rest on the
seat below; and this il the choice seat.
With three persons on the u~pper.deck
those on the drivers seat have the
knees Of the upper.deckers punching
them In the back. with q promise each
time the stage goes into q chuck hole.
Of pitching them or upon the wheel
horses. The upper,deck seat projects
over about an inch. and comes about to
the small OF the back OF those who sit
In front below. On its edge are mum.
srous round. headed nails which once
held canvas to its place. This inch
board on its edge does not mako Q very
comfortable back to q seat; hence one 10
not disposed to growl about the trifing
matter Of being punched IN the back by
the knees Of the passengers behind.
The writer would advise persons trav.
cling on this line who secure this choice
seat to have their backs half solsd before
they start. especially in coming from
Bodie this way. as The road il 10 much
on the down grade. in this connection
the writer will soy that II the stage Com,
papy will put on q Concord coach and
six horses, leave Carson an hour earlier
in the morning than they do now, the
trip to Bodie can DO made one OF pleas.
ure, and the company will be entitled to
the gratitude Of the travelling public.
And Il Is safe to predict that IL the pres.
emit company don't do this somebody
else will, aud another year will soc the
business travel In other hands. This
business ia too good q thing to DO
ignored.
Bodie at this time Ia q Of the live
lest places on the Pacific coast. Build.
inss are being erected ~ fast as lumber
can be procured. Teams cannot DO
--...l A.. h.,l 10 nm fat m N Ia wantad