Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-12-01
The Gee-Lang Of the Old Days.

and Los Angeles, away
back in 1852. In those days Gen.
Banning was "young and charm
ing,n to purloin line from Pima
fore, and this section was in its in
fancy, and the Major only fairly
in adolescence. We
quote:
At San Pedro we found two
stages of the old army ambulance
pattern, to which were being her-
messed as vicious looking herd of
bronco mules as ever kicked the
brains out of a gringo. While a
half dozen Indian aud Mexican
vaqueros were engaged in subdu.
ing and hitehing up the mules, q
gallant looking young man rode
up, splendidly mounted and dressed
Ia elegant clothes, half gentleman
and half rapchero In style, and
after politely salutiDg Don Benito
Wilson, informed him that great
Vigilance Committee was In ses-
sion in Los Angeles, and were try
ing some half dozen cut-throats,
who had been arrested and accused
Of the murder of General Bean.
Don Benito informed us that the
young man was Billy Reader, City
Marshal of Los Angeles Poor
Billy! He accompanied the author
TO Nicaragua and was killed at
San Jacinto. By the time the con-
versation above referred to had
ended, the stages were ready and
We were invited to get in. A sailor
looking fellow, who seemed to be
at least half-seas.over, sat on the
drivers seat and held the lines all
together in both hands, while two
savage.l0okiDg MexioaDs, mount
ed on horses that, for bone and sin.
ew, would have We'd with the fa-
NOUS steed of Mazsppa, stood with
lassoes tightly drawn on the lead
ing mules to ''guide center,o while
two others stood in fanking po.
sition with their riatas ready to be
used as whips to urge the animals
forward when the word was given
to "let loose" Finally, when all
hands were seated, q portly look
ing young man that Don Benito
called Banning, came around with
a basket on his arm and offered to
each of the passengers an ominous
looking black bottle, remarking,
"Gentlemep, there is lie ssoter be-
tween here and Los Angeles" and
then inquired, "All ready?" One
surly looking sailor driver grum-
bied out in reply, "Is there going
TO be 40 bettins?" When Banning
laughingly remarked that the dri.
vers usually expected the passen-
gers to bet something Oh the trip
Just enough to make 1t interest
ing'-whereupon a passenger who
sat beside me, whose neat appear.
aDce showed him to be recent
importation, offered to bet five
dollars on our stage. One of the
horse racers on the other stage
said: swell. do you suppose there
ia a man on this wagon who would
bet five dollars? There is a slug
I'll go you on the trip.n My neigh
Dor, whom l recollect as Ransom,
failed to respond; 80 the author
patriotically saw his $50, after
which the betting became general.
When the stakes were made, Ban
ming sang cut to the drivers: snow
lads, mind your helm! Let her
driven and the Mexican major
domo savagely yelled out, "Susita,
caraj0! and sure enough it was
"let loose" and away we went. OIL
all the rattling of harness, kicking,
bucking, pulling, lashing and
wearing, the twelve bronco mules,
the two half-drunk sailor drivers,
and the six Mexican conductors
with their chief, the major-domo,
they did the most. The mules were
worthy of the glorious country that
gave them to their domineering
and relentless masters. The tive
Mexicans who "guided eentran on
the two leading mules of both
stages, were certainly artists; they
were absolute masters of the situa-
ton. They just snaked the mules
along, whether they would or not.
The four out riders, or mule
whackeis, showed u refinement in
whipping mules that was abso-
luteIy incompatible, and by the
time we were half way to the An
gels the mules bore perfect resem.
blance to the ring streaked and
striped kline of Holy Writ. The
two half.drunk sailor drivers would
roar at each. other, as we dashed
along at lightning speed, some-
times passing each other, some
times neck and neck, each team
every nerve to get ahead |
OF the ether. "Heim a-port, YOU.
lubser! Don't you see you will run
into mel" always with an amount
of profanity that was absolutely
Greeley's ride with
Hank Monk was monotonous COM
pared with the early staging be.
tween San Pedro and Los Angeles.
There WAS money bet on that
bronco mule stage race, and when
we had passed over about half the
the two toams Kind of
Stacked up In speed, as il by nautu.
al consent of all concerned, except
we who had bet our money. We
were opposed to anything of the
oVAhy Shu 5SA oul allNoI
when he said in q gruff kind OF
way: "When will we splice the
main brace?" One of the black
bottles was accordingly opened
and passed to the driver, who raised
his eyes heuvenward and gszed pi-
ously at the stars that were Just
to twinkle in the early
twilight, and then passed 1t to one
of the "whackers," who also raised
his eyes heavenward and gazed at
the stars. We passed out another
bottle, and all of the Dons followed
suit. We could see that the same
performance was being gone
through with by the party in
charge Of the other stage. We in
side the stage went through the
same pious devotions, only we
failed to see the stars. One happy
passenger at this juncture said to
the driver: "I'll give you five dol
,,~,,fll haaf hat ofo 70 h