Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-01-25
In the Mountains.

famous mountain stage drivef, az nc
Jumped upon the seat at bus side on the
coach th I was about to start from Gun
nlson to Ruby Camp in the Elk Noun
tains.
Yes, love to be around horses"
"You must have had some adventures!'
"a few," replied Frank, quietly.
.sWhere did you first begin to drivef"
SIN the East. / came from Lockport.
NY. used to drive trotters. You ask
Dan Mace if he remembers Frank Ensign
s-You must have had some cold rides.
"Yes, I've been chilled To the marrow
on several occasions, once on the ROAD
over the ground we are now traveling.
1t was two winters ago, when the discov-
cries of these dlggings began to make noise
in the world. Men would undergo any
hardship to reach the mountains One
morning | had stage load for Ruby
Camp. F0om signs in the AR l made up
NV mind that before night a blizzard
would roll down with frost sharp enough
to freeze whisky in your breast pocket. L
put on six layers of clothing. First, SILK
underwear, then wooden, next buckskin, q
suit of woolen clothes, thick ulster, and
-
ND to nv ears. l wore three pairs OF SOCKS
pair of arctics. and high flannel ilned
rubber boots over them. l wound q nan-
mel bandage around my head and forehead,
and pulled my tur cap down to my eye
brows. A pair of goggles protected my
ewes. ana a mufiier, when l managed 10
| breathe through, covered my mouth,
checks and nose Heavy iur gloves, en-
cased in rubber mittens, projected my
hands. One of the members of tie stage
company had TO go up on business, and
he started off with NE in the seat you oc-
cupy. He was pretty well b1ndled up,
and said he didn't want any of his men 10
ride where he wouldn go.
Before we ps ssed Castle Mountain the
bljzzaid was on US. 1t came shrieking
over the bare rocks and through the stunt
ed trees louder than if million Utes
were swooping down after our scalps. II
whlstled around the coach and over the
| horses, fairly raising the harness from their
backs. Icicles formed fringes from their
mouths. and their sides were white with
ellstenlng frost. 1hey lowered their heads
10 the storm and plunged bravely on with
their load. Are you cold, Frankf IN
uuired the boss with chatterlng teeth.
Warm as toast, says ]. The point oil
nv nose was line only sensitive thing about
me; that iingled as if coal OF IRE mad
come in contact with it, Pretty soon We
came to a bend around the mountain,
where we had little SHELTER
".Pu'l up minute, Frank said The
boss. L guess I'll get IN with the Pas
sengers.' Every man inside was stamping
his feet as if lie had served his time in the
Old Bowery pit. a fearful howl arost
when the proprietor opened the door, ano
dove in among the hslf-frozep, cramped
I'D travellers. Between the gusts l hearC
the lively tattoo kept up until we begar
, climbing the high range to Ruby Camp.
Then only an OCCASIONAL thump reached
nv ears. When we arrived at the station
/ had to help every man out OF the coacf;
Nearly ali had their feet, hands, ears Oh
noses bitter. requiring vigorous appllca
tions of snow to restore a nealthy circu
lat on of blood. 4 little rubbing of my
Own nose set me all right (Ffank's nDse il
raihsr long and thin and when entered
the barroom at the station, after seeing
that my team was properly attended To,
was IN comfortable glow OF warmth.
"'Frauk, SAID the proprietor, L dom
see how you got up the mountain withou
freezing 10 death. | should have fallen of
if | had reD aimed outside another hal
hour
.Were you ever stopped by road agentsf'
"Yes by the Allison gang. That wa
] W. hod q aOacl
full of passengers, heavy mail, and b.!
> package of money by express, had In
r money under my cushion and the mai
bags piled up behind me. We wer
! stopped IN place where the horses had t
: walk, as is generally the case"
"Do you drivers always stop when or
: dered."
: YES; if We didn't we'd get bullet
through our heads, or manned for life
! without receiving any compensation iron
the company or passengers.
E show did the gang operate?'
ALLISON stood at the heads Of the lead
t ers with a pistol pointed at me. His con
federates ranged alongside of coach, GOV
eriog the passengers. Allison knew I'M
, by sight. He shouted, Hands up
Frankf IF you won't unhitch any of m.
horses | replied. All right, we dom
{ want Your horses. Then | held up. Tt,
5 passengers were ordered out IN line, will
b hands up, and thoroughly searched Tn
4 robbers went through the baggage IN tn
: toat, taking some parcels, and then aske,
me TO throw dow n the mail bags to them
Y Il can't do that; if you rob the mail yol
e will have to get the bags yourselves.
= Then they climbed up, tossed the bag
1 down. cut them open. and took such let
e tiers as they wanted Have We got all
q asked Allison. All that's worth having
: | guess The thousands of dollars | wa
] sitting upon fairly burned me at this time
but looked the robber coolly in the eye
= One of the gang now began unhitchiu
< my leaders. Stop that said Allis1n, III
oGe shall touch Franks horses The
= turning to me he SAID, We are going now
1 Frank; In ten minute you can drive on.
I Odd you ever meet with an upset o
lheGe mountain roadsi"
E 'No; but had terribly close call nes
: Grand Canon year ago the l0.h of Au
gust"
Here Frank grasped tine butt of his viii
and curved the tip Of the lash over til
E leaders heads. The handle of the wni
was highly ornamented. There wer
about dozen silver bands on it. On tn
broad band a, the butt there was an inscriE
] iiOn of several lines.
Il seldom handle this whip withau
thinking of that ride" sad Frank. See
that was interested he continued:
.'We had a load of nineteen passenger
inside and outside the coach, and ten heav
trunks IN the boo'. We were going fron
Silver Creek to Canon City. had tn
best SIX horse outfit ON the hne, and felt
:. pride in driving, although l knew tn
coach was too heavy for the coach In som
places. At my SIDE sat a pretty little lad
=, and on the end of the cat was the wife o
one OF our directors. Tine director sat be
hind Lis wife. All went well unit
we came to the top of Gieenhorn Range
The drive down the range for two mile
and a half is one of the most perilous il
: the Rockies. In places there is scarceI
q six inches to spare 10 keep you from soln
over the preclpice. and ON the other sid
is wall of rock About half way dow
E is point called Cape Horn. The roa,