The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-10-18

Long DeIOT6 uOEdCo NIe0lS Aau
made him famous, Hank Monk was
hero among the heroes OF the Pacific
coast. lie was, perhaps, the first man
to use the double barreled shotgun
which Wells-Fargo's messengers made
famous in their bloody battles with
stage robbers. The fact is, Hank
Monk was such Q reckless driver that
while every one was proud of the hon
or of having once crossed the Sierras
with him, no treasure messenger was
willing to make regular thing OF it.
For it was universally conceded that
it was only a question OF time when
Hank Monk and his now famous
"Tally-Ho" stage, along with his six
horses, would be tumbled from the
heights into one OF the innumerable
gorges that lay yawning under his
narrow span of road around the noun
tain peaks. And so the daring driver
had to siton his box alone, save when
the member of Congress or judge of
his circuit in order to show his valor
and win votes, took possession OF the
perilous post.
1t was the ingenuity Of Monk that
introduced the short, double-barreled
shotgun. But he did not carry it un-
der his cloak with cock lifted and fin
ger on trigger. Nothing of that sort
his hands were too full of the ten or a
dozen reins for that. He simply had
the gun pointed down on the side OF
his leg, with the muzzle just peeping
through the sole of his heavy boot.
And no one was permitted to know OF
the presence OF the arm at all. 1t was
known that he carried his bowie knife
down the back of his neck, so as to be
in easy reach when he pushed back
his broad hat to get good look at his
enemy but the now famous shotgun
no one knew anything about; no, not
even after he had twice been attack
ed and had thrice beaten off the
robbers.
am told that the first time he uset
this weapon he stopped the stage anc
was slowly handing down the treasure
box to the leader, when, getting hi
leg in range, he emptied a load o
buckshot into the robbers heart. A
second shot into the crowd of surprised
robbers, and be dashed away with al
his desperate speed down the noun
tain. And even then no one kneN
who fred the shots. The robber
believed it was all the work OF til
passengers inside the stage. A rept
tition of this same feat drew some SUI
picion on Monk, and his life was no
in great peril, Once he handed in
bill for 4 new hat, saying the one b
had was so full of bullet holes that
"wouldn't hold .shucks." The amour
Of gold that this man carried out
the mines amounted far up into II
millions, and never was dollar in q
his years of service lost. Countir
the peril, the peculiar opportuniti
he had to betray his trust and escal
suspicion by collision with the 70
bers, and SO on, this name of Har
Monk, particularly at this time, Dug
to rank high.
Reckless and hard driving with hi
was passion. And yet there W
nothing reckless about it at all, and
was the kindest Of masters to his hors
He loved them and they loved hi
and knew his every tone and touch
the rein His team was literally a P
OF himself
There was no doubt, however, Il
he was never quite so happy as wi
he could hang his stage full of pass
gers over some deep preeipice, as
dashed down the Sierras around SO
curve and stretched his six horses
under the cracking of silk at full {
lop. And yet was he really recklC
| think not; for / think l see so
thing of an explanation of it all in
swift motion of bicycle through
air. The man merely understood
properties of the air better than 9th
and knew well from long practice,
SO long as he could keep his stage
swift motion it could not upset, c
if "all the wheels we're over the pl
pice."
Never but once did he "upset,"
that was on level ground and in
old age, as he slowly turned abou
the yard to take on passengers.
handed in his whip after that
would drive no more, except on
occasions Gen. Albert Pike, who
with him in the last year of his
and who knew him well, speaks Of
asa man with well-balanced heat
great good sense, There was on'
tie romance in his life, am
which ought to make dram,
young orphan girl, who admired
old nero became his wife, and he
tied down with his wornout Tai
the first of the famous stages o
,Sierras, and with his WORKOUT al