, 1885-01-02
THE SEVEN RULES
Which Govern the Business of the
Successful Road Agent.
Two Captive HIghwaymen Reveal
Some of Their Tricks of Trade
Treatment OF the Lady
Passengers.

- - FNALo &AAAINA ~ 80 Wv 1AHAAA~" 1-AAA
in the summer with the intention of living
well in the large cities OF the country during
the winter. They are strangers here, one OF
them, Billy Corbett, claiming to live in San
Franc isco, and the other,J John Dwyer, hail
ing from the cast. When the Wells Fargo
men overhauled them they were preparing
for one more raid, which they had agreed
should be their last. Before leaving here the
detectives got n long story out Of their pris-
oners, who regarded themselves as very
clever thieves. Having made up their minds
that they will have to servo out a long SEN
tence, and that nothing will avail them as n
defense, they are making merry over a
bad job.
"The way OF 1t was just this" observed
Corbett "My partner here and l met I'm
San Francisco last May, and we agreed on
this little enterprise. We saw by the papers
that stages were being held up in all parts of
the state, and we concluded to try it. The
first one we tackled was down in the noun
tains, 100 miles south Of here, and we got
nothing but a little silver from tho driver
and some good advice. He says; SEQ here,
you fellers. You're green at the business,
and | know it When you order up n stage
just you remember also tn call for 'em to
throw off the box. The box Is the thing
that's got the dust in. l don't happen to have
any just now, but that's what you're after
We tried 1t next time on the Uroville line,
but it so happened that that driver didn't
have any box, and We had TO stand the
passengers up.
ave made a great reputation that time.
In fact, that Is what we were trying to do
everywhere. The papers got it all In about
our being courteous and gallant No one
ever tried harder in that line than We did.
Down near Mendocino once, when a big fell
lou hlt ~ arrooo thasrnRx,fb wufth n ,valk{.w
stick as big as my wrist, 1 didn't say any
thing. We simply robbed a little more
thoroughly, taking his coat, vest, and hat.
I've got them on now. After we got our
hand in we found things worked a good deal
better. We got so we could do up a stage in
four minute from the first yell, and IL they'd
let us alone we would have lowered that
record a little. There's an awful sight for a
beginner to learn in the business. 1t makes
me mad to think that some butcher will be
agoing over this route next summer, making
bad breaks. What we intended to do was to
get away from here this week and go east
for the winter. Then next summer we in
tended to come back again, unless we struck
something"
Dwyer assented ~to all that was said, OBJ
serving that his luck had always been bad.
When his partner ceased talking he said;
There is something in the air Of California
that makes a travelling man a chump. It's
just as my partner says. You have got an
awful sight to learn. 1 am thinking some OF
writing a book on the staging business. /
could give some Of these fellows n few points.
There ought to be some authority which the
young might uso as a guide. All the old road
agents are gone, and the only way n new
conner can get along is to learn by experience.
Now, as 1t will be a good while before / have
any use for stage coaches again, l will give
you a few procepts-
ain the first place, never appear TO be in a
hurry-that is, in a nervous hurry. Just keep
bustling about as though il was a very disa-
greeable duty that mus be attended to.
Second Never get scared at all
There is no danger. Just keep
your weapons handy, and don't
take your eye off your victims. Third-Re-
member that the big haul is generally in the
treasure box or the mail sack, and that
neither the driver nor the passengers care for
either of them They will not make them
selves obnoxious about them and you may
depend upon it If you work it right. Fourth
Don't be too hoggish in going through the
passengers themselves. Just take what
comes handy and no more. This is a partic-
ularly wise rule to follow when you have a
heavy treasure box and a fat mail bag. II
you eIasperate a passenger he may fight. II
you simply relieve him Of what comes
handy, and don't appear as IL you
were in very needy circumstances your
selves, or as II you wanted 10 bank
rupt him, you will gain his admiration
and gratitude. Fifth-If there are ladies
abroad assure them the first thing that they
will not be disturbed. Make them stand up,
and watch them, of course, for they are
treacherous; but when you come to them in
the line just say that you never rob the fair
sex, and hand them back their things. You'll
make il up in the long run. Sixth-Look
out for yourself every minute you are at the
job. Some of the most Misunderstanding
men l ever saw had the hardest and heaviest
fists. One fellow down here on the big tree
road told me he was a consumptive, and five
minutes afterward, when he hit me back OF
the ear l thought a tree had fallen on me.
Seventh-Pay no attention to the driver.
He's used to it, and as long as no one offers
to shoot he doesn't worry.
~ have met some very sociable drivers in
my day hat l would like to describe, but 1
will not bother about them now. The idea
conveyed in all these precepts Is to do the
work without friction and make no enemies.
I h box and the bag being heavy you can
afford to be easy,on the Passengers II they
do not lose much and are we'll treated, they
are rather proud of the experience, and they
h@ftA "a VI hoNttAak Az aothAAa- III ulhkt1
them your frionds-that is, you've got no
bowling, wild-eyed avengers on your trail
except the Wells Fargo and United States
shhrps, and you can dodge them alter you're
used to it. IN bet you the whole pile I've
made this summer that II l Knew a month
& what / know now no Wells Fargo man
would ever have run me down"
THAT'S all trus, every word of it." broke
In Corbett. ave learned II good deal one
day coming over the mountains. We had
been off for a littlo recreation, and coming
back here in the stage three big fellows with
shotguns stopped US My partner and l were
on the front seat on the inside, and we were
very anxious to SEQ how they did the work.
Well, they were slick ones. We stood up in
a row with the rest of tho passengers, and
when one of them came along to me l said,
Pm a member of the profession | whis-
pored it gently. so tho others wouldn't hear
me. and he looks at mo sharp like, and says
loud, SO all could hear him. IS that soi We
never rob preachers.' And he handed me
back the little roll OF bills which he had taken
from mo. Well, l rather admired the chap
for his geniality, but 1t cut me up dreadful
to be called a preacher. II was all right,
though. There's whore we learned a good
deal OF what we know now"
Psychologists ave discovered that Cleo
patra's nose was short, saucy and celestial.