Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-23
AMAZING ADVENTURES.
Two Truth II ating Stage Drivers Meet and
Fight Mighty Duel.

After some preliminary SparTln1 10
establish the fact that each was a pro-
fessional liar as we'll as driver, and
worthy opponent for the other, the
Western man said:
"rve done some perty remark BILE
things in the West, which l s'pose
would s'prise you some if was to tell
you bout 'em. l was driving stage
once an at Fort Steele somebody stole
all the wheels off'n the stage. Iput
the six bosses on run an went to
Rawlins, eighteen mile, lickety -brindle,
with the stage flynn in the air behind
bout four feet from the ground"
II have druv stage some, myself"
unused the Eastern liar. as he closed his
eyes as if lost in thought, "but always
in the East, so OF course l never met
with no such s'prisin' adventures as
you have. l remember one little Incl.
dent, though, as might pos bly, be with
tellin'. / was drivin' four-hoss stage
tween Scrabbeville and Bone Corners,
twelve miles. One day jess I got ready
to start | discovered that somebody had
stole the road between the two places.
Plenty o wheels on my stage, unner-
stand but no road to run 'em on. /
jes' went down to Butterworth creek
an got a couple o bridges an stuck
one of 'em out towards the Corners,
druv out on it, drawed the other out
and showed it ahead. druv on it, an
KEEP repeatin'. I made the drive in
something over four hours"
yes" said the Western liar, APP
provingly, ''that was the best you
could do if you didn't have no extra
roads along. We gently carried long
one or two to use in case of 'mergen-
cies. Ever have any trouble with road
agentsp"
"You mean robbers, guessp''
yes"
"a couple of EN- tackled me one day,
but chased 'em two mile an finely
run over 'em with the stage"
"All the road agents in the West COM
bined once near Julesburg to down me.
Twenty-Five of 'em opened fire on my
coach at once. 1t made me mad. an
got off with my Winchester an went
for 'em. left my bosses an passen-
gers an beat round in the sage brush
for three days shootn' road agents.
One would jump up bout ev'ry five
minutes an l would crack him over.
Lots o. fun. though | needed good
bird dog Stage company fined nue. two
hundred dollars for delayin' bus ness.
1t was further down the river near
North Platte that the m skeeters tried
to hold me up next summer. They
swarmed all over. One boss died from
loss o blood-good boss, too. l be-
lieve couple o English tourists who
were riding outside got killed by EN-,
too. went to smoking some dog-tail
torbacker man from Missoury give me
an that fixed EN-"
"Ye can't skeer Jersey skeeters with
smoke" said the Eastern driver. calm
ly. "rve druv there and tried it. One
evening they were coming up out of
Sedgwick's marsh powerful thick. lit
my pipe an lowed to drive 'em way.
| was putin long when suddenly one
of EN- come up an asked me for a
light, an I looked round an seen
mother one scratchin' a match on his
leg an lightin' a cigar. They were
bad that trip. They would come up
out of that marsh an stand long the
road an sort o lean over an look at me
like turkey lookin' at q grasshopper.
guess they thought was too small
game. Some o the young ones picked
at me. though, an made it sort o dis
gree BILE
Ever have any sperience with raw
hide traces P" asked the Western MAN.
NO." answered the other. doubt
fully, II guess not-mebby l have
under some other name, though-prob-
bly, have. Go head"
Il tried 'em out in the Green river
country thought they would be very
dur BILE, you know. Didn't think bout
their li'bil' ty to stretch. | was goin'
from Point of Rocks to Green River.
Forded Alkali creek an them tugs be-
wheel boss fer II change at the time, an
fore | knowed it the coach was two
milo behind. | thought o goin' back
but seed it wouldn't do no good cause
they were the only traces had. so |
KEEP goin'. When | got to Rock Spring,
ten mile from The creek, stopped.
didn't know what to do at first, but ies'
happened to think of scheme and
tried it. tied all them tugs together
and fastened 'em to tree, an jes' sci
down an waited. The sun shone warm
and by'n'-by them traces gun te
shrink an in bout two hours the coach
come rattlin' long 'sif there was forty
bosses to it.
Il don't b'lieve ever had a
'sperienee zackly like that" said the
Eastern driver, "but had one most as
bad when druv over the mount'ins in
in Pennsylvany. There come up a