Richland beacon., 1888-02-25
TOMS EXPLOIT.

''.tlloo Fad i'm hoT lad i'm
hot. There hain't benny mt hat the
siation!'
"English " Tom," as the boys called
HIM, va =. tcnderlOot if ever there was
one. He went from Caste Garden to
Halvcston, Texas, and then came direct
~ to the far frontier where he was en-
p'Uycd at one of the stage stations. He
hai not been in the country over a month,
AID therefore was new to the ways of
the people. and also 10 life Oh the bcr lcr.
At tEat time the sage line extended
froio Fort Worth, Texas, to IL "a.
passed on westward through New McXi-
CO and Arizona, and had Its western ter
minus at san Diego, Cal. Bra1c hes ex-
tended from san Antonio TO Fort Con
cho, and from Mesiila, n. W., northwa d
through that Territory to Colorado, lut
the main lnc was Fort Worth, thon
quite Il little city, to san Diego, dis
tance Of about ,.00 miles. This va;
the Ion est stage line in the world. And
what country was travcrscd by thosr
heavy, rocking coaches with their four
wild mules.
From Fort Worth to FL Taso, dis
tance of 200 miles, there WAS not town.
The first place of any Importance west of
Fo:t W0th was Fort Concho, over 200
miles away, and one of the frontier out-
posts. About every thirty miles was
stage station" occupied by station
keeper Il ''stock tender" and guard of
about foar or five soldiers. Further west
was Stockton, sill further Fort DAVIS,
i-.i then FL PaSo. a few saloons,
.mlcr of gambling places and store
o. two comprise cd the town at each of
In sc forts; but all alon. that stretch of
20 miles there was { human habita-
ti)n except the stage stations The four
or five soldiers at each station acted as "A
guard i'll case Ind ans Il tackled the place,
n, ey often did. Each stage also car
Vi d one soldier, who sat beside the
drive, and who was supposed to repre-
sent t,c United States Army in case the
cotch was ambushel by Indians or at
tackled by roal agents. The drivers drove
about sixty mics. Every other station
was wing station. where the mules
were changed. a1d eve; y other station was
home" one. where the drivers live |,
stopping aJ one "homc' station when
going west and the other when going
cast. Life at these far outposts of civIiza-
tion Va ircary and monotorous enou gh,
bat It II had some simple pea urcs. and
Los in.rc .ue1tly hardships and peiils.
The secOad station west of Fort DAVIS
was a home" an Il was called Van
Horns Wells. The stage company had
spent considerable money on, or rather
N Nx.nll lint nf Ia Of IL,
two hundred feet they were rs dry rs ut
the top. The next station eastward was
Eagle Springs, and here was large
spring of clearest water. The distance
between the two stations was twenty
two miles, and two men were constantly
employed hauling water from agle
Springs 20 supply the men and mules at
Van llorn's Wells. The poorest mules
owned by the company were used with
this wagon--four broken-dow
animals that could not, by any possible
urging or abuse, be induced to 90 faster
than very slow walk. The wagon was
a common affair, containing barrels that
wore filed through the hung. The road
between the two stations led along gull
lies and washouts where the tall grasses
and bushes afforded easy ambuscade;.
Son e;imc, it led through snail canyons,
whc the Ind ans had been known to
hi !e behind the rocks and shoot the men
on the wagon. The only water in that
region was at Eagle Springs, and for
many years it had been a favorite stop
ping place for the rowing bands of
Apach,s and Comanohe
English Tom" made his appearance
at Van Iiorn's Wells in the summer of
1917. Tn, first thing he did upon arriv-
in. AZ the station was to become the pos
sess r of a wolf-skin cap, with long
tail hanging down the back. The boys
told him, tn It the cap was the proper
thing, and so he swcltered and suffered
and wore it.
Indians had r-:Irdered the driver of
the water wagp and the company had
considerable difficulty in getting any
one TO undertake the dangerous and
monoton task of hauling water to the
men and animals at Van Ilorl. Finally
"White Buffalo" a reckless young chap,
who had lost his last cent with the monte
payers at Fort Eavis, was induced TO
take the p ace at double pay, and ENG
with water and help "White Buffalo,"
The latter smiled when he saw his as
s'stant, bat said: ''IIe'll do, l reckon.
I'll try him anyway"
A coyote had jumped up from some
Kidding place near the road and started
away with long lope. white Buffalo"
rea he'd for his rife, but English Tom"
sprang from the wagon, waved his wolf
skin cap in the air, and started after the
feet footed coyote as Fest as he could
run. 1hen it was that he exclaimed:
LEAD i'm hof. Fad i'm hoff. There
ha' MT hcny meat hat the station."'
4 4 Il. ll..ff L.