Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1894-01-03
ALETTER IRON "PONY."
He Likes The idea OF Having
ssHank,' Monks Stage Fun to
the Midwinter Fair.
Como, Dec. q, 1893.


| Ed. TIMEs:-I have seen in sew
eral papers that it is proposed to
take the old stage in which the
founder Of the New York Tribune
was whlrled over the SIerras by
Hank" Monk to the 10 camp at
| the Midwiuter Fair to be driven by
Doc Benton Of Carson City. The
proposition is a good one. 1t would
| add largely to the attractions of the
40 camp.
That old stage Is historic outside
of the fame given it by the Greedy
trip over the mountains for ''Hahk
afterward became q part owner OF
the same old coach. 1t came about
in this way. Mr., Chorpenmg for
whom "Hank" drove at the time of
the "Greely ride had the contract
to carry the U. S. mail between
Salt Lake and Sacramento and be-
cam so much involved that his prop
erty vas being attached ard Mart
Smith, Cholpening's agent for this
end of the route advised ''Hank" to
make his salary secure by secretlng
some of the stage property. Hank
acted on the advice and hitched up
two of the stages including the his
toric one and drove them across Van
Sickles ranch and the Carson river
Just above Genoa, dismantled and
secreted them in tules and turned
the horses loose, and by SO doing
cured his back wages.
Hank made another famous trip
over the mountains in 1868, or GA,
taking over load of Comstock mag
mates from Virginia City. They
chartered a special coach from Wells
Fargo & Co. who then owned the
line, with, Of course, the stipulaticn
that Hank was to drive. So VOL
satisfied were they with his drivih (
that they presented him with $500
watch aud a gold mounted six-horse
stage whip. He was very proud OF
his trophies, though they We're sell
dom seen save by his intimate
friends. If Doc. Benton drives the
old coach over the mountains and
into the 40 camp of the Midwlnter
Fair he will doubtless use the gold
mounted whip, for Hank told the
writer short time before he died
that the watch and whip were for
Doc. Benton and his wife. They
were his true friends to the last and
staid by him until the brake finally
slipped from his grasp.
Mart Smith spoken of above as
the stage agent ought to 90 over with
Doc and the old stage, for he was on
the box with Hank when the great
editor took his famous ride, and Mr..
Greeley was the only passenger
Hank acknowledged that Mart's
presence probably prevented ser
ious mlshap for as they were decend-
ing steep grade trace on one OF the
wheels became unhitched and was
dangling around his legs. In a
moment every one of those wild
mustangs vas doing his very best to
get away from that particular spot.
At the foot of the grade a short turn
to the left took them on to the
bridge which spanned the south fork
of the American river, while OF OF
the road to the right, was fiat, Gov
cred with heavy timber. The horses
were running away and no human
power at hand could stop them on
that down grade. "Wlll you try to
make the turn, asked Mart. "No,
said Hank. 81 am going to steer
chem for that timber, and II L can
skip the trees, we are al right and if
/ don't 1t ls better than the river.
lie skipped the trees and by the
time Horace got his head cut to
make inquiries, Smith had the trace
hitched and they were ready to COM
mence making time again, and their
passenger never knew but the ride
through that grove was the correct
thing. Well, at that time, it Ger
tainly was.