Evening star., 1895-07-13
NOTABLE HORSEBACK RIDE.
One of the Tfpditions Of the Days ~
the Santa Fe Trnil.

the Santa Fe Trnil.
Not long ago The Star writer had occa-
sion to visit western Missouri. Among one
Of the traditions Of the little city of Inde-
pendence. which until the days of the rail-
road was the eastern terminus of the
Santa Fe trail. the following story was
told:
In the old days Of the Santa Fe trail the
freighters made one round trip season.
The Americans very generally wintered at
Independence. while the Mexican traders
naturally put in the same season at the
town of Santa Fe In the spring the teams
were made up. the wagons loaded and the
long caravans Of prairie schooners. with
their white tits and from five to fifteen
yoke of oxen. began moving out on their
long voyage across the plains.
As was stated, these outfits made only
one round trip per sea3on. the Mexicans
getting rid Of their freight at Independ.
ence some time along in midsummer and
loading up again for Santa Fe while the
Americans threw of their first load at
Santa Fe and reloaded again for Independ-
ence.
Along in the late forties an energetic
character named Frank x. Aubrey came
from New York to Independence. bought .
lot of teams and started into business as q
freighter. Such was his push and vim that
he made tv o trips season, starting out
from Independence in the early spring and
winding up his second round trip at that
point rather late in the fall. Aubrey piled
up great deal Of money at the business,
and set such an energetic example that he
was soon recognized as the leader.
With all his business thrift and vigor,
Aubrey was also what one might call -
sporting character" The distance from
Santa Fe to Independence was about 800
miles. One day while discussing freight
ing and the length Of time 1t ought to take
to cover :he distance between Independ.
ence and Santa Fe, Aubrey made the rath-
er bold assertion that he could start alone
on single horse and push through to In
dependence In eight days himself. A dis
pute arose. end the result was that Aubrey
offered to wager 5000 that he could start
ual speed ,sbd bottom, and with the liberty
to buy such horses as he might need on tho
way, and SO remount himself as often az
he had chance, and be in Independence
at the stage station in less than eight days
of twenty-fcur hours each from the time
he left Santa Fe. The money was covered
and the wager made.
Aubrey started and was in Independence.
Mo-, in just seven days and ten hours from
the time hs said goodbye" to Santa Fa.
He had remounted himself twice.
Then second wager was made. The
parties who had lost the 5000 with the
bold New Yorker, after considerable dick
ering. managed to make a wager of $4,000
side with Aubrey. This time he was to
go from Sunta F6 10 independence, run
of fuli 800 miles, in six days.
1t was at the best season of the year.
There were no rains. while the grass was
good and the trail as hard as pavement
Aubrey had the same liberty to remount
himself as often as he came upon a horse
that he preferred to his own. But he was
not permitted to arrange relays or post
horses in advance along the trail Indeed,
he had no time wherein to make these afp
rangements, even If he had desired to and
they had been allowed
He started out of Santa Fe the evening
of a June day. 1t was Sunday. The Mexi.
cans looking on argued success to the dar.
ing rider frum the holy character Of the
day. All he had with him as provender
was little dried beef. He expected TO
get food at the stage stations along the
trail. Saturday afternoon of the sams
week he rode into the public square at In.
dependence. winning the race by five hours.
riding the 500 miles, and had used eleven
horses. He had had two brushes with In
dians, and had been chased by them at the
Cimmaron crossing of the Arkansas, ana
again at Paw Zee Rock. He escaped, how
ever, with nothing worse than an arrow
through his arm.
1t is related that when he slipped from
the saddle at Independence he hadn't slept
q wink for fifty-siX hours. Bystanders as
serted that he was sound asleep the In
stant he touched the ground. Aubrey was
carried into the hotel and put to bed, and
never opered his eyes again until Monday
morning about 2 o'clock. He then came
around as fire. sh as a daisy and hungry
as a wolf. He routed out the cook OF the
hotel, made him come down to the kitchen
and cook him something to eat. He won
$4,000 on these two races. and In the last
one made a record for long-distance riding
never surpassed.
Just to show how such man Of steel
and zeal may end. 1t might be added that
Frank x. Aubrey was stabbed to death IN
a brawl in a Santa Fe dance hail. This
was some five years after his great ride.
Old plairsmen will still tell you, however.
Of the exploits of Aubrey. and he is rever-
entity mentioned with such worthless ~
Sublette. k't Carson, Ben Holiday ana
old Jim Br, ser.