The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-08-10

bed occasioa to visit Westora 1liaooufi.
Among one Of the traditions Of the little
city Of Indspendence, which until the
dsyas Of the railroad was the eastern ter
minus Of the Santa 70 trail, the following
story - told:
In the old days Of the Santa Re tail the
ftsightsss made one round trip season.
The Americans very generally wintered 1t
Independence, while the Mexican traders
naturally put in the same season ct the
town Of Santa Fe. In the spring the
teams were made up, the wagons loaded
aud the long caravans o. prairie schoon-
err, with their white tits and from five
to fifteen yoke Of oxen, began moving out
on their long voyage across the plains.
Al was stated, these outfits made only
one round trip per season, the Mexicans
getting rid of their freight at 1ndepend-
ence some time along in midsummer and
loading up again for Santa Fe, while the
Americans threw of their first load 1t
Santa Fe and reloaded again for inde-
pendence.
Along in the late forties an energetic
character, named Frank K. Aubrey, came
from New York to Independence, bought
lot of teams and started into business
as a freighter. Such was his push and
vim that he made two trips season,
starting out from Independence in the
early spring and winding up his second
round trip ct that point rather late in the
fall. Aubrey piled UP q great deal OF
money at the business, and set such an
energetic example that he was soon rec
ognized as the leader.
With all his business thrift and vigor,
Aubrey was also what one might call "a
sporting character" The distance from
Santa Fe to Indepel dence was about 500
miles. One day, while discussing freight
ing, and the length of time 1t ought to
take to cover the distance between indie
pendence and Santa Fe, Aubrey made the
rather bold assertion that he could start
alone on a single horse and push through
to Independence in eight days himself.
A dispute arose, and the result was that
Aubrey offered to wager $4,000 that he
could start on thorouhbred horse he had,
Of unusual speed and bottom, and with
the liberty to buy such horses as he
might need on the way, and SO remount
himself as often as he had a chance, and
be in Independence at the stage station
in less than eight days of "a hours each
from the time he left Santa Fe. The
money was covered and the wager made.
Aubrey started and was in Independ.
ence, Mo-, in just seven days and ten hours
from the time he said ''sood-by to Santa
Fe. lie had remounted himself twice.
Then second wager was made. The
parties who had lost the $4,000 with the
lold New Yorker, after considerable dick
ering, managed to make wager of $780,
900 aside with Aubrey. This time be was
to go from Santa Fe to Independence, a
run of 800 miles, in six days.
It 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 privilege to remount
himself as often as he came upon 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
arrangements even If he had desired to
and they had been allowed.
He started out of Santa Fe the evening
of June day. 1t was Sunday. The
Mexicans looking On argued success to
the daring rider from the holy character
of the day. All be had with him as pro.
vender was little dried beef. He ex.
pected to get food at the stage stations
along the trail. Saturday afternoon of
the same week he rode into the public
square at Independence, winning the
race by five hours. He was just five days
and 10 hours riding the 800 miles and he
had used II horses. He had had two
brushes with the Indians, and had been
chased by them at the Cimmaron cross
ing of the Arkansas, and again at Paw
nee Rock. He escaped however, with
nothing worse than an arrow through his
arm.
It is related that when he slipped from
the saddle at Independence he hadn't
slept wink for So hours. Bystanders
asserted that he Was sound asleep the
minute he struck the ground. Aubrey
was carried into the hotel and put to bed,
and never opened his eyes again until
Monday morning about O'clock. He
then came around as fresh as daisy and
a. hungry as wolf. He routed out the
cook of the hotel, made him come down
to the kitchen and cook him something
to eat. BE won $4,000 on these two
races, and in the last one made record
for long.distance riding never surpassed.
Just to show how such a mass of steel
and seal may end, it might be added that
Frank x. Aubrey was stabbed to death
in brawl in a Santa Fe dance hall.
This was some five years after bis great
ride Old nlainsmon v,;ll .t;i, +.,, -,