The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-25
THE RIDING il. RECORD.
A TRADITION OF THE DAYS OF THE
SANTA FEE TRAIL.


Two Trips-IiilIcd In n B-uwl.
Not long ago the writer had occasion
to visit western Missouri. Among ono
of the traditions of tho little city of In
dependence. which until the days Of the
RAILROAD was the eastern terminus of
the Santa Fe trail, tho following story
was told:
III the old days of the Santa Fe trail
tho freighters made one round trip IL
season. The Americans very generally
wlnterod at Independence, while the
Mexican traders naturally put i'll tho
samc season Mt the town Of Santa Fe.
In the spring the teams were made up,
the wagons loaded, and the long cara
vans of prairie schooners, with their
white tits and from to 10 yoke of
oxen, began moving out OH their long
voyage across the plains.
AS was stated these outfits made only
one round trip per season, the Mexicans
getting rid of their freight at Independ-
ence somo time along in midsummer
and loading up again for Santa Fc,
while the Americans threw off their
first load ut Santa Fe and reloaded again
for independence.
Along i'll the late forties all energetic
character named Frank y. Aubrey camo
from New York to independence.
bought a lot of teams and started into
business as freighter. Such was his
push and vim that he made two trips Il
season, starting out from Independence
III the early spring and winding up his
second round trip at that point rather
late III the fall. Aubrey piled up great
deal OF money at tho business and set
such an energetic example that he was
soon recognized as a leader.
With all his business thrift and vipor
Aubrey was also what ono might call
"a sporting character. The distance
from Santa Fe to Independence was
about 500 miles. One day while dis
cussing freighting and the length of
time it ought to take to cover tho dis
lance between Independence and Santa
Fe Aubrey made the rather bold asser-
ton that he could start alone on sin
gle horse and push through to 1ndepend-
ence in eight days himself.
dispute arose, and the result was
that Aubrey offered to wager $4,000
that he could start on thoroughbred
horse he had of unusual speed and bot
tom, and with the liberty to buy such
horses as he might need on the way, and
so remount himself as often as he had ii
chance, and be i'll Independence at the
stage station in less than eight days of
81 hours each from the time he left
Santa Fe. The money was covered and
tho wager made.
Aubrey started and was in Independ-
ence, Mo, in just days and 10 hours
from the time no said goodby to Santa
E'e. He had remounted himself twice.
Then second wager was made. The
parties who had lost the SO, 900 with the
bold New Yorker, after considerable
dickering, managed to mako a wager of
$4,000 n sido with Aubrey This time
he was to go from Santa Fc to Independ-
encc run of 500 miles, in six days.
1t was at tho best season of the year
There were no rains, while the grass
was good and the trail as hard as u
pavement. Aubrey had the samo liberty
to remount himself as often as he camo
upon horse that he preferred to his
own. But he was not permitted to ar
range relays or post horses III advance
along the trail Indeed he had no timo
wherein to mako these arrangements
even if ho had desired to and they had
been allowed.
He started out Of Santa Fo the even
ing Of n juno day. 1t was Sunday. Tho
McXlcans looking on argued success 10
tho daring rider from the holy character
OF tho day. All ho had with him as
provender was little dried beef. He ex-
pected TO get food at the stage stations
along tho trail. Saturday afternoon OF
the Same week he rode into the public
square at Independence, winning the
race by five hours, He was just days
and 9 hours riding tho 500 miles, and
had used II horses. He had had two
brushes with Indians, and had been
chased by them at tho Cimmaron cross
ing OF tho Arkansas, and again at Paw
neo Rock. He escaped, however, with
nothing worse than an arrow through
his arm.
1t is related that when ho slipped
from the saddle at independence he
hadn't slept wink for 5G hours. By
ISLANDERS asserted that he was sound
asleep the instant he touched the ground.
Aubrey was carried into the hotel and
pnt to bed, and never opened his eyes
again until Monday morning about 2
O'Clock. He then came around as fresh
as Il daisy and as hungry as wolf. He
routed out the cook of the hotel, made
him come down to the kitchen and cook
him something to eat. He won $l5, 600
on these two races, and in the last one
made record for long distance riding
never surpassed
just to show bow such n man of steel
and zeal may end. il might be added