Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-11-23
THE RIDING RECORD.
A TRADITION OF THE DAYS OF THE
SANTA FE TRAIL.

Frank Aubrey Went 800 Miles on Horse
back In Less Than Six Days, Beating a
Previous Ride, and Won $4,000 on the
Two Trips-Killed In Brawl.
Not long ago the writer had occasion
to visit western Missouri. Among one
of the traditions of the little city of In
dependence, which until the days of the
railroad 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 a
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 cara
vans Of prairie schooners, with their
white tits and from 5 to Is yoke of
oxen, began moving out ON 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 some time along in midsummer
and loading up again for Santa Fe,
while the Americans threw off their
first load at Santa Fe and reloaded again
for Independence
Along in the late forties an cnerz tic
character named Frank X. 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 a
season, starting ont from Independence
III the early spring and winding up his
second round trip at that point rather
late i'll the fall. Aubrey piled up great
deal of money at the business and set
such an energetic example that he was
soon recognized as leader
With all his business thrift and vigor
Aubrey was also what one 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 the dis
tance between Independence and Santa
Fc Aubrey made the rather bold asser-
ton that he could start alone ON sim
gle horse and push through to Independ-
ence in eight days himself.
dispute arose, and the result was
that Aubrey offered to wager $1,000
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 a
chance, and be i'll Independence at the
stage station in less than eight days of
Ri 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 days and 10 hours
from the time he said goodby to Santa
Fe. He had remounted himself twice.
Then a second wager was made. The
parties who had lost the So, 900 with the
bold New Yorker, after considerable
dickering, managed to make a wager of
$40, 900 side with Aubrey. This time
no was to go from Santa Fe to Independ-
enco, run of 500 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 q
pavement. Aubrey had the same liberty
to remOunt himself as often as he came
upon horse that he preferred to his
own. But lie was not permitted to ar
range relays or post horses i'll advance
along tho 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 CT Santa Fe the even
ing of Juno day. 1t was Sunday. The
MeXicans looking ON argued success to
tho daring rider from the holy character
Of the day. All he had with him as
prOvendcr 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 days
and 10 hours riding the 500 miles, and
had used II horses. He had had two
brushes with 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.
1t is related that when he slipped
from the saddle at Independence he
hadn t slept wink for Sc hours. By
ISLANDERS asserted that he was sound
asleep the instant he touched the ground.
Aubrey was carried into the hotel and
put to bed, and never opened his eyes
again until Monday morning about 2
O'Clock. He then came around as fresh
as a daisy and as hungry as wolf. He
routed ont the cook of the hotel, made
him come down to the kitchen and cook
him something to eat. He won SO, 900
on these two races, and i'll the last one
made a record for long distance riding
never surpassed.
just to show how such man of steel
and zeal may end, it might be added
that Frank X. Aubrey was stabbed to
death i'll a brawl in Santa Fe dance
hall. This was some five years after his
great ride. Old plainsmen will tell you,
however, of the exploits Of Aubrey, and
he is revoccntly mentioned with such
worthless as Sublette, Kit Carson, Ben
Holiday and old Jim Bridger. Wash
ington Star
A Fruitful Desert.
The desert of Sahara is not all des-
ert. In 1892 moro than 5000, 900 of
shCep MintOrel in the Algerian Sahara.