Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-06-09

A TRADITION OF THE DAYS OF TIKI
SANTA FE TRAIL.

Frank Aubrey Went 800 Miles on Horse.
back In Less Than six Days. Beating .
Previous Ride, and Won si5, 900 ON the
Two Trips-Kilied In n BrawI.
Not long ago the writer had occasion
30 visit western Missouri. Among ono
Of tho traditions Of tho littlo city of In
dependence, which until the days of the
railroad was tho eastern terminus OF
the Santa 70 trail, the following story
was told:
In tho old days Of the Santa Fe trail
the freighters made one round trip q
season. The Americans very generally
wintercd ut Independence, while the
Mexican traders naturally put i'll the
same season at the town If Santa Fe.
In the spring the teams were made up,
the wagons loaded, and the lcng cara
vans of prairie schooncrs, with their
white tits and from 8 to Is yoke of
oxen, began moving out Oh their long
voyage across the plains.
As was stated, these outfits mado only
one round trip per season, the Mexicans
getting rid of their freight at %Independ-
encc some time along i'll midsummer
and loading up again for Santa Fe.
while the Americans throw off their
first load at Santa Fc and reloaded again
for Independence.
Along insthe late forties an energetic
character named Frank x. Aubrey came
from New York to Independence,
bought a lot Of teams and started into
business as a freighter. Such was his
push and vim that he made two trips a
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 a great
deal Of money at the business and set
such an energetic example that he was
soon recognized as a 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 800 miles. One day while dis
cussing freighting and the length Of
time it ought to take to cover the dis
lance between Independence and Santa
Fe Aubrey made the rather bold asser-
ton that he could start alone on q sin
gle-horse and push through to ~Independ-
ence in eight days himself.
A dispute arose, and the result was
that Aubrey offered to wager S., 900
that he could start Oh a 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 q
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-
cnce, Mo-, in just 7 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 IS, 900 with the
bold New Yorker, after considerable
dickering, managed to make q wager of
$40, 900 q side with Aubrey. This time
he was to go from Santa Fe to Independ-
ence, q run of 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 q
pavement. Aubrey had the same liberty
remount himself as often as he came
upon a horse that he preferred to his
own. But he was not permitted to ar
range 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.
lie started out Of Santa Fe the even
ing Of a June day. 1t was Sunday. The
Mexicans looking on argued success to
the daring rider from tho holy character
Of the day. All he had with him as
provender was a little dried beef. He K
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
by five hours. He was just 5 days
and 10 hours riding the 500 miles, and
had used IL horses. He had had two
brushes with Indians, and had been
chased by them at the Cimmaron cross
ing of the Arkansas, aud again at Paw
neo Rock. IIe 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 a wink for SO hours. By
ISLANDERS asserted that he was esound
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 a wolf. He
routed out the cook Of the hotel, made
come down to the Kitchen and cook
something to eat. He won SIS, 900
OIL these two races, and i'll the last one
made a record for long distance riding
never surpassed.
just to show how yuch a man of steel
and zeal may end, it might be added
that Frank X. Aubrey was stabbed to
death in d brawl in a 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
le is reverently mentioned with such
worthless IS Sublette, Kit Carson, Ben
Holiday and old Jim Bridger .-Wash-
ngton Star.