The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-06
TALES OF THE SANTA Re TRAIL
Aubrey's Unparalleled Ride and His
Tragic Death.

1.-THE old Santa Fe >trail,'' like many
of the worlds great highways, has been
a race course at times, over which some
of the most marvellous rides have been
effected by men whose powers of en-
durance have never been eXceiled in
history.
Among those who were famous as
long distance riders in the days of the
Commerce of the PraiTieS' was T. X.
Aubrey. His remarkable feats in this
particular have certainly never been
eXcelIed, if they have even ever been
equaled, which is doubtful.
Aubrey was a Scotch by
birth, and emigrated direct from Que
bee to the remote west. He was d man
of education, apparently, for l find that
he was the author OF one or two meri-
toriouS articles on a journey and So
journ in California, which were pub
lished in one of the early magazines of
the country, about the time of the dis
covery of gold on the Pacific coast. he
had also travelled extensively through
the then almost inaccessible region OF
what is gov the territory of Arizona,
and from him was first learned the fact
that the savages of that remote MeXi-
can country employed gold bullets in
charging their crude firearms.
General Marcy met +. X. Aubrey in
1S49, who had just returned from Cali
fernia, and en- route crossed the Colo
RADIO near the outlet of the big canyon,
where he met some Indians, with VIII m,
he informed Marcy, he exchanged lead
en- for golden rifle balls, and that these
Indians did not have the slightest idea
of the relative value OF the two met
ais
The first ride Aubrey attempted was
in 1850. He made a bet that he could
cover the distance from Santa Fe, n.
NJ, TO independence, Mo-, over the trail.
in eight days. 1t is 765 miles between
the two points via the Santa F'e trail,
as the freight caravans Travelled it, and
by that route, on wager of $1,000, Au
brey was to ride.
Aubrey succeeded in winning, max
ing his destination, the Jones house in
Independence, three hours before the
expiration of his time. During this, his
first ride, he killed a number of horses,
the death of one when within twenty
five miles of Council Grove, compelled
him to walk to that place, carrying his
saddle on his back, where he obtained
another animal and continued his Won
derful ride.
This feat of Aubrey's was regarded as
the greatest ride ever made by anyone
in ancient or modern times, and he be-
came the hero of the incipient border
town, Independence, where he was fet-
ed and made the lion of the day. His
fame spread throughout the entire
west, including California, where he
was well known.
Although people marveled much at
the wonderful endurance of the man,
and the remarkable time in which he
had made the trip, still Aubrey him
self was not at all satisfied with it.
He determined to break that record,
and the following season he made an
other wager, of $4,000 in gold, that he
would succeed in doing so.
He accomplished his record breaking
dash across the great plains in the
marvellous time of only five days and
Is hours. His objective point was the
same hotel, the Jones House, where he
had ridden to on his former trip. On
this one, when he reached that hosiery
he was perfectly exhausted and in a
fainting condition, his horse quivering
from head to foot and white with foam.
Aubrey was lifted from the back of his
faithful animal by his friends and car
rled into his room in the house, where
he lay in complete stupor for five
days.
Six horses, which, previous TO start
ing from Santa Fe, had been stationed
at distances varying from % to 30
miles along the route, Iell uedu uHCer
him, so terribly fast did he force them
on. He possessed a beautiful mare,
Nelly. a favorite animal, noted for her
speed and endurance. but she expired
at the end of the first $50 miles.
Aubrey was killed by Major Richard
Weightman, a volunteer officer of the
Mexican war, who 1t the time of the
TRAGEDY was publishing a paper in
Santa Fe. He and Aubrey had been
warm friends for years. After his Sec