The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-08
LAST OF THE STAGE COACHES.
"Reminiscences of Some Profitable
Western Lines.
From the Tacoma Ledger.


From the Tacoma Ledger.
1.-THE stage coach days are about over in
Montana and Idaho" said S. F. Shannon
at the Tacoma last night with the ex-
tension of the Northern Pacific branch in
to Lewiston, Idaho, the little stage line
into that town will have to give way.
There are but three stage lines left in
Montana, and it only a matter Of time be-
fore they will be gone But those were
great days when the great Gilman-Sauls-
bury lines were operating in Montana. &"
and Mr.. Shannon lapsed into silence a mo-
ment as he thought of the old days when
he was auditor Of that line, stationed at
Helena.
With the stage coach lines from their in
fancy to their days of power, and then
with the railroad when it was finally com
pleted through TO the Pacific, and now in
other business to look back on those ear
ller and at least equally happy days. has
Deen Mar. Shannons experience. He is
intimately acquainted with the heads of
the Northern Pacific, and was with that
road long before the present management
came TO the helm. He is personal friend
OF the old-time frontiersman, and withal A
good businss man of the later DAYS.
staging now is not what 1t was in the
early days. he continued. 1.-The trouble
now is that whenever a stage line begins to
pay, railroad is built and the stages have
TO move further off into the newer sections
Oh the country. l took a ride up through
okanogan county to the British Columbia
line short time ago on the stages In on
Grafton there, and it was one of the worst
experiences 1 ever had. The stages are
little more than mere wa gons-not the easv
going, six TO twelve horse teamed. l1lxu-
rlous coaches, with accommodations for
eny number up to thirty-six. that we had
IN Montana. The roads are bad. and one
Jolts along over the trails expecting every
minute that the next will be his last He
arrived at his destination thoroughly ex-
hausted.
But in the old days we had stages
Equipment is the word for their furnish
lhgs. They were as luxurious as it was
possible 10 make them. They rode like
rocking chairs. On our lines running from,
Mandan TO Missoula, and from Corinne
over in Idaho to Helena, by wav of Deer
Lodge, the coaches had accommodations
lot ~ a and 80, and were drawn by teams
OF SIX TO twelve horses. 1t was a matter
Oh get there with them. They had the
mail contracts, and were receivine s9eA
for every mile they carried 600 no,,nds 81
baggage and $50 for each extra 100 hounds
Ihey had a monopoly of that traffic. and
that is what caused the star rolte inves-
tlgation in 1854 The coaches could carry
1900 pounds of express. and the Soma
amount of mail and baggage. besides tbeir
passenger lists. They averaged 81 miles
over the entire distance or 9la miles act
ual running time. This was over noun
tains and plains and in all kinds of wealth
stages IN d
the morning and arrive in Helena. ninety
eight miles away, In the evening
Montana was in its stage lines second
only TO California. There will never he
another country such as those two for
stage lines. The roads were all good and
hard through all kinds OF weather. ana
the horses could fairly fly. There was
money in staging then. The Gilman
salisbury company is said to have made
Sl6,COOOOO out of their stage lines. and
guess that is true. The mail contracts
and the heavy passenger lists, to saw moth
ing of the express, made the profits count
up, even after they had divided with those
in charge of the mail contracts, and after
the government had forced them to give
up part Of their stealings.
There were several hold-ups bv road
agents in those days, but as far as I can
remember, and l was connected with the
lines during the '7Os and early SOS, we
never lost any bullion.
Montana has only three stage lines
Left now, and these run through rich agri-
cultural districts. Cattle and sheen |
ranches are abundant, and the lines are !
doing a good business. In a few wears |
the railroads win become jealous of them
il they are not now, and build through
their districts. Then the STAGE lines viii
be only matter of history. All the lines |
nf TtiV II.
ings, Great Falls and Big Sandy on the |
Great Northern they run into Livingston
The first two virtually meet at Utica
'1n Oregon and Washington there are |
a few stage lines, but the day for stss-
ing has gone" concluded Mr. Shannon
regretfully.
Abbott's East India Corn Paint cura. |
every time: It takes off the corn; no nam
cures warts and bunions and is conca5a, /