Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1900-05-03
AN ANCIENT RELIC
A U. S. Mail Stage That did
Service in the Old DAYS

Tuesday morning there could be seen
ia Benton stable one of the old U. S.
mail stages which did service under |
Cluggage in the days when the route
between Placerville and Virginia City
became historical.
There were twelve stages on the
route, six going and six coming, daily.
They were drawn by six horses each,
as fine specimens of horsefesh for that
business as money could buy, and they
were kept in the very pink OF condi-
ton There were relay stations every
ten miles and with that ten miles to 20
the horses were expected to go flying
When a smoking six-in-hand pulled up
in front of station reeking with per-
spirati and plastered with mud, they
were unlocked like house afire and
SIX prancing, SLEEK, clean horses were
in their places quicker than a cat could
wink The driver gathered the lines
and laid his long lash over the leaders
and in a minute the horses would dis
appear on the dead run.
1t was on this line that Hank Monk
said to Greedy, "Keep your seat Horace
III get you there on time"
1t took first-class stages to stand the
strain of those trips, and those who in
spected that ancient vehicle were loud
in their praise of the workmanship.
The stage cost $1,000 in gold when
made and is as sound today as the day
it left the manufacturer hands. A
glance at the work shows that the
stage vas built to last. Everything is
braced with steel or forged Norway
iron. The running gear is marvel of
strength. No shoddy work anywhere,
nothing but the best and most expen-
sive materials in sight. The leather
! thorough braces upon which the stage
rested and cooked like cradle, max
ing travel in it SO comfortable, cost
$3.50 pair.
The gilt-edged passengers, who paid
$3.50 gold coin to 60 from San Fran
cisco to Virginia City, had their pick
of the seats. In fine weather they got
up with the driver and they used to
say that plunge for day through
the pine forests and over the splendid
reads of the mountains was better
than a trip to Europe. If the weather
was bad they got inside, for the stage
was as air tight and water proof as any
city hack, if you wanted to shut out the
elements. The Cinnamon were counted
as second-class passengers and were
piled up on top along the roof any
where.
When the stage went whizzing
around the curves with old Hank
Monk at the helm, these Cinnamon
would hold vn for dear life and couch
down stricken with terror. Twenty
eight passengers was considered load
those days.
f 1t was by all odds the best stage
n road in the country for beautiful seen
cry and well kept road. 1t was tn,
q best equipped as to stock, and tn
!. schedule time was ten miles an hour il
, all sorts Of weather.
>. When horses showed signs of weak
! ening under the terrible runs the
! were turned out to grass and fresl
. ones took their places. Cluggage ha
men out constantly securing tn
country for horses and his purchasin
e agents never haggled over prices.
r Then the Southern Pacific and til
- V. & I. r. L. pushed their way int
Nevada and made connections with tb
Comstock. This rang the death kne
u of the Placerville Stage Line and i,
- glory departed.
- The stage in question belongs t
Of Chris Dang berg and If it were to be pu
on the road again it would run twent
years and still be in the ring.
When you ask a modern wage
h. maker why 1t is that no more sue
T. work is turned out he replies; ''Pa
in me the $500 that stage cost and l wi
IN turn you out better STAGE
The appearance of the stage in Car
IN son after so many years of disuse wa
r. owing to the fact that Chris Dan,
of berg's daughter had occasion to 60
r. San Francisco to be operated on fo
r. appendicitis. and she came down fro
he the valley in d bed arranged in the DO
ie tom of the stage. 1t was drawn b
four horses and came through dri
= ing rain, but the young lady rode
easily. as if in a rocking cradle and
well protected from the weather as
in her own hOma