Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-09
THE OVERLAND TRAIL
By N. Quad

Copyright. i919, On c. Il L1cs. y
100000 o0oc9oSo9o0o9oGc9
In the old days Of the overland trail.
The pony cxpress mud the numbering
stagrcoarh stage stntious had been
Greeted at asfstancc OF 10 miles apart
throughout Tie length of the whole trail
Altar ihc first 30 miles from the Mis-.
sogri river no coach was safe from at
tack uuiN Il reached San Francisco. II
WAS n mlsn0mcr TO say the stations
WEIR erected Most Of them were
d~uguuts that Is. a hole or cellar four
ur five feet deep WAS dug aud thea
covered with slabs of timber to sup
port two feet OF dirt. The stables were
made in the same way. while the hay
WIS stnckrd. There wns generally an
underground passage heading frctn The
house to the stables House ana sla
bIcs were lO%npholcd for rifles. tho doors
constructed Of timber or covered with
boiler iron. aud there WAS not one Of
them which was not attacked Il dozen
fiinrs over The Indians could not use
IRE as n weapon. nor could they carry
u STATION ly assault, but they captured
G.nns az them by trlckcry or Siege. IN
no case waa the Ike OF a company EN-
plnyer ever spared The distance be
tween Sia.Ions, with the feeble garri
son maintained 81 each, prevented any
hope ~ rrl.rf In ease Of attack. Indeed
the orders were: Defend your own
siHEon Only the last man alive * TO
break through tie Indians II he can"
Nrrcr were greater harlih0Od and
hrnVrry exhibited tliHu 10y The men Sc
lcrtcd to 'lriye the coaches Knnwing
what the risks were. II Stems strange
i!at ANS passengers could have been
raund to MI them. hut in the last two
years preceding The opening of the Ia
riir read the coacl.rs averaged five
pnsscu rs each way. und many OF
these we're wNrnrn At II few points Oh
the long route Al guard rUdc for II few
miles with the coaches. but Tor most
Of the distance the driver II passen
gers mnsi take care 0f themselves.
There WAS hardly n week without its
tragedy As the stage toilcd through
tho heavy sand of some strip OF desert
or met several miles OF stony and up
hill trail a band Of n hundred yelling
warriors woUld suddenly appear, TIE
driver must fight as we'll as guide his
excited team. The passengers fred
from the open doors, aud II the attack
WAS bjaien on il was n ease of luck. 1t
WIS when the Overland company Gnal-
~ appealed 10 the government to clear
its route through Kansas that General
Custer was sent Uui with II brigade of
troopers. Fourteen stations had been
attacked aud wiped out. and stages
ST. -- -
almost o miles Custer could not
hope To strike n telling blow against
the llorlrs in the field. but he aid his
plans to open the route and drive the
Inhians back from It, As we followed
the Trail to the west we picked up sta
ti0u after station showing grcwsome
sights In racii and every case a stout
defense had been made. hat the Indl-
ans had prevailed Kegs Of powder
had hppn used 10 blow open the doors
or tear MI the roofs. and ever though
tho Warriors had lost ten To- one they
had destroyed the station. Burning
hin was II relay station, with eight
mrn To guard II aud care for the extra
horses The last stage from the east
had come Ia after a race OF Ave miles,
WIN INV AlANfN NiNl ~ al lii7NtA
gers wounded some OF them twice
and ihfor times II was Il OF the lar
gpsi aud most defensibie stations on
the route. aud there was 10 thought
OF anything hui heating the Indians
Off. no matter what their force.
Clusters whole command witnessed
the arrival OF the last stage from the
west. the last for several weeks. From
a hilltop three miles from the trail,
with iulpassable gullles between. we
snw the coach come ND the TRAN with
foo Indiana pursuing It. IL vas a run
ming fight. which aroused every nan
TO llr highest pitch OF excitement, but
We were helpless TO extend aid.
Thruagh The clear air of a summers
afternoon We saw the stage horses
shoI down and the coach %overtaken.
The passprgprs made a hrave fight to
the last. i'm nor u of them escaped.
II was night bpfoT, we had made our
detour and reached the station. and
the Indians had departed long before.
They had captured the station two
hours before they attacked the stage
II had held out against them for three
days. and II was moi until so Indians
had heen killed or wounded that they
got possession Of II By digging under
the walls and uEing a kcg Of powder.
II Turning hin bad failed to hold
out. how worl1 II he with Pawncr
Fiat. the next station 10 the west, and
With White Horse. the ext after that;
The FIRST was a fonr nan station AMI
the next a relay with eight. AZ W.
rode away through iic night not .
man had ihr slightest hope for Paw
nee. thUigli we knew It would hai'
been dcfrDecd 20 tong az enc Of ~
four corfii 10 q ssn Ne renched
~ about ~ q wax as vs. B.