Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-02-06
OLD STAGECOACHES.
THE LINE THAT RAN BETWEEN KAN
SAS AND CALIFORNIA.

Bonus-How One Load of Passen-
gers Amused Themselves.
The stage line between Atchison and
Placerville, Cal, which ran daily
coaches for about five years in 1S60-65,
was the finest ever known in the stage
| coach business. In equipment no SIM
liar line could equal it. 1t was the
greatest stage line on the globe, carry
ing passengers, mail and express.
In 1906 it cost more for meals be-
tween Atchison and Denver than the
railroad fare now costs, with meals
added. The run from Atchison to
Denver is now made in something like
| fifteen hours as against six days in the
stagecoach days. At one time the fare
from Atchison to Denver was $175; the
railroad fare at present is SIS. The
quickest time ever made by stage be-
tween Atchison and Denver was four
and half days. Ben Holiday, own
er of the line, Travelled by special
coaches from Placerville, Cal, to Atch-
ison, 1000 miles, in twelve days and
two hours, beating the regular daily
schedule five days. This feat cost Hol-
laday $4,000, but it was q great ad-
vertisement for his line. The stages,
when crowded, carried fifteen persons,
besides great quantities of mail and
express.
One of the coaches used on the Atch-
n-PlacervilIe line is now in the
Smithsonian institution at Washing
ton. After leaving AtchfsOn it was
operated On the Deadwood line and
was several times captured by Indians
and outlaws. Once when captured by
outlaws it carried 100000 in gold. In
this attack three guards were killed.
Buffalo Bill heard that the old coach
had been abandoned and went after it,
using it for years in his wild west
show. In London it carried the Prince
of Wales, and all the notables Of Eu-
rope examined it with interest. On the
Fourth of July, 1895, this famous old
coach was exhibited with the wild
west show at Concord, N. H, where it
was made. The owners and employees
Of the stagecoach factory gave the his
toric old stage a great deal Of atten-
ton, and in the parade it bore this
sign: "1S63-HOme Again-1S95."
Including Atchison and Placeryille,
there were 153 stations on the line, the
longest in existence Q,913 miles,, The
fare was 1925, or about II cents mile.
The stations were from ten to fourteen
miles apart. Some days $4,000 was
taken in at the stage Office in Atchison
for fares alone. Each passenger was
allowed twenty-five pounds Of baggage;
each pound of excess cost 81, which
was the price for carrying express.
The fare to Denver during the war was
S175, or 81 cents mile per passenger.
The stages were nearly always crowd
ed, and passengers were often COM
PEELED to wait several days at Atchison
before they could be accommodated.
4 minister once refused to travel on
Sunday and abandoned his place. He
did not get a chance to go until the
following Sunday, and this time he con-
Guided that, under certain circumStan-
ces, travelling on Sunday was excusa-
BILE. Sometimes passengers booked for
certain day sold out for a bonus of
from 500 to $50 and waited for later
stage.
The quickest route between New
York and San Francisco at that time
was by way Of Atchison. The western
terminus of the line was changed from
st. Joseph to AtchisOn on completion
Of the Hannibal and st. Joseph road to
this point, as Atchison was eight miles
nearer Placerville than st. Joseph. The
stage line ran a little north Of west
from AtchisOn, crossing the Big Blue
at Marysville, 100 miles west; thence
continuing in a northWesterly course
up the north side of the Little Blue
and over the divide into the Platte val
ley; thence by way Of Fort Kearney,
Plum Creek and Julesberg to Denver.
The road between Atchison and Den
yer was in the form Of a crescent.
O'Fallon's Bluff was 100 miles north Of
Atchison and Denver. The easiest part
Of the line was between Atchison and
Fort Kearney. The schedule time OF
the stages was four and a half miles
an hour night and day, including stops.
Occasionally the drivers would make
fifteen miles an hour, and the passen-
gers thought it very fast. The express
messengers received $62.50 a month,
with free meals, and were compelled
to ride beside the driver six days and
nights without rest, except as they
could sleep while the stage was in mo-
ton. They received lay over Of nine
days every three weeks. On going to
bed after a trip they frequently slept
twenty-four hours without moving.
Drivers received from $40 to $75 a
month and board. On the main line
there were 2,75O horses and mules and
100 coaches. The annual cost Of oper-
ating the line was $2,425, 900.
The passengers were nearly all men,
and they had hard time amusing
themselves. A gay party Of eight once
started from Atchison, and they sang
for two days and nights, using ribald
words to old church tunes. Finally
one man proposed a collection. With
the money thus raised they bought
jug of whisky at station. Then there
were a spree and quarreling and poker
playing. One man said he had been
robbed by one of the players, and he
insisted so strongly on a fight that the
stage was stopped and ring formed.
The two drunken men rushed at each
other, bumped each other down and
could not get up. The other men help
ed the fighters to their feet and the