The Tucson citizen., 1902-02-11
OLD STAGECOACHES.
THE LINE THAT RAN BETWEEN KAN
sAS AND CALIFORNIA.

/
Placervllle. Cal. which ran daily
coaches for about Ave years In 1SG0-65,
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 Oh the globe, carry
/ ing passengers. mail and express.
! In 1SG4-G5 1t 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 $l15: the
I railroad fare at present Is $l5. The
quickest time ever made by stage be-
tween Atchison and Denver was four
and a half days. Ben Holiday. own.
err 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 1t was n 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-
son Placerville line 10 now In the
Smithsonian institution at Washing
ton. After leaving Atchison 1t was
operated on the Deadwood line and
was several times captured by Indians
and outlaws. Once when captured by
outlaws 1t carried 100000 In gold. In
this attack three guards were killed.
Buffalo Bill heard that the old coach
had been abandoned and went after II.
using it for years In his wild west
show. In London II carried the Prince
of Wales. and all the notables of Eu-
rope examined II with interest On the
Fourth Of July, 1895. this famous old
coach was exhibited with the wild
west show at Concord. =. H.. where 1t
was made. The owners and employees
OF the stagecoach factory gave the his
torie old stage great deal OF atten-
tion. and in the parade it bore this
sign: "1S63-Home Again>-1S95."
Including Atchison and Piacerville.
there were 153 stations on the Tine. the
longest in existence i.913 n,i,esA The
fare was $2c5. Or about IL cents mile.
The stations were from tep TO fourteen
miles apart. Some days 5000 was
taken In at the stage Office in Atchison
fer rfares alone. Each passenger was
allowed twenfy-flve pounds OF baggage:
each pound of excess cost 81 which
was the price for carrying express.
The fare to Denver during the war was
/ $rT5. or ~ cents q mile per passenger.
The stages were nearly always crowd.
ed. and passengers were often com
PEELED to walt several days az Afchison
before they could be, accommodate ted.
A minister once refused to travel on
Sunday and abandoned his place. He
did not get chnnce TO 20 until the
following Sunday. and this time he con-
clusled that. under certain circumstan.
ces. travelling on Sunday was excusa.
ble. Sometimes passengers booked for
certain day sold out for "a bonus OF
from $40 10 $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 little north Of west
from Atchisou. crossing the Big Blue
at MarysviIle. 100 miles west; thence
continuing in a northwesterly course
up the north side Of the Little Blue
md over the divide into the Platte val.
ley: thence by way Of Fort Kearney.
Plum Greek and Julesberg to Denver.
The road between Asehlson and Den
vcr was in the form Of q crescent.
O'Fal.on's Bluff was 100 miles north Of
AtchIson and Denver. The easiest part
Of the line was between Atchison and
Fort Kearuey. The schedule time OF
the stages was four and bali miles
an hour. night and day. including stops.
Occasionally the drivers would make
ifteen miles an hour. and the passen-
gers thought It very fast. The express
messengers received $62.50 month.
with free meals. and were compelled
10 ride beside the driver six days and
nights without rest. except as they
could sleep while the stuge was In mo.
ZION. They received a lay over OF nine
days every three weeks. On going to
bed after a trip they frequently slept
twentyfour hours without moving.
Drivers received from $40 to $15
month and board. On the main line
there were 2.150 horses ana mules and
. 100 coaches. The annual cost of oper
atlng the line was $2.425.UO
The passengers were nearly all men.
and they had a 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