Smyrna times., 1902-04-09
OLD STAGECOACHES.
THE LINE THAT RAN BETWEEN KAN
SAS AND CALIFORNIA.

gers Amused Themselves.
The stage line between Atchison and
Placerville. Cal, which ran daily
coaches for about five years in 1S60-G5,
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 1S64-65 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
Etagecoach days. At one time the fare
from AtchiSOn to Denver was $115; the
railroad fare at present is $15. 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 a 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-
-Placerville line is now in the
Smithsonian institution at Washing
ton. After leaving Atchison 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: "1SG3-Home Again-1S95."
Including AtchisOn and Placerville
there were 153 stations on the line, the
longest in existence Q.913 miles, The
fare was $225, or about u cents a mile
The stations were from ten to fourteen
miles apart. Some days $4,000 was
taken in at the stage office in AtchiSOT
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
$175. or 27 cents mile per passenger
The stages were nearly always crowd
ed, and passengers were often com
PEELED to wait several days at Atchisor
before they could be accommodated
\ minister once refused to travel OF
Sunday and abandoned his place HI
did not get Il chance to go until thu
following Sunday. and this time he con
cluded that. under certain circumstan
ces, travelling on Sunday was eXcusa
bic. Sometimes passengers booked 70
certain day sold out for a bonus o
from $40 10 $50 and aited for a late
stage.
The quickest route between New
York and San Francisco at that tim
was by way of Atchison. The western
terminus of the line was changed iron
st. Joseph to Atchison on completion
Of the Hannibal and st. Joseph road t
this point. as AtchisOn was eight mile
nearer Placerville than st. Joseph. TIL
stage line ran a little north of Yves
from Atchison, crossing the Big Blu
at Marysville, 100 miles west; theme
continuing in a nOrthwesterly cOurs
up the north side of the Little Blu
and over the divide into the Platte va
ley; thence by way of Fort Kearney
Plum Creek and Julesberg to Denver
The road between Atchison and Der
yer was in the form of a crescen
OFallon's Bluff was 100 miles north c
AtchisOn and Denver. The easiest pal
OF the line was between AtchisOn an
Fort Kearney. The schedule time {
the stages was four and a half mile
an hour, night and day. including stop
occasionally the drivers would max
fifteen miles an hour. and the passel
gers thought it very fast. The expires
messengers received $62.50 a mont
with free meals. and were compelit
to ride beside the driver six days an
nights without rest, except as the
could sleep while the stage was in M
ton. They received lay over of mir
days every three weeks. On going
bed after trip they frequently slel
twenty-four hours without mOvin
Drivers received from $40 to SO
month and board- On the main lii
there were 2.750 horses and mules al
100 coaches. The annual cost of ope
ating the line was 81, 5000.
The passengers were nearly all me
and they had a hard time amusir
themselves. A gay party of eight one
started from Atchison. and they sar
lor two days and nights, using riba
words to old church tunes Final
one man proposed collection. Wit
the money thus raised they bought
Jug OF whisky at station Then the
were spree and quarreling and pok
piaying. One man SAID he had bee
IODDe0 nv Of hn fIa nd