The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-02-14
OLD sTAGECOACHES.
THE LINE THAT RAN BETWEEN KAN
sAs AND CALIFORNIA.

II Cost 1925 For the Through Trip.
4 and seats often Brought n big
Bonus-Iiow One Lond of Pasaen-
gers Amused Themselves.
The stage line between Atchison and
Placeryle. Cal. which ran daily
coaches for about Ave years In 1s60-G5.
was the finest ever known in the stage
coach business. In equipment no sim
iiar line could equal it. 1t was the
greatest stage line on the globe, carry
ing passengers. mail and express.
In 1SCi65 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
J from Atchlson to Denver was $1TT5; the
railroad fare at present is $15. The
quickest time ever made by stage be-
(; tween AtchIson and Denver was four
! md half days. Ben Holiday, own
/ err of the line, travelled by special
| coaches from Placervillc. Cal. to Atch-
| ison, 1000 miles. In twelve days and
| two hours, beating the regular daily
J schedule five days. This feat cost Hol-
ladny 10000. but 1t was great nd
| vcrtisemcnt for his line. The stages.
I when crowded, carried fifteen persons.
| besides great quantities of mail and
! express.
| One OF the coaches used on the Atch.
/ ison-Placcrville line is now in the
Smithsonian institution Mt Washing
ton. After leaving Atchlson 1t was
operated on the Dcndwood line and
was several times captured by Indians
mud outlaws Once when captured by
outlaws 1t carried 100000 III gold. In
this attack three guards were killed.
Buffalo Bill heard that the old coach
Ind been abandoned and went after it.
using II for years in his wild west
show. In London 1t 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 ut Concord. y. H.. where 1t
was made The owners and employees
of the stagecoach factory gave the his
torlc old stage q great deal of atter-
tion. and In the parade It bore this
sign: "lSC3-Holnc ASain-1S9'.'
Including Atchison and PlacervilIe.
there were 1853 stations on the line. the
longest in existence 1.913 miles. The
fare was sos. or about IL cents mile.
The stations were from ten to fourteen
miles apart. Some days $1,000 was
taken In nj the stage Office in Atchtson
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
$1T5. or 81 cents mile perspasseiEer
The stages were nearly always crowd
ed. and passengers We're often COM
PEELED 10 wait several days Mt Atchison'
before they could be accommodated
4 minister once refused TO travel on
Sunday and aba ndOned his place. He
did not gel chance to 90 until the
following Sunday. and this time be con-
cludcd that. under certain circumstan'
COS. travelling on Sunday was rXctlsa-
bile Sometimes passengers booked Tor
certain day sold out for Il bonus OF
from $40 10 $50 and waited for Il 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 iron,
ST. Joseph 10 .Atchison ON completion
n -, A, and IN,