The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-01
ST AGE COACH. DAYS
In GREAT WEST
travelling Was Costly Before
Advent of Railroads.
RATE OF PROGRESS SLOW.
Four aud Half Miles an Hour About tue
Average Speed Northumberland
for Passengers to Amuse
Themselves,

\ lHSMSSNSS,
The stage line between Atchison and
Placerville, Cal, which ran daily coaches
for: about five years in 1S6o-'65, was the
finest ever known in the stage-coach bus
mess. In equipment no similar iine
could equal it It was the greatest stage
line on the globe, carrying passengers,
mail and express.
In 1S6t-'65 it cost more for meals pc
tween Atchison and Denver than the ran
road fare nov costs, with meals adoea.
Thetrun from Atchison to Denver is now
made iirssometning like fifteen hours, as
againstFsix days in the stage-coach days
Atone time fare from Atchison to bei'-y
yer was s175; the railroad fare at present
is SIS. The quickest time ever made py
stage between Atchison and Denver was
four and a half days. Ben. Hotladay,
owner Of the line, travelled Ey special
coaches from Placerville, Cal. to Atchi-
son. two thousand miles, In twelve Gays
and two hours. beating the regular dally
schedule five days. This feat cost ltoiia-
day SIC, 600, but it was a great advertise
ment for his line. The stages. Wneh
crowded, carried fifteen persons besides
great quantities of mail and express.
OLD COACH.
One Of the coaches used on the Atchl-s
son-Placerville line is now IN the smlth-
souian Institution a t Washington. After
leaving AtchiSon it was operated on liz
Deadwood line, and was several times
captured by Indians and outlaws: once
When captured it carried 10000 in gold
In this attack three guards were kilted
s'Buffalo Bill" heard that the Old coach
had been abandoned and Went after II,
using it for years in-hi Wild West show
| In London it carried the Prince of Wales,
and all the notables of Europe nave eA7
amined it with interest. On the Fourth
of July. 1895. this famous old coach was
exhibited with the Wild-Ncst sho" al.
Concord N H., where it was made. Inc
owners and employees of the staSe-coach
factory gave the historic old stage great
deal of attention, and i'll the parade It
bore this sign: 'lS63-Home Again-lS'2.
Another one OF the old coaches is owned
by r. Sterling Morton, at Nebraska,
City. and another is owned at Topeka,
where it is still in use for tally-ho ptir-
poses.
FARE WAS HIGH.
Including Atchison and PlacerVillc, there
were 1873 stations on the line. the longest
in existence Q,913 miles,. The fare was
$685. or about u cents a mile. The sta
lions were from ten to fourteen miles
apart. Some days $1,000 was taken III
at tho stage Office in IAtchison 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 1arc 10
Denver during the war was Slt2, or u
cents a mile per passenger The stages
were nearly always crowded ana pas
senSers were often compelled to WaitAsss97c
eral DAYS at Atchison before they gould
10 recommended. A minister once re-
fused to travel on Sunday and abandoned
his place. Hc did not get a change to go
until the following Sunday. and this time
he concluded that, under certain ctfcuEa-
stances, travelling on Sunday was eA-
cusabIe Sometimes passengers booked
for a certain day sold out for a bonus OF
from $50 to $50 and waited for a iater
stage.
NEW YORK TO FRISCO
,rh, quickest route between New YORK
ana San Francisco at that limo was py
waV of Atchison. The western terminus
of the line was. changed from ST. Joseph
to Atchison on completion or thesfiahsll-
bal and ST Joseph road to tins point, as
Atchison was eight miles nearer Placer
Vile than ST. Joseph. The stage ln2 ran
a. little north of west from Atchison. cross
the Big Blue at Marysvlle, one hundred
miles west: thence continuing III a north
westerly course up the north side or the
little Blue. and over the divide into the
Plato Valley; thence by way OF fosl
Keaney, Plum Creek and Julesotrg 10
Denver The road between Atkinson ana
Denver was in the form of crescent;
O-Fallon,s Bluff was one hundred mics
north Of Atchison and Denver. The cas-
lost mart of the line was between AtcnI-
son. and Fort \earney. The Scheoule lllIie
of the stages was four and q hilf niles
an hour, night and day, lncFldlilg stoPs-
Occasionally the drivers would MAKE ~
teen miles an hour, and the passengers
thought it very fast. Ihe-eHpresS mes
seucers received $3.50 a month. with Tree
meals ana were compelled to ride beside
fine driver six days and nights without
,ost except as they could sleep while the
stage was in motion. They received d
lay-over Of nine days every three weeks"
ON going to bed after 3. trip they ire
auently slept twenty-four hours WltHo sl
moving. Drivers received from 9to 70 30; 30
a month and board. On the main me
there we're $50 horses and mules and one
,-,,-,l9ad coaches The annual cost OF
onerat ting the line was S2,425,Nc
The passengers were nearly all men. and
thev had a hard time amusing them
selves. a gay party of eight once start start
Cd frorr, Atcfison, and they sang ior t"o
! days and nights, using rlpaio Moios -
old church tunes. Finally ono man pro-
.nosea a. collection With the money
thus raised they bought a jug of Whlskey
| ~ = tion. Then there were q spree
and qua rreiing and poker-piaylns otie
man said he had baen robbed by one
of the players. and he insisted so strongly
o., a fight that the stage was stopped ana
;, ring formed. The two drunken men
rushed at each other, bumped each other
down and could not set UP. me otheI
men helped the fighters to their rect ana
| tho harmless battle was renewed. flhai-
lv ths driver would wait no longer ana
| - .taoa went on, with the passengers
s ,, on the inside At last they