The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-11-20
STORIES OF
HANK MONK
Jas. Yerington Tells Some
Good Stories on Him in the
Sunset Magazine

SunSet MdydZiHe
is it cold up at the lake now"
asked a British tourist of Honk Monk.
Awful" was the reply. I've seen
frost up there right in the middle of
the day"
Where was that?" asked the as
founded tourist, as he looked aghast
at his linen buster, and thin trousers.
AT the Taliac House, on some Of
the dessert cake" responded Monk.
Hank Monk was constantly perpet-
rating jokes on passengers, and in
more thar one instance has caused
unpleasantness in families.
One day a young man on the stage
was paying great attention TO a school
marin, and Hank having doubts as
to whether the swain was a single
man, kept his weather eye on him.
The following day, on arriving from
Carson, he saw the same man sitting
close up to the lady in the hotel; So
close as to compel him to place his
arm around her waist for mutual sup
port. Hank went in and doffing mis-
hat, said:
Morning folks, l ha-ad to go to
Virginia City last night, and l me,
your wife, young Teller, and she told
me if l see you to tell you to come
home right off-cause the little baby
is mighty sick with delirium ire
mensi"
All was said in Monks peculiar
drawing manner and not a smile APP
peared on his face. The denouement
was of the emotional class; the girl
%lounching off, and the cove, as Hank
said, Just cussed like a harmed fool.
Hank Monk had a horse in his team
which he drove to and from the Lake
over five years. He had acquired a
habit of rolling about in his harness
n making two tracks along the
road, Hank applying the whip on the
way down, shouted to the q%uadrupec.
Get up, Conkling." A passenger
On the stage inquired the reason for
giving a horse such a name, when
Mark drawled out:
Well, we know he used to be called
Jim Blaine, when he went straight
ahead, but since he took to squirming
/ christened him Roscoe Conkling. q"
The passenger, who happened to be a
stalwart administration man, told
Hank that a horn of the best would
be at his service on arriving at Car
son.
Monk was born in the town of Wad-
dington, ST. Lawrence county, n. Y,
March "a, 1926. He always had a
fancy for horses and once drove eight
horses abreast in the city of Boston
pom the occasion of a great celebra-
ton. This was in his younger days.
that time he regarded it as a great
achievement. He came to the Pa
cifc Coast in 1852, and first drove
a stage in California between Sacra-
mento and Auburn, a distance of forty
miles. for the California Stage COM
pany, of which Burch & Hayward
were then h managers. He after
ward drove on the Placerville road in
ID Sacramento, n in 1857 went to
Nevada. His first route there was be-
tween Genoa, at that time the metrop-
oils of the state, and Placerville, II
California.
j. B. Crandall was the proprietor
of this road, and sold out TO Brady
and Sundland. who in turn disposed
Of their interests to Wells, Fargo e
company.
Monk was driving all this time and
continued until the stages were taken
off. He drove for Billy Wilson be-
tween Carson and Virginia City-sev-
enteen miles-and the fastest time
made by him was one hour and eight
minutes from the hotel in Virginia
City to the Ormsby house in Carson.
At different times he drove to Steam
boat Springs and Reno, and when
those lines were discontinued, he took
the ribbons on the Lake Tahoe line
for Doc Benton.
Monk, as will be remembered by
every one who has read Mark Twain's