The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-10-03
LABOR CAPTAINS
ISSUE ADDRESS

SS~~@ st00N1OO
GOUVERNEUR, N. Y, Sept. o.
Hank Monk, the famous stage driver
Of the far West. and native Of this
village, is to have his memory hon.
ored at the st. Louis fair by Hank
Monk day."
George A. Monk, who lives here. is
brother of Hank, and he has receiy-
ed letters from J. A. Warrington, Of
Carson City, Nevada's executive COM
missioner for the fair, asking for
relics of Hank to add to the collection
which Nevada is going to exhibit on
flank Monk day." Among these ex-
hibits will be the stage coach in which
Monk drove Horace Greeley to Placer
vile ION time.'' and the gold watch
subsequently presented to- him by the
great editor.
Hank Monk was born in Wadding-
ton, st. Lawrence county, and long be-
fore he migrated to the West he drove
stage between Waddington and Mas
sena. Later the family moved to
Gouverneur.
FLANK was a born stage driver" says
| his brother George. when he was
! only kid at waddington and could
scarcely toddle, he used to try to snap
a whip, and he had the kitchen chairs
hitched up most Of the time as
make believe STAGE So when he got
to be IL years old he felt like an old
hand at the business, land got a job
to drive stage between our town and
Messena. He was the boss driver even
then.
Jehu Of the Sierras.
"Our grandparents came from Ver-
mont In 1909, and Hank was born in
Washington in 1928, the eldest of our
family. When gold was discovered in:
California in AS, Ia ank. was eager to.
Igo, but 21Anot1 Oh eetee 6 but three
years lalterssh gave stuH his ptead-7s
ings and OF he went. 4. <ss,3 Sszs &: +:
Next we. heard Of him he was driv-
ing a six-horse stage coach in the ST.
erras. For years he drove the Wells
Fargo stage from Sacramento to Pla-
cerville. It was there that he met Joa-'
quin Miller, the poet, who became his
firm friend.
1T was when Hank was running out
of Virginia City, New, that Horace
Greeley took hts first ride with him.
Mr.. Greeley had a lecture appointment
| in town 40 miles away, and Hank
got him there in four hours.
| Everybody on the coast came to
know my brother either personally or
| by reputation as early as the sixties.
and gradually he became known In the
East. He was adventurous, but he died
in 1888, and is buried at Carson City.
| Over his grave there is sandstone
slab into which IL set a tintype por-
trait Of him."
During the fair the old Greeley coach
will meet distinguished guests at the
Union station to convey them to the
Nevada building on the fair grounds.
Every day the coach will dash down
the steep hill from the Plateau OF
States to the Mining Gulch, where
there is to be a typical mining camp
of the days of 40.
| Hank Monks drive to Placerville
with Horace Greeley as a passenger Is
a historic episode. Mark Twain used
the incident in his book "Roughing It, -
and Artemus Ward told the story Of
the trip and gave it permanent place
in history.
Hank Monk and Horace Greeley.
According to the Artenus Ward ver-
sion, when Mr.. Greeley was in Califor-
MIA ovations awaited him in every
town. He had written powerful leaders
in the Tribune in favor of the Pacific
railroad, which had greatly endeared
him to the citizens Of the Golden state.
And therefore they made much Of hin,
! xx1fo ho n them.
The citizens of Placerville prepared
to fete the great journalist, and an
extra coach, with extra relays of
horses, was chartered of the California
Stage company to carry him from Fol.
som to Placerville, a distance Of forty
miles. The extra was in some way de-
layed and did not leave Folsom until
late in the afternoon. Mr.. Greeley was
to be feted at Z o'clock that evening
by the citizens of Placerville, and II
was altogether necessary he should be
there at that hour. So the stage com
pany said to Henry Monk, the ,drive'
of the extra, Henry, this great mau
must be there by z tonight And
Henry answered, "The great man shall
be there 49, #.s~;.,....... i.
The roads were in an awful. state
and during the first few miles out o.
Folsom slow progress was made. III s.
Sir. said MI. = Greeley; ARE yot
aware that T must be at Placerville a
1 o'clock tonight o. rs ;s Ill., .z11
( - i ",ve*Got IN Orders, ..= m! f.:
I. r: I've got my ord ere,'''ss I: aconically re-
piled Henry Monk := :5. 5. I: 81
Still the coach draggeds slowly for:
ward Ia, 5ss:. Il
''sir, '@ said 10 Greele his Is no
q & tr'inaings be her,
~! Zl.s
gain. came the ansWer. I,ye got Inl