The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-15
STORIES Of HANK MONK


j. A.. Yerington In Sunset Magazine.)
Of all the stage drivers who have
drawn the strings over cayuse and
mustang, Hank Monk - Henry James
Monk was his full name-immortaIized
by Mark Twain in ''Roughing It," is
probably the best known. Circumstan-
ceS and his fund of humor made him
famous, and he was we'll known even
before the big drive In which Horace
Greeley was so reluctant a participant.
Hank seldom spoke Of this ride. and did
not consider it really anything wonder
ful. Interest in the man, and his Sierra
drives has been revived by the getting
together of various relices, including
the old stage coach in which Greeley
rode, Monks watch and many person
al possessions for exhibition at the
Louisiana Purchase exposition Here
are a few stories Of Monk, most of
them told by Judge Goodwin Of Salt
Lake City, ever a warm friend Of the
old stage driver:
rs it cold up at the lake. now?"
asked British tourist of Hank Monk.
Awful" was the reply. Eve 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 Tallac house, on some Of the
dessert cake" responded Hank.
Hank Monk was constantly perpe-
trating jokes on passengers, and, in
more than one instance has caused I'M
pleasantness in families. One day a
young man in the stage was paying
great attention to q, schOolnarm, 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 support. Hank went in. and
dofting his hat said:
Morning, folks. I ha-ad to go TO
Virginia City last night. and ! met your
wife, young Teller, and she told me if
1 see you to tell you to come home
right off-'cause the little baby is
mighty sick with delirium tremens!"
All was said in Monks peculiar
drawing manner and not a smile ap-
peared on his face. The denouement
was Of the emotional class; the girl
Aouncing of. and the cove, as Hank
said, lust cussed like a darned fool"
'I didn't mean any harm. you know. -
said Hank, II only smelt a mice and
wanted to save that there gal from SUI
fering unrequited Affection guess
that's what they call humbugging a gal,
amt it2'
Hank Monk had 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
and making two tracks along the road.
Hank while applying the whipe on the
way down, shouted to the quadruped:
Get up, Conziing." a passenger on
the stage inquired the reason for Civ
ing the horse such a name, when Monk
drawIed out:
well, ye know he used to be called
Jim Blaine, when he went straight
ahead. but since he took to squirting
n christsned him Roscoe Conkling. -
The passenger, who happened to be q
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, New
York, March "a, 1926. He always bad
fancy for horses, and once drove
eight horses abreast in the city of Bos-
ton upon the occasion of a great Gel
ebration. This was in his younger days.
and at that time he regarded It as a
great achievement. He came to the
Pacific coast in 1852, and first drove
stage in California between Sacramen-
to and Auburn. distance of forty
miles, for the California Stage com
pany, Of which Bureh and Hayward
were then the managers. He afterward
drove on the PlacerVille road into Sac
rGment0, and in 1857 went 10 Nevada
! His first route there was between Genoa
Cat that time the metropolis Of the
state) and Placerville, in California. ]
| b. Crandall was the proprietor OF this
| road. and sold out to Brady and sund.
land. who in turn disposed Of theii
interests 10 Wells, Fargo x Co.
Monk was driving at this time an(
| continued Until the stages were hauled
/ Of. he drove for Billy Wilson betweei
/ carson and Virginia City-seyenteei
n1iies-and the fastest time made bl
/ aim was one hour and eight minutes
/ from the hotel in Virginia City to tn
/ 9rmsby house in Carson. At differen
/ times he drove to Steamboat SIring,