The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-14
FAMOUS OLD STAGE DRIVER.
Cannon lSalI" Green's Many Lines I'm the
Southwest His Private Coach.

Af - - Nv 10 - 49, SONANy , NHt@f t
who was recently appointed a school land
appraiser by Gov. Frank Frantz, but he ia
also one Of the most interesting as well as
one Of the most unique characters In the
Southwest, writes a Bridgeport CORE
spondent Of the st. Louis Lobe-DemOcrdt.
He drove the stage lines on the old overland
California routes when the guards had to
keep the Indians away. As driver and
owner Of several lines Of stages, however,
he was an adept and always brought his
business through with out any serious losses
from depredations by the Indians.
In the early days-shortly after Cali
fornia began to boom-Green took the prize
at the Sacramento fair rs the best stage
driver. There were many entries. The
express companies came up with their fine
teams and coaches, the railroad companies
had entered the.r teams and drivers. who
ran in connection with the various railway
lines, and many an old timer was there, too,
with his overland coach, but Cannonball
Green carried away the honors. He was
dressed as an old sta ger, had a bronco team
and was covered with the red mountain
dust. After all the drivers had exhibited
their best stunts with their teams Green
cut a figure 8 with a six horse team around
the Judges stand in such a manner a. to
make sven old timers hold their breath.
Green's biggest coup as a stage driver
was during the opening Of old Oklahoma
in 1889. The Rock Island Railroad then
ran only AZ far south as Pond Creek, Okla,
a station at that time in the Cherokee strip.
The Rock Island made a contract with
Green for transporting its passengers from
the end " the line over to the edge Of
old Oklahoma at SO each. The day the
excursion started the railway company
wired Green that 900 passengers would be
on the first train. II was seen then that the
Job was one of m magnitude, but Green secured
the country and employed every farmer
who had a wagon or buggy, and with these,
together with his stage line, he carried out
the contrac
Cannonball Green owned a stage line,
all through the West in the early days,
connecting with the Santa Fe, Colorado
and Texas Panhandle. When the boom
struck western Kansas there was a big
demand for his stage lines. Garden City
and Leoti were after him for a line con-
meeting the towns, and asked aim to make
q proposition.
tIIi come for six town lots in each town
and 81 900 bonus" was his reply, and the
towns took him up.
He made the first trip with great osten-
tation. The greatest speed ever attained
in, Garden City up to that time was made
by Green, buJ in the centre OF the town
a coach wheel caught n truck gardeners
cart and scattered cabbage, pumpkins and
everything else all over the street. An angry
German, the owner Of the cart, rushed out
and demanded damages. Green was wear
ing plenty Of diamonds, He waited until
the crowd was sufficiently large, and then
inquired the amount Of the DAMAGE. The
Dutchman thought SIS would be about
right. Cannonball Green took from his
pocket a roll with a $500 wrapper. con-
temptuousIy peeled on q 500 note and
flung it at the gardener. That made ureen
solid forever with his patrons.
Ths first stage run ever made by Green
was from Helena, Mon, to Fort Benton,
at the ~headwaters Of the Missouri River.
He later established his Southwest system
In 1872. The fixed schedule OF the route
was 100 miles a day, no more and no less.
Once a driver came two hours late. Inc
driver old Green that there were no pas
sengers and he thought he would let the
horses take II easy. Inc DRYER was new
of horses. Those who knew how TO handle
them knew that the horses had been injured
in being allowed to take il easy Tor in
service like that the horses must be forced
to accustom themselves to one gait and
keep it. =,
, Cannonball Green in those days would
7 lay bets with his gers that he could
change teams quicker than any OF them
r could light a: cigar; ne always won iSs
those on FIRE harness, and he used to make
r the change without stopping.
|. General Manager Kinsley Of the Santa tt
was once making a trip over ~CannonbaIl
Green's line. Green always kept his private
coach, which he used as a pay coach. When
the general mama ger cache Greensbor-
ough, in Kiowa county, Kan, Cannonball
Green informed him his private coach was
about to start in the direction he was COINS
/. and invited the Santa Fe official to accom-
= pany him. A runne was sent AtSdd "a
announce the party. The owner o. the
cannonball stag line and the railroad
s~tockholder had ira yelled a long time over
q the hot desert.
{ sIt's hot" suggested CannOnball Green
kinaley assented.
Thirsty 2" inquired the owner Of the sta e
"A few cold bottles would go good now
wouldn't they2" suggested Mr.. Green.
> Kinsley was angry at the mention OF the
: seemingly impossible, and sat without 70,
9 plying. Green sat for a long time without
saying anything. Then he went to the otheI
: side Of the coach, turned up a seat and dis
: played an ice chest with a choice selection
o Of liquid refreshments.
= II was some time after ward that Tan
d nonball Green received a letter from the
Santa Fe, stating the company was about
to aend a new private car to California, anC
asked il he would like to occupy. II. he
n accepted the invitation. While in Cali
r fornia Green received another letter IRON
the Santa Fe, stating that the company
was about to send the private car BACK Al
> far as Topeka, and inquired il he happened
T TO be going that way. It was not until ther
s that C%annonball Green realized that the
railroad company was returning the court
esy show n an oficjal.
The stage business was short lived, Tht
4 railroads put the stage coach out OF busi
h ness. Cannonball Green soon found gu
= that IL was impossible to run a coach linz
; for a distance Of less than 100 miles. Their
y were few places after Oklahoma was opene6
Z 10 settlement where there was not a rail
\ road within hat distance, and for distance
I less than that the livery stables took al
: the business. II was, therefore, soon over
Green had made lots Of money, but he hac
I also spent il. He took a claim in Grant
: county when the Cherokee strip was opened
and vas afterward elected treasurer o
= that county. Then when the Kiowa anC
=, Comanche country was opened IN 1901 h
" settled in CaddO county, the ne hest plac'
a TO be found in the territory, and here h
: secured a farm near Bridgeport larg'
enough to furnish q profitable LIVELIHOOD
= for his sons. Green Is now 90 years old.
D
Z Dance % Tibetan Monks.
Q From me Timss NJ IRdio.