The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-10-31
FAMOUS OLD STAGE DRIVER
"cANNON RAIL- GREENS MANY LINES SOUTHWEST
PRIVATE COACH.
HIS PRIVATE COACH.

were after him for line connecting
the towns, and asked him to make
proposition.
'T'll come for six town lots in each
town and 81 900 bonus" was his re-
ply, and the towns took him up.
He made the first trip with great
ostentation. The greatest speed ever
attained in Garden City up to that
time was made by Green, but in the
center of the town a coach wheel
caught a 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 dam
ages Green was wearing plenty of
diamonds. He waited until the crowd
was sufficiently large, and then in
quired the amount of the damages.
The Dutchman thought $25 would be
about right CannOnbalI Green took
from his. pocket a roll with a $500
wrapper, contemporary peeled off
"a 500 note and flung it at the gar
dener That made Green solid for
! ever with his patrons.
| The first stage run eyer made by
Green was from Helena, Mon, to
Fort Benton, at the headwaters of
the Missouri river. He later estab-
lished 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 in two
| hours late. The driver told Green
| that there were no passengers and
! he thought he would let the horses
! take it easy. The driver was new
| and received a free lecture on the
treatment of horses. Those who
knew how to handle them knew that
the horses had been injured in be-
| ing allowed to take it easy" for
in service like that the horses must
be forced to accustom themselves ito
one gait and keep it.
Cannonball Green in those days
would lay bets with his passengers
that he could change teams quicker
than any of them could light a CT
gar. He always won, for the harness
was equipped with snaps like those
on fire harness, and he used to make
the change without stopping.
General Manager Kipsley of the
Santa Fe was once making a trip
over Cannonball Green's line. Green
always kept his private coach, which
he used as a pay coach. When the
general manager reached GreensbOr-
ough, in Kiowa county, Kansas, Can
nonball Green informed him his pri-
vate coach was about to start in the
direction he was going, and invited
the Santa Fe official to accompany
him A runner was sent ahead to
announce the party. The owner of
the cannonball stage line and the
railroad stakeholder had travelled
long time over the hot desert.
It's hot" suggested Cannonball
Green. Kinsley assented.
"Thirsty?" inquired the owner of
the stage line.
"A few cold bottles would go good
now, wouldn't they?" suggested Mr..
Green.
Kinsley was angry at the mention
of the seemingly impossible, and sat
without replying Green sat for a
long time without saying anything.
Then he went to the other side of
the coach, turned up a seat and dis
played an ice chest with a choice Sc
lection of liquid refreshments.
1t was some time afterward that
Cannonball Green received a letter
from the Santa Fe, stating the COM
pany was about to send new pri-
vate car to California, and asked if
he would like to occupy it. He &C
copied the invitation. While in Cal
ifornia Green received another letter
from the Santa Fe, stating that the