The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-06-14
AN OLD STAGE LINE.
It Ran From Kansas to California In
Thirty five DAYS.

"AtchlSon to California i'll thlrty-hve
days: fare, only $500 In gold"
This was the heading OF an old hand
bill. yellow with age. which Il traveller
laid upon the counter in railway tick
e1 Office the other day. 1t waS an All
ve.liSehent of Il line of StayecoacheS
that ran from AtchiSon, Kan, to San
Francisco during the gold excitement
OF years ago.
People seldom stop to think what
their poor ancestors had to put up with
in the old days. the man said. He
WAS comparing the old time table with
modern railway time table. which
told OF The Injuries one could have by
travelling on that road, no dust. no jar
ring and all other disagreeable fea
lures eliminated.
The Old time table was double
sheet of paper torn and yellow with
age. 1t was issued by the Atchison
and California stagecoach line in 1857.
The inducements it held forth We're in
strange contrast with those of the
modern railroad advertisement. The
sta~ccoach line advertised that it had
recently refurniShed the entire road
with absolutely new wagonettes, and
it told what kind Of coaches they We're.
how the springs We're made and of
what strength they We're. 1t even said
that the coaches We're painted in the
best manner possible" The horses
that drew the coaches were described.
too. as the best
An n1uccnent that was held out on
the tiMr table to prospective passen-
gers was stop over privilege.
passengers who had paid their en-
tire fare from AtchiSon or other points
to their destinations" the paper said,
may register with our AGENTS 4 stop
over privilege is then given for any
place on the road"
Tho time Of the stop over was un-
limited. The time table provided that
Il PASSENGER mi~ht resume the journey
whenever there was an empty seat i'm
the Sta@rroncll.
I'VE make quicker time to Califor-
nia than any other stagccoach line and
1T Il cheaper rate" the pamphlet stat
Gil 1t went on to say that for 5000 Il
person could ride all the way from
Atchison. kan., to the gold fields OF
California;
1.-THE distance is lob miles," was
stated on the time table. the longest
distance ever attempted by Il stage
coach line. !\trhiSon to California in
thiltylive days.
y boast was made that there were
twelve telegraph stations on the road
to California ana that eating places
had been established along the road
where good meals could he had mt the
nominal price of So. Every passenger
was allowed twenty-five pounds Of bag
gage. consisting of wearing apparel
and other necessary baggage. All over
that amount must be paid for ut IL rate
| Of 30 cents pound.
| 1t was advertised that the risk OF
| the return rip wus very great on ac
| count Of the amount of gold dust and
nuggets being brought back from Cali
-forpia. The company employed only
the bravest men. fully armed all the
Lilly. ibul ~ uCCllilCtl W curry SDlll
dust unless paid for ut the rate of 81
a pound. The company refused to be
held responsible for the loss Of the
gold dust by robbers, Indians or other
means
The pamphlet also advertised fast
freight line between Atchison and Den
yer, The round trip was made in the
short space Of twenty days. To ship
by this method all merchandise had
to be wrapped in waterproof packages
\ package weighing ten pounds could
be sent by that route for s.. All over
that weight was sent ut the reduced
ra' of 81 for five pounds.
IN its advertisement for passengers
to California the pamphlet. as stated
before, allowed every passenger TWEEN
ty-fTe pounds of baggage However,
it advised that as many persons wish
ed ID take more baggage than the
weight limit it would be safer to send
it to California by sea.
and to think that we can get on a
train tonight and be in Denver tonor-
row" the railroad man said as he com.
pared the time tableS-Kansas City
Star