The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-06-07
AN OLD STAGE LINE.
u Ran From Kansas to California l.,
Thirty five Dsys. @


Thirty-fiv O@ys.
"Atchison to California IL thicty-Av
days; fare only $500 In gol>.." %
This was the heading OF AL old hand
bill, yellow with age, which IL travele
laid upon the counter in q railway tick
ct office the other day. II was al Ill
vertisement of Il line Of stagec3ache
that ran from Atchison, Kan, t. Sa,
Francisco during the gold exciser,en
of years ago.
"People seldom stop to think wha
| their poor ancestors had to put up wit
| in the old days." the man said. H.
was comparing the old time table wit.
| q modern railway time table, whic.
told Of the luxuries one could have b.
travelling on that road, no dust. no jar
ring and all other disagreeable fea
lures eliminated.
sheet of paper, torn and yellow VII
age. 1t was issued by the Atchisc.,
and California stagecoach line in 49,.
The inducements it held forth were il
strange contrast with those Of the
modern railroad advertisement. The
stagecoach line advertised that it hc,.
recently refurnished the entire road
with absolutely new wagonettes, AMI
It told what kind of coaches they were.
how the springs were made and OF
what strength they were. 1t even SAT-;
that the coaches We're painted in the
''best manner possible" The horses
that drew the coaches were described
too, as the best.
An inducement that was held out on
the time table to prospective passen
gers was stop over privilege.
passengers who had paid their en-
tire fare from Atchison or other points
to their destination" the paper said,
may register with our agents. A stop
over privilege is then given for any
place on the road"
The time of the stop over was un-
limited. The time table provided that
passenger might resume the journey
whenever there was an empty seat in
the stagecoach
eve make quicker time to Califor-
MIA than any other stagecoach line and
at cheaper rate" the pamphlet stat
ed. 1t went on to say that for 5000 a
person could ride all the way from
Kan., to the gold fields of
California.
1.-THE distance is 1913 miles," was
stated on the time table, ''the longest
distance ever attempted by stage
coach line. Atchison to California in
thirty-five days.
A boast was made that there We're
twelve telegraph stations on the road
TO California and that eating places
had been established along the road
where good meals could be had at the
lominal price Of So. Every passenger
vas allowed twenty-five pounds of bag
gage, consisting Of wearing apparel |
md other necessary baggage. All over
hat amount must be paid for at a rate |
If 80 cents pound. :, /
It was advertised that the risk on |
he return trip was very great on &C.
count of the amount Of gold dust and
nuggets being brought back from Cali
'ornia. The company employed only |
he bravest men, fully armed all the
line. But it declined to carry gold !
lust unless paid for at the rate of So |
| pound. The company refused to he
leld responsible for the loss Of the
,old dust by robbers, Indians or other
means.
The pamphlet also advertised fast |
freight line between AtchisOn and Den
'er. The round trip was made in the
hort space Of twenty days. To ship
" this method all merchandise had
o be wrapped in waterproof packages.
\ package weighing ten pounds could
,e sent by that route for S.. All over
hat weight was sent at the reduced
ate of 50 for five pounds.
In its advertisement for passengers
o California the pamphlet, as stated
'efore, allowed every passenger twen-
y-five pounds Of baggage. However,
t advised that as many persons wish.
d to take more baggage than the
weight limit it would be safer to send
to California by sea.
"And to think that we can get on q
rain tonight and be in Denver tomor-
ow," the railroad man said as he COM
jared the time tables.-Kansas City
star.
Mistook Scripture For Science.
They were passing one Of the Fifth
venue churches when the bulletin