Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-29
AN OLD STAGE LINE.
From Kansas to California In Thirty.
Five Days.


Five Days.
"Atchison to California IN thirty five
days: fare only 5000 in gold
This was the heading Of an old
handbin, yellow with age, which a
traveller laid upon the counter In a
railway ticket office the other day. 1t
was an advertisement Of line of stage
coaches that ran from Atchison, Kan,
to San Francisco during the gold ex-
citement Of years ago.
People seldom stop to think what
their poor ancestors had to put up
with fifty years ago." the man said.
He was comparing the old time table
with a modern railway time table,
which told Of the luxuries one could
have by travelling on that road. No
dust, no jarring and all other disa-
greeable features eliminated.
The OLD time table was double sheet
of paper, torn and yellow with age. 1t
was issued by the Atchison and CAL
ifornia stage coach line In 1857. The
inducements it held forth were in
strange contract with those Of the
modern railroad advertisement. The
stage coach line advertised that it had
recently refurnished the entire road
with absolutely new wagonettes, and 1t
told what kind Of coaches they were,
how the springs were made and Of
what strength they were. 1t even said
that the coaches were 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 a stopover 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
stopover privilege is then given for any
place on the road"
The time of the stopover was unlim-
tied. The time table provided that
passenger might resume the journey
the stage coach.
I'VE make quicker time to California
than any other stage coach 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
Atchison, Kan, to the goldfelds. 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 were
twelve telegraph stations on the road
to California and that eating places
had been established along the road
where good meals could be had ut the
nominal price of SO. Every passenger
was allowed twenty-five pounds of
baggage, consisting Of wearing apparel
and other necessary baggage. All over
that amount must be paid for at a
rate of so cents a pound.
1t was advertised that the risk on
the return trip was very great on ac-
count of the amount Of gold dust and
nuggets being brought back from CAL
ifornia. The company employed only
the bravest men, fully armed all the
time. But ii declined to carry gold
dust unless paid for at the rate Of SO
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 a fast
freight line between Atchison and
Denver, Col. The round trip was
made in the short space of twenty
days. To Zip by this method all
merchandise had to be wrapped in wa
terproof packages. A package weigh
ing ter pounds could be sent by that
route for SIS. All over that weight was
sent at the reduced rate of 50 for five
pounds.
In its advertisement for passengers
to California the pamphlet, as stated
before, allowed every passenger twen-
ty-five pounds Of baggage. However
it advised, that as many persons wish
ed to take more baggage than the
weight limit, Il would be safer to send
it to California by sea.
And to think that we can get on
train tonight and be in Denver to-
morrow" the railroad man said, as
he compared the time tables.-Kansas
City Star
38 When a rich girl marries a poor
man, that's romance; when a poor
man marries a rich girl. that's bust
ness.