New Ulm review., 1907-05-22
AN OLD STAGE LINE.
u Ran From Kansas to California In.
Thirty-five Days.

It Ran From Kansas to California In
Thirty five Days.
"Atchison to California in thirty five
days; fare, only $500 in gold"
This was the heading of an old hand
bill, yellow with age, which a traveller
laid upon the counter in a railway tick
ct Office the other day. It was an adj
vertisement of line of stagecoaches
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
a modern railway time table, which
told of the luXuries 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. It 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
stagecoach line advertised that it had
recently refurnished the entire sroad''
with absolutely new wagonettes, and
it told what kind Of coaches they were
how the springs were made and of
what strength they were. It 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 inducement that was held out or
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 stoL
over privilege is then given for any
place on the road
The time Of the stop over was un
limited. The time table provided thai
a passenger might resume the journey
whenever there was an empty seat il
the stagecoach.
eve make quicker time to Califor
MIA than any other stagecoach line anG
at cheaper rate" the pamphlet stat
ed. It went on to say that for 5000 {
person could ride all the way from
Atchison, Kan, to the gold fields OF
California.
"The distance is 1913 miles," was
stated on the time table, "the Longest
distance ever attempted by stage
coach line Atchison to California il
thirty-fve days."
A boast was made that there were
twelve telegraph stations on the roaG
to California and that eating places
had been established along the roaC
where good meals could be had at the
nominal price Of So. Every passenger
was allowed twenty-five pounds of bag
gage, consisting Of wearing appare
and other, necessary baggage. All ovel
that amount must be paid for at a rate
Of 80 cents pound
It was advertised that the risk or
the return trip was very great on ac
count Of the amount Of gold dust ani
nuggets being brought back from Cali
fornia. The company employed only
the bravest men, fully armed all the
time. But it declined to carry goll
dust unless paid for at the rate of S;
a pound The company refused to be
held responsible for the loss of thu
gold dust by robbers, Indians or othel
means.
The pamphlet also advertised fas
freight line between Atchison and Den
yer. The round trip was made in the
short space Of twenty days. To shiI
by this method all merchandise ha(
to be wrapped in waterproof packages
A package weighing ten pounds coulG
be sent by that route for $5. All ovel
that weight was sent at the reduced
rate of So for five pounds
In it's advertisement for passenger
to California the pamphlet, as stated
before, allowed every passenger TWEEN
ty-fve pounds of baggage. However
it advised that as many persons wish
ed to take more baggage than th'
weight limit it would be safer to sent
it to California by sea.
"And to think that we can get on
train tonight and be in Denver tomor
row." the railroad man said as he com
pared the time tables-Kansas Cit,
Star.