The sun., 1909-02-14
HUMORS OF STAGE ROBBERY
GRIM JEST FOR THE MAN
WITH THE ITCHING NOSE.
\ visiting Schoolma'am Who Was Sur.
prised NJ the Location or the Post
Office-Pat Cl0hesy's shrewd Man.
euyre That Saved Most OF His Roll.

Office-Pat Ci0hesy's shrewd Man.
euyre That Saved Most OF His Roll.
The old Concord stage coaches that
for years have been plying between
Fairplay and Silyerheels. one Of the pio-
neer routes OF the Colorado minin camps,
have Just been taken of and automobiles
substituted" said Western man who
was a veteran Of the Rocky Mountain
mining camps. 1T is about the last Of
the old time stage lines.
-rhe automobile can never hope to
rise from its commonplace position as
a mere carrier. for the wild days Of the
West have passed forever. There was
a lot Of romance about the old Concord,
rocking and rolling its great egg shaped
body through the wilderness. plunging
into new sights and new scenes and always
holding out a chance OF danger.
1T is in the holdups that these old
stages figured most memorably. From
the rich mining camps Of the mountains
they carried passengers loaded with
money and express boxes heavy with
gold dust or bullion The lonely reaches
of the routes offered a tempting oppor-
tunity for highwaymen. or road agents.
Thirty years ago every man who left a
mining camp on a coach carried a gun
II he had any valuables with him. and
IL there was any amount Of gold or silver
shipped there perched on the box next
the driver an alert and hair trigger
guard who rode the whole distance with
q sawed OF shotgun crammed with
buckshot lying across his knees.
There was seldom any shooting,
however. The side that got the drop
first generally had its way. although
many a stage guard has been shot dead
bv one robber at the moment his gun
sent handful Of slugs into the body Of
another. But the guards were handi-
capped; the holdups always selected q
place where nature favored them and took
the stage by surprise. A favorite site
for their operations was a narrow and
winding cut near the top Of long grade
As the painting team climbed slowly
around some jutting clif driver and
guard found themselves looking stTa;sh:
down the muzzles Of q couple Of ugly
looking Winchesters, while from behind
boulder on right or left there rose another
masked man and with rife levelled or
dered, Hold up your handsv
"Do2 Why. there wasn't anything else
TO do but comply. A Winchester at ten
PAGES is about as certain death "a prussic
acid. Up would go the hands Of driver
and guard. Passengers inside hurriedly
thrust their heads from the door win
doynsnd withdrew them 10 .s>good deal
mofVeoi a hurry. Thsn7YllllVtne guard
was disarmed and the driver put at the
head OF his team the passengers were
disembarked and gone through The
coach was searched Tor hidden valuables
the Wells-Fargo express box broken and
sacked and the mail bag ripped and it's
contents thoroughly rified,
i had friend who was held up one
night coming down on the old Park City
stage. As he stood in line with hands
lifted high awaiting his turn TO be ex-
plotted his nose began 10 itch. Unoon-
tciously he lowered his hand to scratch
u. Instantly a rife looked him between
the eyes.
Hands up! cried the man behind il.
But my noee itches and must scratch
IT, expostulated my friend.