The San Francisco call., 1910-05-01
Famous Stage Drivers Of the Sierras

many thousands who travelled between Grass Valley
and Nevada and North San Juan. Cooper driving
the North San Juar stage May IA, 1866 when it
held up and robbed by George Shanks, Robert Finn
and George Moore, all of whom were killed few
hours afterward by Steven Venard, who tracked them
up Meyers ravne and discovered them behind big
boulder dividing the money they had taken from the
express box and passengers Venard shot them, one
"Baldy" Green drove over the Placerville road in
the early sixties, and later between Austin and Vir
ginia City New He extremely handsome
Six feet tall. He once drove the Schuyler Colfax
party between Big Neds and Virginia City, distance
of As miles, in four hours.
"Baldy" (WlamJ Hamilton owned stage
lines in Oregon, Nevada and California. He
of the greatest whips in the world In 1868 he gave
the ride of my life between Grass Valley and
Hill Beechey, who died at E1ko about 25 years
ago. was great driver and stage owner in the htes
IN THE YOSEMITE VALLEY
Some of the greatest whips drove stages into the
Yosemite valley George Monroe Mariposa county
mulatto has been unanimously accounted the most
for 20 years and injured passenger an
animal, General Grant rode with Monroe both ways
between Wawona and the Yosemite, and claimed that
the mulatto's driving the most wonderful exhibit
ton he had ever seen. Monroe also drove President
Hayes into the valley. He mortaly injured about
10 II years ago while riding fractious mule which
threw him.
Buffalo Jim was one Of the crack drivers be-
tween Merced and Wawona, Cal, 40 years. ago.
Henry Washburn superb handler OF the ribbons
six horse team Both dead
There were Dan and Jerry Robbins, who drove
between P1acervle and Carson City for many years,
also for Barlow Sanderson & Co, between Marysville
and Shasta They twins and looked much
alike that few of their most intimate friends. could
tell them apart They were of the same weight and
of the build except that Jerry inch taller
than Dan. Their chins adorned with long i'm
perials; they dressed exactly ahke-howered silk
vests black trousers big black silk neck handker-
chiefs, white shirts and Byron collars They carried
watches attached heavy fob chains, and each
a red seal ring on his left little finger Their hair
was dark and curly, and they were known as Curly
Dan and Curly Jerry"
California drivers who have gone over the range
for the last time were Z. S. Cushing who drove
out OF Shasta for many years; Charlie Combs and
George Finch, who for two decades drove between
Oroville and Quincy; Lou and Harry Burke, who
drove from Marysville to Redding; William Burt and
Neil Kane, who drove between Yreka and Salem and
Dan Smith and Dan Ross, who drove between Salem
and Portland, Ore Jesse D. Carr once secured the
contract for carrying the mail between Marysville
and Portland from 1866 1870, and among his driv-
all OF whom dead were Joseph Briggs, James
Lyman and Charles Brady
As means OF transportation the stage is quickly
passing away. But men who have had the good for
tune to travel the old Sierra routes behind six
strappng, well groomed horses, breathing the crisp
air will generally say that they know of nothing more
exhiarating