El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-27
aAtchison to California in tIlirty-fv

"Atchison to California in thirty-fivb
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 ad-
vertisement Of a line Of stageeoaches
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 Injuries 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 a double
sheet Of paper, torn and yellow with
age. It was issued by the Atch;sOn
and California stagecoach line in 1857.
The inducements it held forth were in
strange contrast with those Of the
modern railroad advertisement. The
stagecoach line advertised that It had
recently refurnished the entire road"
with absolutely new wagonettes, and
it 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 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 IN
limited. The time table provided that
a passenger might resume the journey
whenever there was an empty seat in
the stagecoach.
I'VE make quicker time to CalifOr-
MIA than any other stagecoach line and
at a cheaper rate" the pamphlet stat
ed. It went on to say that for 5000 a
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 a stage
coach line. Atchison to California in
thirty-fve 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 at the
nominal price Of So. Every passenger
was allowed twenty-five pounds Of bag
gage, consisting Of wearing apparel
and other necessary baggage. All over
that amount must be paid for at a rate
OF 80 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 Cali I
fOrnia. The company employed only |
the bravest men, fully armed all the /
time. But it 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 I
means.
The pamphlet also advertised a fast I
freight line between Atchison ans Den +
yer. The round trip was made in the /
short space Of twenty days. To ship /
by this method all merchandise had /
to be wrapped in waterproof packages. !
A package weighing ten pounds could /
be sent by that route for So. All over
that weight was sent at the reduced
rate Of 81 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 ~
weight limit it would be safer to send
it to California by sea.
and to think that we can get on a
train tonight and be in Denver tomor-
row." the railroad man said as he com
pared the time tables.-Kansas City /