New-York tribune., 1912-03-10
70 Marx Old STAGE Trails Once Haunted by Outlaws and Indians
independence Rock, Famou,
Stopping Place, May
Become a National
Monument.

rolled into the home stations, which Ma.
fifty miles apart, with the regulari,v :,
modern railroad trains. All the eouio,,.,,
even to the clothing OF the men. ives es'
pecially manufactured for Holiday.
When Holiday travelled it was in N.
! finest stage coach that money could buv
| This coach was suspended on coil sp-i,,.
| instead of on the customary straps OF n.
ordinary Concord. 1t was equipped VIII,
q bed, reading table and 'all the com.
! forts of home" only the best and nos,
daring drivers mounted to the box, and "a
fail TO break the speed record when Hoaa.
| day was inside" was disgrace
Holiday demanded results aIons n,
stage line, and he cared nothing about sny
mans past so long as he delivered the
! goods" This was evidenced in the e,s
OF the notorious desperate Joseph A.. or
Jack" Slade who was appointed divisio,
superintendent, first with headquarters al
Fort Laramie and later at Virginia Dale.
| when the route was moved south Slade',
division was from Virginia Dale TO Jules
burg. and il was the most dangerous part
of the transcontinental trip, as the route
JACK" SHADES REIGN or TERROR.
Slade had orders to clean up the division
He soon had the Indians terrorized. ia
report came in that Indians had driven OF
stock at a station Slade was soon on hand.
He would take the trail after the Indians
and would shoot down every redskin ne
met He slew several outlaws who had
held up coaches, and In short time he
had his division running as smoothly as
any other division on the road. Sade had
a record Of twenty-one men killed when
Mark Twain met him, on the way to Ne
vada. and this record was materially in.
creased after the humorists trip across
the continent.
Julesburg, at the eastern end of SHADES
division, was an important stopping point.
This was named FOR a French trapper.
Jules Reni Slade's quarrel with Jules is
a Western classic and has been told many
times, with variations. II has been denied
that after killing Jules Sade cut of the
trapper's ears, but old stage drivers who
are now living verify the story ard say
that Slada, when drunk. was in the habit
of pulling one Of Jules's withered ears from
his pocket, and. throwing 1t on the bar,
demanding that the bartender change
that" Slade's appetite for drink eventually
grew so strong that even Holiday had to
withdraw his support, and eventually the
bad man" was discharged from the SER
vice Of the stage company, going to Vr-
ginia City Mcnt. where he was lynehed
by vigllartes.
While the Southwestern stage lines were
operated in no such systematic and elaoo-
rate manner as the main line across the
continent. there are many historic stage
stations along the Santa Fe trail and lis
tributaries which are worthy Of preserva-
ton. Most Of these structures in the South
west. like the historic Fonda al the end
Of the Santa re trail, in the city Of Santa
Fe. are Of adobe, material which is eapa-
BILE of withstanding the ravages OF time
much better than the wooden structures
which were erected along the ridcontinent
lines. There are enough stations sun lett'
however. 70 mark all the routes across the
continent. but the work cannot be delayed
long or the opportunity will be gone for