Bisbee daily review., 1913-07-12
STAGES
 IN EARLY DAYS
Tim Taft. a Resident of Ari- zona for Forty Years, Is Leaving with His Wife for Future Home on Coast.

Forty year ago Tim Taft. then a young man. was a stage driver, car rying passengers from Yuma to Tue son. He has resided in Arizona ever since and has seen this part Of the Southwest. then barren and without
 industry of any kind. save that incl
 dent 10 supplying the military camps with wild hay and mesquite beans grow and develop into a rich and prosperous state.
 This Arizona pioneer left Bisbe-a yesterday for Douglas. he and Mrs Taft being taken to that city by his old friend. Iakob Schmid, in the lat. Jer's automobile. The ride to Douglas
 was the first automobile ride ever enjoyed by Mrs. Taft and she was de lighted.
 Tim Taft was one of the first to bring a stage into Tombstone and con tinued to drive stages to that camp
 until it developed into the greatest
 gold and silver mining camp then known in this western country Tn these days stage driving was a dan serous business, as the rustlers were at any time liable to sweep down or the stage to relieve it of the Wells Fargo treasury box and to appropri- ate the cash found on the passengers Besides the danger from the highway, men Indians were frequently on the war path and during such times Tim Taft and other stage drivers would drive at night and remain within the crude barracks of the stage stations during the day.
 Jakob Schmid, one fthe eldest res dents of Bisbee rode stage into this camp driven by Tim Taft Tim first put on a stage line to Bisbee from Tombstone about the year 1880; later he changed base and route and reached this camp from Fairbanks after the Santa Fe built the railroad from Benson to Nogales and on to Guaymas. Many of the early comers to Bisbee arrived in Tim Taft's stage.
 When the railroad reached Bisbee Taft then put on a stage line from Bisbee to Nacozari, Mexico, where the development of mines there had just been started. C. \. Thomas, the present constable, related yesterday that the money went monthly from Bisbee to Nacozari to meet the month lv payroll there This cash. Mexican dollars, current funds of Arizona as well as of Sonora in those days. was always entrusted to the care of Tim Taft. Thomas declared. Thomas was night watchman in those long ago days and it was his duty to stick around and see that Taft got his silve, sacks safely under the tarpaulin in the stage and got a safe start down the canyon.
 But why this story about Tim Taft2 Simply to bid farewell to an old. brave and reliable Arizona pioneer, who helped to blaze the trail of civil ization in the Southwest, who an nOunces that he is going to California to make his future home, He and Mrs. Taft will go from Douglas after they pay a visit of a few days with friends there. When he goes and wherever hI gees Tim Taft and his good wife will carry the best wishes of a host of Arizona friends.
 Stage driving was fascinating to Tim Taft and he stuck to it so long as there was a real stage to drive when there was no more of it, save a two-p passenger back running between towns the old pioneer driver quit with only the memory of the old Modoc and other noted stage coaches which he had driven 10 cheer him in other i occupations. He went to Mexico, SC. cured some mining claims at times, | but never succeeded in striking a Bo- i nanza and recently has been employed | as watchman at the P-D. store in | Bisbee
 The friends of Tim Taft predict that he will be dissatisfied in any
 other country and will soon return to
 Arizona They will be ready to wei come him back. but in the meantime will wish him health and prosperity.