Weekly journal-miner., 1913-06-04
TELLS OF TRIP MADE
 HERE Al YEARS AGO
Reminisoenoe of Pioneer Days When Stage Coach Was Only Method
 Of Reaching Prescott.

soil. A fairly good hotel afforded
 fairly good breakfast and the party rejoiced that the trip was most half
 completed. Here we changed drivers and stages. My attention was called
 to a number of bullet holes in the
 conveyance, which almost took the
 starch out of my desire to proceed further The bullets were put there
 when the stage was attacked by
 Indians near Wickenburg few weeks previous, when several pas sengers were killed, some wounded and great excitement grew there from. There was woman passenger on the stage when attacked, Miss Mollie Shepherd, by name, who was wounded. She was returning from Prescott to the inside" and at the time of our arrival at Ehrenberg was at the hotel there recovering from her wounds.
 This Indian attack was said to be the most daring during the Apache troubles, happening as 1t did, only a short distance from Wickenburg, and is known to old-timers as the Wickenburg massacre. It was then heralded all over California as among the most atrocious of Indian depredations. We were assured, however, that a renetition of such deeds was not likely to occur in the near future, and were informed that as a precaution a soldier guard would escort the stage through the danGerous places clear through to Prescott.
 Leaving Ehrenberg behind, we began 10 prepare for trouble from Indians. On reaching Bells canyon in the night the driver suggested that the passengers get out and walk single file behind the stage so that in the event of an attack we would not all be shot at once. This we did. There was no promised escort, so 1t looked serious for tenderfoot. l assure you.
 Wickenburg was reached without mishap and a dead stage horse along side the roadway gave silent evidence or the recent massacre. At this place a change of drivers took place, (the third) and Bash Webster took the reins. He piloted us safely to Date Creek, then a military post, thirty miles farther. which was reached in the Idead hours of the night Bash asked the commanding officer for an escort to accompany us to Prescott. Imagine our chagrin when we overheard the officer say that on account of a fire in the commissary that day, he could spare no men to act as escorts on this trip. We were supposed to be kept in ignorance of this fact, and as luck did happen, no attacks from Indians occurred.
 Early morning brought us to Skull Valley, where a MT. Bowers kept an inn. At that hostelry we had a good breakfast and enjoyed 1 the cheerful blaze in a large open fireplace. l was assured by this gentleman that Indians would not modest us during the remainder of the journey. To show his faith in his prediction, he accompanied the stage on horseback, with his trusty | carbine strapped across the saddle ! horn, as was the fashion in those ! days when out horseback riding.
 In the late afternoon of December {, P. 1871, six days and five nights l out from San Bernardino, exclusive of three days and three nights from San Francisco to the former city, | we reached Prescott.
 Our arrival in Prescott was not tie occasion for calling out the fire or police department, but snow began to fall soon after the United | States mail was delivered to Post | master Allen, and the three pas sengers sought their friends and acquaintances, to rest from the long, 1 tiresome and expensive trip.
 w. H. MEACHAM.
 San Mateo, Calf.