Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1922-12-30
(From the Bishop Register)

III tiS udiiy Hlall IS dSSIdNdtlIS, SOllc-
times an actual Inconvenience, to tn
public. 1t illustrates that the luxury
OF to-day may become the necessity
OF tomorrow. Complainants should
have lived in Owens Valley, or for
that matter, in any part OF the inter
mountain region in the days of the
pioneers, to be able to appreciate the
difference between the commin thing
then and the occasional disadvantaee
of to-day.
In the beginning, complete isola-
tion; then the pony rider, with his
charge of rs cents for each lettcr
carried, in addition to the postage to
be paid when he reached the mailing
office. During that period, the
would-be traveller found his own means
OF transportation over the great dis
tances to established systems. Then
the blackboard onee week; the mud
wagon" and coach, afterward, finally
reaching the luxury of regular tri.
weekly and passenger service. Going
out OF lnyo meant a journey of A.
hours, the schedule from independence
to Carson. Sometimes the stage ran
in daytime only, making night stops
along the route. Consider the pros
pect, in the light of modern travelling.
five miles an hour, over the dreary
OF a ride at an average of not over
stretches of sand, sage, alkali or roll
ing hills; in winter an open convey
ance over snow-crowned mountains
and chill lowlands; prolong this
through two to four days; the priv
ilege paid at the rate of $50 fare to
San Francisco, at a time when money
was scarce commodity. Is it at
all wonderful that trip to the city
was notable event?
Once in a while the monotony o.
staging was varied by the attentions
of road agents, when one or more
individuals, usually masked, by a ban
dana or cloth across theface, stepped
out from concealment with the com
mand to Throw out the boxlp The
box" was Wells, Fargo & Cos
iron-bound treasure chest. Sometime
the driver was pressed into service to
smash it; sometimes the box was
tossed out without further words
sometimes an express messenger was
aboard and opened fire and battlc
began in which messenger, driver OF
bandit was unhealthily perforated a
story of old-time bandits and mes
sengers would make some readable
chapters.
And the drivers were worthy o.
record. Hank Monk was one of the
most noted of Thousand wiz
served. In this territory among then
we're men who, in course of time
abandoned the reins and the daily
grind for greater success in other
paths of life. Even today, many will
recall Dick McNaughton, gentle
man to his finger-tips, with the cour
age of a gladiator, if occasion de
manded, and afterward one OF Ne
vada's legislators. At least two oil
Owens Valleys prominent citizens
came here as stage drivers. Then
there was P. P. Dow, pioneer reins-
man on the desert roads, and more
at home on the drivers seat than
anywhere else; a man of small sta
ture, his face bewhskered TO an ap-
pearance suggesting a benevolent
poodle-a man Of character and popu
larity, however. The roll might be
considerably prolonged.
A necessary accompaniment OF the
mode of travel was the system OF
stage stations with the customarily
advertised Accommodations for man
and beast" There the stage horses
were changed; the travellers partook,
at any hour of the day or night, oi
what the schedule might provide, oil
the ham and eggs or other fare al
fordcd by a limited supply market
After perhaps another snifter" OF re-
freshment, not today sanctioned by the
eighteenth amendment, the new team
was put into harness, by daylight or by
the uncertain light of smoky lanterns
as the case might be, the travellers
settled again into the least discomfort
tier conveyance afforded, and an
other stage of the toilsome journey
began. Such we're the conditions II
al the country except in the more
important regions tributary to Sar
Francisco, in the youthful days o
Inyo.
Roads were not much in those days
either. 1t might be difficult to iin'
today in iourneying through all o