The Indianapolis times., 1922-07-11

coach that played an important part
in the early development Of that great
lection of the Northwest that radiates
toward the four winds from Sheridan,
Wyo., today is en- route on SO0-nile
journey to Omaha, Neb.. carrying
United States mail and a passenger, as
1t did forty-two years ago, when 1t
made its last run into Sheridan over
the Rock Creek, Fort Custer and
Etchetah Stage and Express Line,
Drawing the perils of an undeveloped
frontier country and protected by
armed guards, who rode the stage to
safeguard its passengers AMI valu-
ables from surprise attacks by bandits
or hostile Indian bands.
With a crack from q long black
snake whip, four pinto ponies. draw
ing the old stage. dashed over the
Fifth Ave. hill, the Custer Battlefield
Highways entrance to Sheridan from
the East, and were on their way to
Omaha.
Hundreds Of persons gathered In
the City Hall square to watch the
departure of the stage from Sheridan.
Cowboys Drive Coach
Swinging the ponies in toward the
curbing. the coach's drivers-T. j.
and George n. Ostronn. cowboys and
pioneers Of the Sheridan country
dropped from their lofty seats on top
of the stage and. as cameras clicked,
were handed greetings from Mayor
c. W. Sheldon to the city Of Omaha
and a huge consignment Of n1ail-all
letters that were enclosed in special
envelopes bearing an artists drawing
of the stage and stamped with the
stages cancel. showing that the letter
had been carried aboard the coach.
These letters also carried descriptive
literature Of the coach's mission in the
interest of the Custer Highway and Of
the historical and scenic beauty fea-
lures of the five States the highway
traverses.
Paul Hudson. 2 native OF Black
Hawk, S. D, a town on the Custer
Highway, and one closely associated
with the early history of the stage,
was the sole passenger carried by the
coach when it left Sheridan. He was
Ell route East on business.
VIII Interest East
Il was W. D. Fisher, secretary Of
the Custer Battlefield Highway AS
sociation and the roads founder.
that saw the possibilities Of inter
esting the East in the historical
past Of this section Of the West and
having met with phenomenal sue
cess in sending White Eagle, Sioux
Indian chief, American scout and
writer of poems of Indian life on a
nineteen months tour of the East,
with the special objective OF carrying
greetings to Mrs. Elizabeth Custer
widow Of the great general who lost
his life on the Custer Battlefield the
highway memoria1izes - decided to
send the old stage on another mission
TO the East.
First interest. Of course. In the
stage is its venerable past
No information as to the date OF
its construction is available, but
for more than forty years it has
stood in a neglected barn lot OF a
former Sheridan hostelry, where In
the days when this was one Of the
few centers Of civilization in a vast
plain the inn was a haven Of good
cheer and at times the scene OF
actions that gave this section of the
Omitted States the cognomen, wild
and Woolly West
Carried WeH-KnoWn Men
Previous to 1880, when it's last
run was made into Sheridan, the old
stage saw many years in the express
service, and it carried many of the
Vests best-known men to some
frontier mining claim, a homestead
on a Government land grant, and
from these small beginnings Of live
lhood they have risen to places of
prominence in the life of the West.
and some have added glory to their
nations name.
Its drivers and guards skirrnished
with the Indians and bandits, braved
the hardships Of frontier life and
cheered many Fasteners on in their
ambition to make their stake" in
the mountain ranges of the West.
On its last run from Rapid City to
Sheridan the old coach received hard
punishment. which, because it was
not % be used again. was never re-
paired
Coach Is Strengthened
With the purchase Of the coach by
the Custer Battlefield Highway AS
sociation began the task of making it
ready for the hard trip East. The
stout oaken frames, the canvas top,
the hickory wheels and the long
leather rockers upon which the coach
body swung, instead Of on steel
springs. as more modern vehicles do,
all needed TO be practically rebuilt.
1t was with this overhauling that
many Of the interesting discoveries
about the past OF the stage came to
light.
A hole in the canvas above the
rear seat had evidently made it un-
comfortable for the passengers when
1t rained, or when the heavy night
air Of the Black Hills crept in, and
the drivers had obliged their patrons
by stopping at a homestead in the
hills and borrowing burlap sack to
repair the hole in the canvas. In
tearing this loose in the repairing
Of the seat 1t was discovered that
the buElap bore the name of one 81.
d. Williams" who. inquiry reveals,