The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-27

Sheridan. wyo., July 24-A stage coach that played important part In the early development of that great section of the Northwest that radiates toward the four winds from Sheridan, Wyoming. today is en route on S00smile Journey to Omaha. Nebras- ka, carrying United States mail and a passenger, IS 1t did forty-two years ago: when it made its last run into Sheridan over the Rock Creek, Fort Custer and Etchetah Stage and Elk press Line, braving the perils of an undeSeloped frontier country and pro- tected by armed guards, who rode the Stage to safeguard it's passengers and Valuables from surprise attacks by bandits or hostile Indian bands.
 With a crack from a long black ing the old stage, dashed over the Fifth Avenue Hill, the Custer Battle field Highways entrance to Sheridan from the East, and were on their way 10. Omaha.
 Hundreds of persons gathered in the City Hall square to watch the de- parture of the stage from Sheridan. v1 Cowboys Drive Coach.
 Swinging the ponies In toward the curbing. the coach's drivers T. J. -and George N. Ostron, 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 6. W. Sheldon to the city of Omaha and a huge cnsignment of mail-all letters that were enclosed in special envelopes bearing an artists's draw ing of the stage and stamped with the stages concel, showing that the letter had been carried aboard the coach: These letters also carried de- scriptive literature of the coach's mis- sion in the interest of the Custer Highway and of the historical and scenic beauty features of the five states the highway traverses.
 Paul Hudson, a native of Bla ok 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 en route east on business.
 Will Interest East.
 It was W. D. Fisher, secretary ot the Custer -aBttlefield Highway As saw the possibilities of interesting the East in the historical past of this section of the West and-having me' with phenomenal success 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 ob tective of carrying greetings to Mrs general who lost his life on the Gus ter Battlefield the Highway memorial .izes-decided to send the old stage o1 another mission to the East.
 First interest, of course, in tn stage is tis venerable past.
 = No information as to the date O its construction is available, but fol more than forty years it has stoo, =ln a. neglected barn lot of a forme Sheridan hostelry, where in the day when this was 8ne of the few centre of civilization m a vast plain tn inn was a haven of good cheer an, It times the scene of actions that gay shis section of the United States tn sognomen, "Wi1d and Woolly West.
 Carried We'll Known Men.
 Previous to 1880, when its last ru was made into Shorthand the ol stage saw many years in the expres service, and it carried many of tn Vests best-known men to some iron der mining claim, a homestead, on
 government land grant, and fror these small beginnings of livelihoo they have risen to places of promin snce in the life of the West, an yome have added glory to their ma lions name.
 Its drivers and guards skirmishe with the Indians and bandits, brave the hardships of frontier life an
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