Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-02-14
Nat Stein Was Romantic
Figure as Messenger ON
Overland Stage i'm COS

often a fortune was placed in their
charge. Their place on the stage
was on the box with the driver, and the
safe containing the treasure was placed
in the front boot, under the drivers feet.
Three messengers were constantly
employed in the COS on the line between
Atchison and Denver, three between
Denver and Salt Lake. and the same
number between Salt Lake and Placer
vile. One messenger would be going
west, and one east on each division
nearly all the time while the other would
be lying q week at Atchison, Denver, or
Salt Lake. resting after making a round
trip over his division. From Atchison
to Denver was called the eastern divi-
sion, Denver to Salt Lake the mountain
division; from Salt Lake to Placerville
the western division"
The position of messenger was not only
a responsible one. 1T was also extremely
dangerous in those bandit infested days.
Indians, too, kept them on the alert. The
messenger served as a conspicuous mark
as did also the driver. But for that, and
the exposure to inclement weather, the
seat with the driver was the best on the
coach. / know, for l have tried it by
day and night. From this vantage point
one could be prepared for whatever was
,oihA'S WiiIblitl W ilO IOtho, dlOD llllO
bitches, or ford deep streams.
Nat Stein became messenger il 1861.
Soon afterwards he was advanced to q
cl%erkship in the st. Louis office of the
company, where he remained until APP
pointed agent at Central City, Colo.
While he was in this town the line came
into the possession Of Ben Holiday,
through the foreclosure OF a mortgage,
and Stein was made his agent at Den.
yer. In 1868 he was transferred to Salt
Lake, and the next year, when Holiday
secured the government contract for the
first mail in Montana, Mr.. Stein was
sent to a charge Of the office in Vir-
ginia City, where, as | have mentioned,
he represented all the departments of
the stage line, including banking.
1t is asserted that the Montana con
tract saved Holiday from bankruptcy.
For this reason he may have regarded
this section favorably, as he sent to it
his most popular agent in the person
Of Nat Stein. The latter served in his
new location until, a serious eye trouble
developing, he went to Philadelphia to
consult an occulist and remained there
for two years.
Meanwhile Ben Holidays interests
had been taken over by Wells. Fargo q
Co. who not only controlled the mail
and express lines, but had contracts for
carrying freight for the government
from the Union Pacific railroad then in
process Of construction, to the western
military posts.
MI. Stein applied for a position under
The new management and received that
of agent at Omaha. He also undertook
the business Of the American and United
Express companies, and conducted
them successfully. The work proving
too much for his eyes, Wells, Fargo re-
turned him to Salt Lake.
He later devoted himself to the bank
ing business, first in Corinne and then
in San Francisco.
Although a business man, Mr.. stein
was known far and wide as The Poet
OF the Stage Line His verse had merit
and he frequently dropped Into rhyme
Tor The amusement OF the boys con-
nected with the stage company. Nor
was this all-he wrote verses Of a higher
type and occasionally INDUCED IN trans
latlng poetry. His was the first trans
lation OF Der Wacht am Rhein" l ever
read There are several poems OF his in
the early files OF the Montana Post,
where appeared one set 10 the tune OF
The High SALARY Driver on the Denver
cry Line which became q great favor
tic with the drivers from Omaha 70 San
Francisco. There We're eleven stanzas
and a chorus, but they suns them every
one They loved Nat Stein for they
he was their friend.