Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-11-14
TOPONCE SERVED
MAJORS & RUSSELL
AS BUILWHACKER
ALSO DROVE ON FIRST OVERLAND
STAGE BETWEEN MISSOURI
AND CALIFORNIA

L1E AUhQ0AlEAAktAA9 Va AA-~N--@~-~-
Toponce, who came to Montana IN
1868, a work completed on his SOtn
birthday but not published until after
his death, should strike the fancy OF
every lover Of western history.
He dedicates the book to "the miners,
gold diggers, pocket hunters, COW
punchers, mule SINNERS, horse wrang-
lers, freighters, packers, trappers, hum
tiers. scouts, stage drivers, shotgun
messengers, station keepers, home
steaders. road graders, bridge build
ers. track layers, lumberJacks, tie
cutters. canal diggers, sheep herderS,
bun whackers, Injun fighters, pros
uectors and all the rough and ready
tribe of pioneers, who Travelled with me
the long trails, faced with me the
blizzards of the mountain passes, or
endured with me the scorching desert
winds. who each and all play chosen
part in winning the great west
'eTo you, good old boys, dead or nv
ing. / dedicate this, my first, last and
only book. Selahl"
Commemorative as is the dedication,
Il Is doubtful whether there is one OF
the classes mentioned, who would not
eniov this record Of a mans life. It Is
readable from beginning to end, ana
while In some places suspicion may
arise that the writer has drawn the
long how" this can be easily overlooked
in an old stage driver.
The author wastes no time IN pre-
facing his subject, but plunges r1gnt
In with no preliminary apology Tor
placing himself in the limelight, he
announces:
INV name is Alexander Toponce, I
was born In Belfort, France, Nov. lO,
ls3e. so I ann Just so years old. can
still speak some French, but in France
7 never went to school. In fact never
attended school day In my life.
Came TO America at Z
AT the age of Z he came to America
with his father and mother, ana wen
remembered their journey from Paris
IN New York. It was on this trip that
he first manifested his financial
shrewdness. The water given them on
the shin made the whole family SICK
he stole tobacco from his father, ana
traded It to the sailors for good water,
receiving a gallon for good CHEW,
ana from these same sailors he learned
his first English.
Serving an apprenticeship in a lum-
her camp. on q farm, and as team
star Toponce came west and increased
his accomplishments in several oirec-
lions ON becoming a "bullwnacker
for Majors and Russell who mad tns
government contract for hauling an
fhe government freight west OF tne
Mississippi river.
The drivers for this company signed
a contract that If they failed 70 opey
the rules given them, they would pc
discharged without pay. One OF these
Ta,Iex demanded that the men should
conduct themselves as gentlemen, ana
not get drunk, gamble, show cruelty
IN animals. or use profane language.
As each driver had to yoke from SIX
IN fen steers every morning, 1t Is not
necessary to state occasionally strong
IanpuaQe was used, although every
man had been given a Bible before
starting, to read on the road.
The next business in which Toponce
engaged was stage driving on the 1lrss
overland stage line operated between
Missouri and California; the Butter-
field line that ran from IlpCon'
Missouri. via Texas and New Mexico
,,ntiI n was changed to the Salt Lake
mute from the termination OF the
railroad at west Port, near Kansas
City.
It took eight days to reach Sante
ne and this was the way the journey
was made.
eve would start out Of West Port
NTH six mules and three men. One
man would ride a horse alongside the
y,o,,les and keep touching them up with
q hIacksnake whip. He was called tne
"side whipper". - ns,.,,ov
1.-THE third man sat on the olckey
seat" on top Of the stage facing tne
rear. He had a field glass ana kept an
eve out for Indians after we got away
from the settlements. We all had tne
latest makes Of rifles. We would drive
these six mules so miles, stopping
once to feed and water, then changed
teams and drive another SO miles.
Amusing Incident
on one of these trips an amusing
incident occurred. The owner OF tine
line warned the three men composing
the "crew", that they must be caretul
NOT tn dump any mail matter out onto
the prairie as a o. S. official was
going with them, and the rules were
verv ' strict regarding the carrying OF
mail matter. The sacks Of first class
mail were fastened with copper pad
locks: the second class with iron pad
locks; and the third class maisacKs
were tied with string. In this third
class were tracts and Bibles Tor the
sTheathen in California" and a guam
tity Of patent office reports, about
400 pounds to sack.
The driver said that with the aid
Of a gallon jug Of whisky he thought
he could manage This, be it wen re-
membered, was long before prohibition
was dreamt Of. The stage was "Jerky
with only two seats, and these faced
each other. with the utmost Difference
the driver asked the general. colonel,
On something" which seat he preferred
he haughtiIy replied ''the back seal"
Reserving the back seat for the Of
fetal. the front seat was filled with
mail sacks to the roof. and these kept