Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-11-20
TOPONCE SERVED
MAJORS & RUSSELL
AS BULLWHACKER

Continued from Historical Page)
passengers with profuse apologies for
the accident. On the official express
sing desire to occupy the front
seat for the remainder OF the journey.
he was given 1t, the mail sacks being
stacked on the back seat. and secured
as before.
This change being happily accom-
plished, the driver. or side whipper,
cracked his whip and the coach be-
gan its descent, the brakes shrieking
protest with every revolution Of the
wheels. Part way down, the rope was
again severed. and an avalanche OF
sacks overwhelmed the passengers.
with the same result as formerly: the
driver, or anyone outside was unable
to hear the calls for help, above the
screeching brakes.
The passengers were extricated at
the bottom OF the hill and this time
the sacks put in "for keeps" but the
unsuspecting official did not know this.
and although stimulated by imbibing
from the gallon jug, he suffered
agonies of apprehension.
On reaching the station, he told the
driver to get rid of the sacks. The
driver was greatly shocked at the sug-
gestion, explaining that the rules OF
the company were very strict against
such action. Get rid Of them some
way, only don't you dare let me see
you" So saying, he walked ahead on
the road, and when he was well out OF
sight, the sacks were dumped on the
prairie, or at least a greater part OF
their contents. The old time stage
driver was eminently resourceful. To-
ponce adds that not only one, but two
gallon jugs were emptied on this trip.
and the official was Toasted on game.
Assistant Wagon Boss
During the so called Mormon war;"
Toponce was in the fast mail service,
carrying it horseback from Fort Kear-
ney so miles west. In 1857 he was an
assistant wagon boss for Albert Sidney
Johnston, over the Oregon trail. When
the war ended the surplus goods, etc.,
were sold at auction. Toponce speaks
OF bacon bringing a quarter of a cent
a pound; flour a cent pound, and
big government wagons, complete with
bows, covers, neck Jokes, double trees,
stretchers and chains for six mules
sold at $3.50. One Payson man bought
a score of them at $3.50 a piece" To-
ponce bought mules at this sale for
$50 a span. One of the mules so &C
CURED, he later received $500 for in
st. Louis.
Returning to Missouri, our author
engaged in business until the election
of Lincoln, when 1t became exceedingly
uncomfortable for a northern man in
that vicinity. Toponce moved on to
Georgia Gulch in Colorado. The chief
reason for his leaving Missouri sud-
denly, was an alteration that took
place between two men, one northern
and the other southern The southern
man had been drinking freely, and ap-
preaching the northern man in
saloon, whose presence there was
pretty sure indication that he also
had been drinking; and after talking
awhile, made the usual boast that
zone southern man could lick five
northern men,"
The man addressed retorted "say
Joe, you are weak in the head. I'm a
northern man, and you couldn't lick
one side OF me-"
The southern man swore, and
reached for his revolver, but his OPP
ponent reached for him, and grabbing
him by the coat collar and the seat
OF his pants, sent him flying, not
through the door, but through the
fan shaped window above it, glass and
all He was badly damaged when
they picked him up"