The Sunday Oregonian., August 30, 1908, Magazine Section, Image 51

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BT A. E. GUY TON.
FOB fifty year a stage-driver in dif
ferent parts of the country, from
New Tork to the Pacific Coast,
James Sampson, one of the oldest vet
erans -with the whip and lines In Ore
gon, Is following; his profession In
about as far-away place from where
he began life as he could find. He,
with his comrades and his business,
has gradually been crowded farther and
farther west, and the history of the
life of this particular man Illustrates
vividly that pathetic but too true fea
ture of the rapid western development
the passing of the stagecoach and
the stage driver.
Like the Indian who once flourished
and has been driven to Ms last reser
vation, like the big Western ranches
which are being divided Into small
farms, like the buffalo of the plains
which is soon now only In parks and
picture-books, the stage driver la
quickly coming to bis last stand, and
he. Ilka the oLher early day necessi
ties, must at last give up to the ever
advancing settlement and live only In
the memory of his past usefulness.
It has been a battle of the steel
ral!s and the four-ln-hand. and the
steel rails have won.
Oh, but for the old stagecoach days
when that was the real way to travel;
when brave men were required on the
box and skill needed to handle the
horses. Then the stage driver was an
Important man, for passengers entrust
ed their safety, even their life, to his
care, and many were the thrilling ad
ventures through which he passed.
A stage traveler could see the coun
try as it really was, could enjoy the
scenery and share In the excitement
that accompanied the trip. Instead of
catching a fleeting glance through a
small window while seated comforta
bly In Pullman car. Talk to the old
tiror and you will realize that you
have never traveled unless you have at
some time or other been a passenger
on a stagecoach.
That was traveling and the real old
time stage driver, when you mention
railroad, will throw his head up in the
air like a stagehorse smelling a
panther, say nothing, and sniff the air
with contempt.
The days of the stagecoach were
glorious days, but there came to spoil
it all that awkward, noisy locomotive,
belching fire and smoke and thunder
lng through the country on steel rails
which seem to defile the natural beauty
of the canyons, mountains and plains,
and fight as ha would, the stage
driver gradually was driven back un
til now even he himself wlU recognize
and admit that although once so ne
cessary to the general traffic of the
country, he is now only a factor of
times gone by.
Oi course, there are still stagecoach
ram
Xfc , A - I S
es and stagellnes in the country, but
the number is comparatively few and
even those still existing will soon be
crowded out by the railroads.
Peculiarly the Weatern Type.
However, of the stagellnes which are
still operated and because of the ne
cessity to reach certain districts, there
are none affording more beautiful
scenery or better opportunity of see
ing really wild and uncultivated coun
try than the many routes In Oregon. It
is well worth one's time to "staKe" a
little in Oregon Just to enjoy it before
it is too late. Just to have tied one's
self to the dying epoch of transporta
tion, and thus more greatly appreciate
and enjoy the new and modern travel,
if Indeed the new way Is more to be
enjoyed than the old.
When you ride on a stage, get on
the box seat. If you can. and then "get
next" to the driver. If you can get
him wound up, he will tell you some
Interesting history. Theee old-timers
have been through the mill, and if
they want to do so, can entertain you
with absorbing tales. The stage-driver
is a character peculiar to the West,
once a bright star in the pioneer group,
but now flickering.
The James Sampson referred to Is
probably the oldest of the stage driv
ers on the Coast who is etill In the
harness. He Is hale and hearty and
good to draw the lines over a four-ln-hand
for many a day to come, but he
has seen the dying struggle and knows
that the passing of the stage is near
at hand.
Of 'medium height, heavy set, with
white muetache and Imperial and
wearing a broad-brimmed hat and high
boots, he is typical of the stage driver
as we picture him: He Is the Buffalo
Bill of the stage drivers, one might
say. and his history reads like a story
book.
Born in Springfield, O., in 1841,
Sampson as a boy watched the stages
pass his home and determined to be a
driver. At the age of 17 years he was
driving a stage out of Buffalo, N. Y.,
and gradually worked his way west.
He drove a six-horse omnibus in St.
Louis for a year or more during the
Civil War; took a wagon train from
Fort Leavenworth west with an Army
detachment, and drove stages in Ari
zona, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado and
other states, and finally In Oregon.
For a time he was in Eastern Oregon,
then he drove stage Into Klamath Falls
and now la driver on one of the relays
between Roseburg and Coos Bay, tak
ing the hardest shift, where the trip
must be made over the Coast Range.
Xo Good Any More.
"No, a stage driver is no good any
more." said Mr. Sampson. "There was
a time when he was important. He
had to know his business and you bet
he was taken cara of properly because
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN,
Ttt Ml fnfM&i ,H W JF Vu-Afrtf'
the stage line needed good men. but
now a driver is lucky if he gets to
sleep with the wheel horses.
"I must admit that the stage driver
was more needed In the early days.
The whole business has degenerated.
In the olden times we had good stages,
the stock was well-fed, the harness
kept shiny and some pride was taken
in the business. But now the lines are
being crowded out by the railroads
and the owners do not expect to have
their routes for very long, so cannot
afford to spend much on keeping them
up. People regard it now as a hard
ship if they must travel by stage in
stead of railroad. They have forgotten
their old friend the stage driver to
meet their new friends the conduc
tor and the engineer, and have rele
gated the stage coach to the scrap
heap in order to ride on the cushions
of the railway cars. The way It Is
now I would rather do anything else
than drive a stage, but how can I?
Fifty years in the business has unfitted
me for anything else and I guess I will
have to hang onto a Job somewhere as
long as there is a line running or step
from the box and lay down the reins
to the new order of things.
"What becomes of the old drivers?
Oh, I don't know. A lot of them die
and the others I guess Just give up and
sit down and wait to die. Why should
n't they? The business is nearly done
for and once a stage driver, always a
stage driver.
"The pay used to be better than it Is
now. Of course a man can make a
living driving a stage as he is paid a
salary and board, but the worst fea
hure is that there is no discrimination,
as to the value of a man. A first-class
driver who can be depended upon to
take care of the horses and the pas
sengers and properly pretect the mail,
gets no more than some greenhorn who
thinks he can drive."
'ever Resisted a Robber.
Mr. Sampson has on a number of
occasions in the early days been chased
by Indians and managed to find shelter
In a stage station and time and again
he has been help up by robbers.
"I never tried to fight when held up,"
said he. "It is the height of folly for
a driver to start any shooting when the
robbers have the crop on him for it
only endangers the passengers and
someone gets killed. The robbers will
get you anyway as they only have to
kill a horse in order to stop your es
cape. "1 will never forget one time I was
held up in New Mexico. There was
$26,000 in bullion on the stage and
this was all taken. Old John Chisholm
the cattle king was a passenger. The
robbers took all he had with him in
money and also a fine $500 gold watch.
This had been a present to him from
friends and he valued It highly. He
offered to send $500 to the robbers at
any place they would designate if they
would only return the watch, but he
never got it back. The old cattle man
also had a bottle of whisky and he re
belled at giving this up. He Insisted
that the robbers take Just one drink
and leave him the rest and to this they
agreed. The gold, of course, was never
recovered and it was a good haul for
the highwaymen. I have frequently
carried large sums of money on the
stage and In those days when we had
valuables we generally anticipated
trouble."
Good Luck Followed Him.
Mr. Sampson has never had any Ber
lous accidents, has never caused the
death of a passenger and has never had
anyone on his stage badly hurt during
all the 50 years he has been driving.
"But that is largely luck," said the
old driver, "and while I always fol
lowed my early tr.-nlng of taking
every precaution, my lack of bad acci
dents cannot be attributed to skill on
my part. The best drivers will have
accidents Just the same as the best
railroad men will have wrecks. I Just
never happened to strike my run of
bad luck, but might get it tomorrow
and make up in accidents for the whole
60 years."
Mr. Sampson, however, has excellent
papers showing high recommendations
as a driver. These were given him by
stage line proprietors for whom he has
worked In different parts of the country,
and by men with whom he became ac
quainted. And this acquaintance of the
old-time driver extends from the e'arly
day Middle West desperado to the lead
ing business men and prominent citi
zens of their times, for those were times
when everybody wanted to know the
stage driver.
Ex-Stagedrivers of Oregon.
. Several of the old Oregon stage drivers
who have given up the business are
found ending their days In the towns on
the stage lines. They generally manage
to be around the stables or any place
where they will see horses or stages.
George Roberts, of Roseburg, Is one of
the old retired drivers who has seen
long service, and has behind him an
honorable record. He is a proud, spirited
old man of gentlemanly bearing and
knows a thing or two about staging. W.
J. Carlon. also of Roseburg. and now
retired, drove in Oregon for 10 or 12
years, and his brother, J. W. Carlon, is
another old-timer.
A well-known driver who- Is regarded
as one of the best in Southern Oregon
is Charles Archambeau, known as "Fat
Charley," and who Is on the route Be
tween Roseburg and Myrtle Point. He
is always in a good humor and is well
known among the traveling men who
like to ride with him because of his
cheerful disposition and his anxiety to
please the passengers. Charley likes a
lady on the box seat with him and he
can always find room there for one of
the fair sex. He can handle any kind
of a horse and is proud of his team,
two very necessary qualifications.
While not as old as some of the others,
Ed Patterson, who drives from Elkton
to Scotsburg on the Drain line into Coos
Bay, Is a well-known stager who has a
large acquaintance among the traveling
public. Ed knows his horses and takes
good care of them and always gets his
passengers through safely.
Has Abundance of Troubles.
A stage driver these days has a good
deal with which to contend. He finds
among his passengers many a Jolly soul
who is easily entertained and who is
willing to take things as they come, but
along with these are many who are
kickers and constantly complain about
everything. The stage routes in Oregon
are in many places rough traveling and
there Is no use to kick. As one driver
says, if a passenger kicks because the
stage strikes a stone the chances are
that the driver will manage to hit four
stones the next time. There is a lot
to see on any line and it Is best to
take in the scenery and forget the Jolt
ing. But the kicker who one minute
complains of going too slow and the
next of going too fast will work himself
Into a miserable state of mind and none
will offer him any sympathy.
The driver will think a good deal of
contempt for the kicker, but will say
little. He has his time to make and
his passengers to get through There are
places where he roust drive slow to save
the horses, and other steep hills where
he can drive down fast and make sudden
turns around a curve on the edge of the
precipice. These maneuvers make the
hair stand up straight on the heads of
the passenger fresh from the East. But
there is no use getting scared. The
driver knows the road well and enjoys
those sudden curves and, besides, the
chances are the passenger was com
plaining a little while back about gomg
up hill too slow.
All you can do is to say the prayers
you learned when you were a little boy,
think of home, trust in the driver and
In the motto President Roosevelt wan tea
taken oft of, the silver dollars, and then
hang on. Be sure and hang on, for if
you don't you will fall and fall hard.
There are occasionally accidents on the
stage lines, but they are really not as
frequent In proportion as on the rail
roads. There need be little fear of the
stags being held up. During the past
few years some of the stages in North
ern California have been robbed, but a
hold-up In Oregon is rare. Years ago
Wells-Fargo sent armed guards on the
stages when there were valuables being
carried, but those are in days gone by.
Winter travel on some stage lines In
Oregon is abandoned as far as passen
gers are concerned, excepting where
some few are sent through on horseback,
and the mail is carried on pack horses.
The roads become so muddy that they
are Impassable for coaches. A stage
driver dreads the mud worse than snow.
It is hard on the horses and travel is
slow.
A traveler on a stage should always
wear old clothes for he will get dusty In
Summer time and be covered with mud in
the Winter for the chances are he will
have to walk up the mountain grades.
Doesn't Drink to Excess.
The real true stagedriver likes a nip of
whisky now and then and It may not go
amiss to have an extra bottle at hand.
The chances are the driver has one con
cealed in a convenient place near his seat.
There is never any use registering a com
plaint about the stagedriver being drunk.
He may consume a good deal of whisky
but his capacity is great and then lie
needs a little stimulation in order to prop
erly make those thrilling down-hill curves
around the mountain sides. If you ever
expect to win the esteem of a stagedrivet
by taking along some whisky be sure not
to flash a small flask but have enough.
The driver has little use for the small
bottle man. One stager In referring to
two of his passengers said: "Those two
were a cheap lot. They had a bottle of
whisky and think of it, only a pint. 1
have my opinion of the caliber of a nfan
who comes 75 miles on a stage with only
a pint of whisky." Had the two passen
gers carried a two-gallon Jug they would
have commanded the respect of the driver
and been classed as true American citi
zens in the mind of this worthy West
erner. Of course some stagedrlvers do not
drink at all and others will never Indulge
while en route but will take a little bracer
to start out and one when they reach
their destination. One driver who always
had the reputation of sobriety and who
was known as a particularly fine lines
man was Al Decker who drove on the
old Pokegama line into Klamath Falls.
He could handle six horses as well as any
man in the West and was especially care
ful -with his team. He would not drive
on a line unless the outfits would be kept
up in good style. Decke.r 'always carried
a kit of tools so that he could mend any
break "that occurred. Passengers always
liked to ride with him because of his skill
with the horses and his Jolly way.
No Incentive to Excellence.
In these days the reputation of a driver
does not go for so much. The owners
are not so particular. If a man says he
can drive he will generally get a job if
there is an opening and will receive as
much pay as the real old timer who thor
oughly understands his business. This
Is probably due to the fact that the
old drivers are passing away and the op
erators of lines must take who they can
get.
The stage horse is almost as Important
as the driver, and is in a class of its own.
Stage "stock" is generally chosen from
horses of about 1000 pounds in weight.
Heavy draft horses cannot stand the work
but these sturdy little stage horses with
their severe training can do more hard
pulling than would ever be suspected, par
ticularly when the ribbons are in experi
enced hands.
Many kinds of vehicles are dignified
with the name of stage coach. The old
Concord swell side coach was a fine
wagon, and another style was the Copey
top beach wagon. But the rough roads
of Oregon will not stand a spring vehicle
and over the mountains is used a
heavy, strongly built wagon with high
seats fastened with springs. One gets a
good deal of Jolting at times but what
matter, you are staging, and think of
the fun you are having. A good feature
of this kind of travel is that excellent
meals can be procured at the stage sta
tions and when a stop over nighis neces
sary good beds are furnished.
Stage lines at one time were highly
profitable to the owners if properly man
aged. Many of the lines make money to
day but in order to keep up and clear a
profit it is generally necessary to have
the contract for carrying the mail, as well
as passenger and express business. The
mail contract Is let at regular periods and
at times there is strong competition In
the bidding so a stage line may lose that
part of the revenue when it comes time to
renew the contract. This gives an element
of uncertainty to the business, which,
coupled with the Inevitable coming pi a
railroad prevents any more expenslve'out
lay than is necessary bemg made.
Trips That May Be Made Now.
If a traveler wants to take a stage
trip in Oregon there are plenty of in
teresting routes. One line runs out of
Heppner on a branch of the O. R. & N.
Railroad. The trip is up a gradual
grade and Is hilly for 20 miles to Hard
man, where a stop is made for night.
From thore the trip Is resumed past J
Parker's sawmill, through the timber
and up to the top of Monument Hill and
down a long drop Into the valley where
Is located Monument, a pretty little
town. It Is 10 miles on to Hamilton.
10 miles more to Long Creek and S3
miles to Canyon City. There are three
separate lines from Heppner to Canyon
City, but they connect so that the jour
ney can be made continuous. The trav
eler can penetrate still further Into the
interior by taking the line from Can
yon City to Austin.
The trip Into the Klamath country is
now made from the Southern Pacific
at Doris, on the stage 11 miles to Tet
er's Landing, where the boat takes the
passenger to Klamath Falls.
The old route into Klamath, which
was not long ago abandoned, was a
pleasant trip and the line was well
kept up. This extended from Poke
gama to Keno, where it connected with
the boat. Spencer's ranch was one of
the stations, where a stop was made
for dinner. Old man Spencer, with his
bald head and in a blue flannel shirt,
was a character who was always re
membered by those who visited the
place. He would announce in a thun
derous voice when the passengers ar
rived, "Dinner ready. All those who
have silver go eat dinner." And when
the passengers filed out of the dining
room they did not miss Spencer seated
at the door with a palm ready and an
nouncing a deep bass but brief an
nouncement, "Fifty cents."
There is a stage route from Klamath
Falls east over 100 miles to Lakeview,
and from the latter place by changes
one can reach Burns In Harney County.
Eastern Oregon also has its stage
lines and there are various lines ex
tending from points on the Shasta
route of the Southern Pacific to the
coast.
An interesting trip through a wild
country can be taken from Bandon, in
Coos County. By changing from one
line to another the traveler passes
through Langois, Port Orford, Wedder
burn. Gold Beach and Chetco, at the
extreme .southern edge of Curry
County, and can go on down to Cres
cent City, California, and in fact still
further to connect with the railroad
into Eureka. This takes the traveler
over the route where the Southern Pa
cific has surveyed for a future coast
line.
From Crescent City a line runs to
Waldo and Kirby, mining towns of Jo
sephine County, and on up to Grants
Pass to connect with the railroad.
There is a short coast line from Ump
qua to Florence on the Suislaw.
From Roseburg two stage lines reach
Canned Music
i LTHOUGH one of the most popular
r of American composers and band
masters has written and published a de
nunciation of mechanical music, the au
tomatic piano-player continues to gain
ground In public favor. Gifted and versa
tile as the composer of the "Washington
Post March" and the author of "The
Fifth String" may be, he failed to com
prehend the enormous force back of the
movement against which he, with so
much caustic wit, protested. For this is
a scientific and inventive age, and neither
musio nor the fine arts can hope to en
tirely escape from the tendency of the
times.
The piano-player, owing to its having
been brought to a high standard of per
fection, has become a common feature of
a modern drawing-room. As a result of
this success, attempts have been made to
apply In a somewhat similar manner an
automatic attachment to the violin. This
after many years' patient experiment,
has been accomplished, and a remarkable
musical instrument, constituting a marvel
of mechanical Ingenuity, has been
evolved.
This consists of the old-fashioned violin
with the usual strings ;but instead of the
bow and fingers there is a series of re
volving discs for the former, and an elab
orate array of stops. These latter acting
as fingers, depress the string at the de
sired points to give the requisite musical
tone. They are operated by electricity,
the necessary energy being furnished by
a small motor.
All the peculiar effects Incidental to this
time-honored instrument are perfectly
1
the Coos Bay country, one going direct
and the other to Myrtle Point, where
there are rail connections wjth Marsh
field. Shorter lines extend out of
Roseburg to the interior east, as is the
case in many of the Valley cities.
One of the stage trips of Oregon
which affords the most diversified
means of transportation Is what is
known as the Drain route into Coos
Bay. . The stage runs over the moun
tains from Drain on the Southern Pa
cific through Elkton to Scottsburg. a
little mountain town. Here the passen
ger is put aboard the boat Eva and
makes the trip down the Umpqua to
Gardiner, the little white city which
has no other outlet for freight or' pas
sengers but the river or sea boats. The
Lower Umpqua is beautiful and the
scenery has been compared to that of
the Hudson River and declared to be
quite as fine. The river is deep, but
narrow in places where palisades tower
on each side. The passenger stays for
the night at Gardiner and the next
morning, perhaps early, takes the boat
Eva again' and Is transported to the
mouth of the river. People and trunks
are loaded Into small boats and rowed
as near as possible to the shore and
then are carried on men's backs to the
land. There is a ride of 25 miles down
the wet sand of the beach, and when
opposite Coos Bay a walk of two miles
across the sand spit to Jarvls Landing,
where a gasoline boat Is boarded and
the passenger. after a bay trip of eight
or ten miles. Is landed at Marshfield or
North Bend.
This route in particular Illustrates
the passing of the old and the coming
of the new In the way of travel. All
along the lines are evidences of the
grading, bridge-building and other
work which the Southern Pacific has
done preparatory to the construction
of the branch from Drain to Coos Bay,
and the traveler realizes that soon the
beautiful scenery can only be seen from
the car window and Is glad that he
made the stage trip.
The average cost of stage travel in
Oregon is about 10 cents a mile, and
the passenger pays for his meals and
lodging at the stations. Any of the
trips are well worth taking. You can
stand a little Jolting over the moun
tain rocks in order to get acquainted
with the old-time drivers, and however
extensively you may travel over the
world's railways In future years you
will never entirely forget your staging
in Oregon, nor ever entirely obliterate
from your memory your old acquaint
ance, the stage driver whose day has
passed.
MARSHFIELD, OR.
on the Violin
f produced, including those which tax ths
skilled performer to the utmost. Thirds,
fourths, octaves and tenths are produced
as easily as single notes, and every phase
of expression is faithfully rendered. The
most Intricate works of the leading expo
nents of violin playing are given with ease
and unerring energy, while many effects
beyond the possibilities of the virtuoso
are secured. For Instance, four chords
may be placed simultaneously, thus giving
the resemblances of a. quartet.
It is said that a fashionable salon is to
be established In the West End of Lon
don, in which city this curious device has
recently been demonstrated, for the fur
ther exploitation of the automatic violin.
There lovers of the instrument will be
able to enjoy the choice compositions of
Wienawski, Paderewskl and Pagan Inl
played by a master hand whose dramatio
and delicate touch, combined with fidel
ity, cannot be excelled by the most fin
ished human exponent of the violin. If
the dead could speak, it would be inter
estlnglng to know what the greatest of
violinists, Paganlni, thought of a world
in wbich electricity and the mechanical
arts had been applied to his beloved in
strument. Probably, like the American
composer already quoted, he would at
tempt to turn the tide of a too scientiflo
age.
Human Nature.
Links He . Is a strange boy. He
dopsn't care about going swimming.
Winks No; his mother doesn't ob
ject that's why. Illustrated Bits.