Page 5 - lw3390

rigors of winter, was, at least, a route Actually, there is not as much merit in
Fine Leather GP11uine Custom Grade unexposed to harassment in event of civil glamorizing the early-day express com-
Quality C;afted "JOE HALL" Hand Finished war. panies . as there is in recognizing the
Leather Lined Boots Goodyear Welt In 1859, Russell, Majors and Waddell, valor of the early-day mail service. The
the firm which founded, owned and mail service of equivalent time was, in
operated the Pony Express, operated a volume, many times that of the express
Men's sizes 6 thru 12 daily stage from the Missouri River to companies, but the Government does not
C, D & E Widths. publicize its adventurous accomplish-
Ladies Sizes Cherry Creek (Denver) to provide trans- ments.
4 thru 10 portation and .private mail service to the
A, B, C & D gold fierJ.ds which were discovered in By the same token, the stage lines of
Widths. 1858. In 1859 they bought the Hockaday California, including the three trunk
Black or contract to Salt Lake City and put in line transcontinental overland mail serv-
Brown. · a daily stage line from the Missouri ices, are a thing of the past and the
River to Salt Lake City. A few months names of all and thQir deeds have been
$15.95 after that, the Post Office Department forgotten, except by a few who are
Pair canceled the Chorpenning contract to students of history. This is -not as it
#3800 , #3805 carry mail from Sacramento to Salt Lake should be, for if history were brought
S ervice Jodhpur Dress /oc/.hpur
City and awarded it to Russell, Majors into true perspective before the public,
Light in wei~ht yet durable and tough. Ideal and Waddell. the stage lines and their adventurous
for "all-round ' wear. Top grain calfskin uppers,
oak bend leaither so~es, shoe heel is rubber They began operation of a semi- operations and the great names connected
capped. Fully lined with so# glove leather. Firm monthly stage from Sacramento to Salt therewith, would be more vividly
ankle support and trim fit. Takes a high gloss cemented into the public mind.
polish. Lake City and a daily stage from Salt Wells Fargo Express Company had an
RIDING BOOTS $29.50 Lake City to the Missouri -River under exemplary history which is now known
Tops and vamps of fine dress the corporate name of the Central Over-
leather. Authentic English styl- land California and Pikes Peak Express to everyone, and without crediting it with
~?de~alf sizes: Slim, Regu,lar, Company in compliance with the mail history which was not its own, it still had
contracts. This became the first trans- enough to make one of the greatest ad-
#4100 Men's Black
#4101 Men 's Brown continental mail and stage line to Cali- venture stories of western history. And
Sizes 6-12, Widths C,D & E fornia over the central or emigrant route. there were others.
#4102 Ladies' Black Mark Twain, the author of the great Adams and Company, banking and ex-
#4103 Ladies Brown western narrative, Roughing It, an press, founded in 1839, moved into
Sizes 4-9, Widths A, B, C & D
American classic, made his trip overland California in 1849 with the gold rush.
Satisfaction Guaranteed-Free Catalog to California on the Russell, Majors and Within two or three years it had ex-
Wad dell stages. - press offices in every gold mining com-
P. 0. Box 17246T Whereas there were a hundred or more munity in California, and the early-day
HALL BOOT Co • El Paso, Texas local stage lines operating internally in woodcuts of the old mining towns show
California, there were only three· trans- a small office with a pennant on top
continental mail stages into California. reading "ADAMS AND COMPANY."
James Birch and His "Jackass Mail" Wells Fargo and Co. was incorporated
into San Diego was the first in 1857. in New York in 1852 for the purpose of
Books ·Found • • • This was followed by the famous But- entering business in California, but the
gold rush was over by then and many of
Out-of-print books at lowest prices! terfield Overland· Mail to San Francisco the miners were leaving the canyons.
in 1858. Then in 1859 Russell, Maj ors
You name · it-we find itl and Waddell put their stage line through Nevertheless, by persistence, expansion
Western Americana and Indian Books a from the Missouri River to Sacramento. and growth they emerged as the great
s0ecialty. Fast service. Send us your wants No local stage line in California nor express company of California.
Its operations were confined to the
-no obligation. the three transcontinental stage lines express business and the banking busi-
International · Bookfinders overland into California could hope to ness connected therewith. It operate(!
pay expenses by the carrying of mail
Box 3003-TW Beverly Hills, Calif. and had to rely on additional income continuously under the New York inc'l:>r-
from passengers and express. The stage poration and was never incorporated in
lines which had no mail contracts were California. Never at any time did it
still further hardpressed. Actually, the operate a stage line in the State, yet
NOW FIND TREASURE! With principal business of the stage lines had many people today are under that im-
the original super-sensitive "(::QIN. to be the production of revenue from pression. With the pending completion of
FINDER" Locators • . Quality tran- the first transcontinental railroad. Wells
sistor models make amazing finds passenger fare and express charges. Fargo Express became concerned with
of coins, battle relics, gold and
silver. Complete and ready to use obtaining a contract for express rights.
as illustrated with 6 inch search THE EXPRESS companies, hundreds As a preliminary move, Wells Fargo
head for single coins. Larger heads of which were in existence in Cali- combined with other express companies
and loudspeaker models available.
Write for FREE catalog. fornia from 1849 to 1869, served addi- and the Holladay Overland Mail Com-
ART HOWE & COMPANY tional functions somewhat similar to pany, which was operating the stage line
811-T Kansas Ave., Atchison, Kansas those of today's travel agency. between the converging ends of the
Since they had local offices and agents, rapidly building railroad.
they handled express packages on and The merger was effected on November
NAVAJO INDIAN RUGS off the stage lines and acted as agents 1, 1866, under the vehicle of Ben Holla-
. At Wholesale Prices
_ _ Mex~c_an serape drapes in many colors- Velvet tapes- for the stage lines by selling tickets, day's Colorado charter which was granted
--..... - tnes in brilliant animal and hunting scenes- boarding passengers, handling baggage, to him by the Colorado Territorial Legis-
Money belts with two secret pockets- Mexican etc. A local express agent often would lature. With this merger Wells Fargo
Chaleco J ackets-Tanned Sheep-skins, snow-white and become a celebrity in his community be- ceased to'be a New York corporation, and
velvet soft- Seal-skins, lovely to look at and to
touch-Sombrero hats that are 22" in diameter and cause of the personal relationships and the board of directors of the Holl-aday
symbolic of the Mexican Hat dance--Sheep-skin services rendered to the townspeople. Overland Mail Company changed the
coats in every size. Warmest coat made.
THE FREED COMPANY On the other hand, the stage driver was name to "Wells Fargo and Company,"
Box 394, Dept. TW, Albuquerque, New Mexico a solitary individual who oftentimes which corporation is still in existence,
changed from one stage route to another. and has been in existence without inter-
The foregoing makes it easy to under- ruption as a Colorado corporation to this
FUNERAL FUNDS UP TO $2000 stand why express agents and the deeds day.
IF YOU ARE NOT OVER AGE 80. Supplement Social performed for ·their employers were This newly merged company inherited
Security to help survivors meet your after-death bills, debts or
family .needs. Legal reserve life insurance pays in all states and blown up into romantic episodes which, the mail' contract held by Ben Holladay
countries for death from any cause, except during the first now that the services are a thing of the and, beginning November 1, 1866, oper-
policr _year for either suicide or death from undisclosed pre- past, have been exaggerated in impor- ated stage lines in the Middle West be-
existing health conditions. Compare lifetime protection and
guaranteed rates. No medi~al examination. Easy to apply by tance by uninformed writers. Also, the tween the converging ends of the trans-
mail direct to the Home Office. Introductory offer and applica- personal services of the express company Continental railroad.
tion mailed to you without obligation. Tear out this reminder
and mail with your name, address, zip code and year of birth employees have been used as a means of Wells Fargo's directors soon realized
to Great Lakes Insurance Company, Elgin, Illinois 60120. plagiarizing the history of the stage their mistake and recognized that stag-
Dept. G5 IX73 lines by crediting the operation of the ing was at sunset. On May 16, 1868, the
stage lines to the express companies. board directed the president to sell all
52 True West