THE LAST STAGECOACH DRIVER FOR YOSEMITE
Artie drove stage from El Portal to Wawona during each season for Coffman and Kenny Company from 1905 to 1908. Acquiring the job at the age of 16 years old, he managed a four horse team over this route which carried as many as 12 persons excluding himself on the wagon's four seats.
With no chance of being a sleepy head, he had to depart very early in the morning to be able to reach the first stage stop at Curry Camp and still climb the route to Inspiration Point, the next stage stop, before reaching Wawona around noon. "Many of the people who came from El Portal to ride the stage to Yosemite were people on excursions who had never been to the Mariposa Big Trees. There were some important people too who rode my stage," Artie smiled in pleasure. "The Giradelli family from Hornitos, who became famous in the chocolate industry, and the Washburns, owners of the Wawona Hotel, were among the some of the people who rode on his stage," Artie said. In Hornitos in those days there was one big general store that was run by the Gallardos. It had everything in it from a sewing needle to horse collars. You could look for hours and never see everything in there. They also carried a brand of syrup that they called "Mariposa Lily Syrup" We used it for sweetener and to put on our pancakes in those days.
The only time he ever had any trouble with anyone was the time he took a group of Native Sons of the Golden West on a trip from El Portal to Wawona. He had to go very slow because it was a hot summer day. If he drove the horses too hard, when he gave them any water they would get colic and die. Well, this one young man decide that I was not going fast enough for him, so he said "I'm going to take those reins from that driver and make this stage go faster." Well Artie, used to carry a hatchet in his boot to make repairs on the wagon and for self defense. So he reached down and took the hatchet out of his boot and he told him that if he didn't sit down and behave himself, he was gonna split his dome open for him. He sat down and didn't say one word for the rest of the trip. That was the first and last time I ever had to threaten anybody in my whole life.
The Yosemite Stage route was relatively free from "hold ups" and Artie had never experienced a serious accident while he drove his stage event though the rout followed beside the rushing escape of water in the Merced River.
One of the hazards of driving a stage was the presence of brown and black bear as they often spooked the horses. With switch-backs along narrow paths barely wide enough to accommodate wagon wheels, and unexpected happening could hurl wagon, horses and passengers over a cliff. "on one run from Inspiration Point down to Wawona, we came down a very steep hill and had to cross a place called Artist Creek, which was in the bend of a curve. The momentum of the hill caused my wagon to climb up the back of my horses. I yelled, "Everyone get out and get out quick." Well I turned around and saw the two men and women along side the wagon, but they left the little four year old boy inside. I was so darn mad that I asked them, "What kind of cattle are you to leave your young one in the stage coach while you jump out. Not even a cow would leave her young one in that kind of situation." One of the men got up into the wagon and got the kid out. Then the other man threw a rock under the wheels, so I could get my horses up off the ground. That's as close as I ever came to endangering lives," Artie remembered.
As he pondered he recalled several other stage drivers who were less fortunat and some who were fortunate even after being held up. "For example," Artie said "the Raymond stage ran from Raymond all the was to Fishcamp, which is now Highway 41. One day a man in a duster stepped out of the bushes and told the driver he was going to rob the stage. He asked its there were any working men on the stage. Two men answered that they were blacksmiths and the robber said, "Well, I won't rob you, because I'm a working man myself."
In his many years as a stage driver Artie was never robbed, but he recalls the Raymond run and Chowchilla Mountain run were robbed many times.
Driving a stage was serious business and Artie handled his team with the precision of a master while constantly safeguarding passengers from the many dangers surrounding them. His monthly wage was $40.00 plus board and room. Of course, "board" meant the remains of the bean pot on occasion while "room" was a straw bed in the barn with the stage horses, but it was a living and a good one for such a young man.
It's true that stage played an important role in the drama of life, but if history does repeat itself. maybe it would be safer if it could regress only to the point in time when gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and we could manage to harness the old Model T again.
"There were several bad accidents that happened to other drivers that I (Artie) can recall. There were two people killed at Carter's Creek, there was a group of Gordon brothers who all drove stage. Their names were Keith Gordon and his brother Jim Gordon and Henry Gordon. This one particular Gordon boy was the generation before Keith and Jim. Henry Gordon was only 15 years old and one day they decided to let him take a stage coach with one person on it. Well, they were coming down from Inspiration Point when his brakes gave out just as they were crossing the creek. One of the leader horses hit a rock as large as this table that was partly covered by water, and was killed. This caused the passenger in the wagon to fly over the stage and he hit his head on a rock and he was killed instantly. The accident broke the young Gordon's arm and tore off part of his foot. Someone came along a few days later and found them.
Once when we came by Nevada Falls there was a man and woman hiking. They had stopped by the bridge at Nevada Falls to eat their lunch. The woman got up to get some water out of the creek, when she dropped her canteen into the water. Well, the Nevada River is a very swift river with a large current. She pulled up her skirt to wade out and get the canteen and the under current carried her down stream so quickly that her brother could not help her. They found her about two weeks later down the stream about two miles.
Back in the early 1900's Hornitos was a very rugged town. One of the many stories that I remember is the time there were quite a few Spanish people around there. There were these two Spanish girls who had been arguing for a few days, and they couldn't settle their differences. So, the people finally just gave them each a Bowie knife and told them to hold on each to an end of a handkerchief and have at each other. Well, these two girls cut each other into ribbons. There were always things like this going on. Another time there was a Chinaman and a young boy arguing. So, the town's people put the Chinaman in jail, and that night some of the boy's friends came to the jail and offered the Chinaman some tobacco. When he put his arm out the window to get it, they tied a rope onto it and pulled his body partially through the bars, and then they tore his body in half.
They say to this day that the blood stains are still seen on the wall and floor of the jail. Hornitos was a very rough town to live in, or should I say survive in.
Artie drove stage from El Portal to Wawona during each season for Coffman and Kenny Company from 1905 to 1908. Acquiring the job at the age of 16 years old, he managed a four horse team over this route which carried as many as 12 persons excluding himself on the wagon's four seats.
With no chance of being a sleepy head, he had to depart very early in the morning to be able to reach the first stage stop at Curry Camp and still climb the route to Inspiration Point, the next stage stop, before reaching Wawona around noon. "Many of the people who came from El Portal to ride the stage to Yosemite were people on excursions who had never been to the Mariposa Big Trees. There were some important people too who rode my stage," Artie smiled in pleasure. "The Giradelli family from Hornitos, who became famous in the chocolate industry, and the Washburns, owners of the Wawona Hotel, were among the some of the people who rode on his stage," Artie said. In Hornitos in those days there was one big general store that was run by the Gallardos. It had everything in it from a sewing needle to horse collars. You could look for hours and never see everything in there. They also carried a brand of syrup that they called "Mariposa Lily Syrup" We used it for sweetener and to put on our pancakes in those days.
The only time he ever had any trouble with anyone was the time he took a group of Native Sons of the Golden West on a trip from El Portal to Wawona. He had to go very slow because it was a hot summer day. If he drove the horses too hard, when he gave them any water they would get colic and die. Well, this one young man decide that I was not going fast enough for him, so he said "I'm going to take those reins from that driver and make this stage go faster." Well Artie, used to carry a hatchet in his boot to make repairs on the wagon and for self defense. So he reached down and took the hatchet out of his boot and he told him that if he didn't sit down and behave himself, he was gonna split his dome open for him. He sat down and didn't say one word for the rest of the trip. That was the first and last time I ever had to threaten anybody in my whole life.
The Yosemite Stage route was relatively free from "hold ups" and Artie had never experienced a serious accident while he drove his stage event though the rout followed beside the rushing escape of water in the Merced River.
One of the hazards of driving a stage was the presence of brown and black bear as they often spooked the horses. With switch-backs along narrow paths barely wide enough to accommodate wagon wheels, and unexpected happening could hurl wagon, horses and passengers over a cliff. "on one run from Inspiration Point down to Wawona, we came down a very steep hill and had to cross a place called Artist Creek, which was in the bend of a curve. The momentum of the hill caused my wagon to climb up the back of my horses. I yelled, "Everyone get out and get out quick." Well I turned around and saw the two men and women along side the wagon, but they left the little four year old boy inside. I was so darn mad that I asked them, "What kind of cattle are you to leave your young one in the stage coach while you jump out. Not even a cow would leave her young one in that kind of situation." One of the men got up into the wagon and got the kid out. Then the other man threw a rock under the wheels, so I could get my horses up off the ground. That's as close as I ever came to endangering lives," Artie remembered.
As he pondered he recalled several other stage drivers who were less fortunat and some who were fortunate even after being held up. "For example," Artie said "the Raymond stage ran from Raymond all the was to Fishcamp, which is now Highway 41. One day a man in a duster stepped out of the bushes and told the driver he was going to rob the stage. He asked its there were any working men on the stage. Two men answered that they were blacksmiths and the robber said, "Well, I won't rob you, because I'm a working man myself."
In his many years as a stage driver Artie was never robbed, but he recalls the Raymond run and Chowchilla Mountain run were robbed many times.
Driving a stage was serious business and Artie handled his team with the precision of a master while constantly safeguarding passengers from the many dangers surrounding them. His monthly wage was $40.00 plus board and room. Of course, "board" meant the remains of the bean pot on occasion while "room" was a straw bed in the barn with the stage horses, but it was a living and a good one for such a young man.
It's true that stage played an important role in the drama of life, but if history does repeat itself. maybe it would be safer if it could regress only to the point in time when gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and we could manage to harness the old Model T again.
"There were several bad accidents that happened to other drivers that I (Artie) can recall. There were two people killed at Carter's Creek, there was a group of Gordon brothers who all drove stage. Their names were Keith Gordon and his brother Jim Gordon and Henry Gordon. This one particular Gordon boy was the generation before Keith and Jim. Henry Gordon was only 15 years old and one day they decided to let him take a stage coach with one person on it. Well, they were coming down from Inspiration Point when his brakes gave out just as they were crossing the creek. One of the leader horses hit a rock as large as this table that was partly covered by water, and was killed. This caused the passenger in the wagon to fly over the stage and he hit his head on a rock and he was killed instantly. The accident broke the young Gordon's arm and tore off part of his foot. Someone came along a few days later and found them.
Once when we came by Nevada Falls there was a man and woman hiking. They had stopped by the bridge at Nevada Falls to eat their lunch. The woman got up to get some water out of the creek, when she dropped her canteen into the water. Well, the Nevada River is a very swift river with a large current. She pulled up her skirt to wade out and get the canteen and the under current carried her down stream so quickly that her brother could not help her. They found her about two weeks later down the stream about two miles.
Back in the early 1900's Hornitos was a very rugged town. One of the many stories that I remember is the time there were quite a few Spanish people around there. There were these two Spanish girls who had been arguing for a few days, and they couldn't settle their differences. So, the people finally just gave them each a Bowie knife and told them to hold on each to an end of a handkerchief and have at each other. Well, these two girls cut each other into ribbons. There were always things like this going on. Another time there was a Chinaman and a young boy arguing. So, the town's people put the Chinaman in jail, and that night some of the boy's friends came to the jail and offered the Chinaman some tobacco. When he put his arm out the window to get it, they tied a rope onto it and pulled his body partially through the bars, and then they tore his body in half.
They say to this day that the blood stains are still seen on the wall and floor of the jail. Hornitos was a very rough town to live in, or should I say survive in.
THE LAST STAGECOACH DRIVER FOR YOSEMITE
Artie drove stage from El Portal to Wawona during each season for Coffman and Kenny Company from 1905 to 1908. Acquiring the job at the age of 16 years old, he managed a four horse team over this route which carried as many as 12 persons excluding himself on the wagon's four seats.
With no chance of being a sleepy head, he had to depart very early in the morning to be able to reach the first stage stop at Curry Camp and still climb the route to Inspiration Point, the next stage stop, before reaching Wawona around noon. "Many of the people who came from El Portal to ride the stage to Yosemite were people on excursions who had never been to the Mariposa Big Trees. There were some important people too who rode my stage," Artie smiled in pleasure. "The Giradelli family from Hornitos, who became famous in the chocolate industry, and the Washburns, owners of the Wawona Hotel, were among the some of the people who rode on his stage," Artie said. In Hornitos in those days there was one big general store that was run by the Gallardos. It had everything in it from a sewing needle to horse collars. You could look for hours and never see everything in there. They also carried a brand of syrup that they called "Mariposa Lily Syrup" We used it for sweetener and to put on our pancakes in those days.
The only time he ever had any trouble with anyone was the time he took a group of Native Sons of the Golden West on a trip from El Portal to Wawona. He had to go very slow because it was a hot summer day. If he drove the horses too hard, when he gave them any water they would get colic and die. Well, this one young man decide that I was not going fast enough for him, so he said "I'm going to take those reins from that driver and make this stage go faster." Well Artie, used to carry a hatchet in his boot to make repairs on the wagon and for self defense. So he reached down and took the hatchet out of his boot and he told him that if he didn't sit down and behave himself, he was gonna split his dome open for him. He sat down and didn't say one word for the rest of the trip. That was the first and last time I ever had to threaten anybody in my whole life.
The Yosemite Stage route was relatively free from "hold ups" and Artie had never experienced a serious accident while he drove his stage event though the rout followed beside the rushing escape of water in the Merced River.
One of the hazards of driving a stage was the presence of brown and black bear as they often spooked the horses. With switch-backs along narrow paths barely wide enough to accommodate wagon wheels, and unexpected happening could hurl wagon, horses and passengers over a cliff. "on one run from Inspiration Point down to Wawona, we came down a very steep hill and had to cross a place called Artist Creek, which was in the bend of a curve. The momentum of the hill caused my wagon to climb up the back of my horses. I yelled, "Everyone get out and get out quick." Well I turned around and saw the two men and women along side the wagon, but they left the little four year old boy inside. I was so darn mad that I asked them, "What kind of cattle are you to leave your young one in the stage coach while you jump out. Not even a cow would leave her young one in that kind of situation." One of the men got up into the wagon and got the kid out. Then the other man threw a rock under the wheels, so I could get my horses up off the ground. That's as close as I ever came to endangering lives," Artie remembered.
As he pondered he recalled several other stage drivers who were less fortunat and some who were fortunate even after being held up. "For example," Artie said "the Raymond stage ran from Raymond all the was to Fishcamp, which is now Highway 41. One day a man in a duster stepped out of the bushes and told the driver he was going to rob the stage. He asked its there were any working men on the stage. Two men answered that they were blacksmiths and the robber said, "Well, I won't rob you, because I'm a working man myself."
In his many years as a stage driver Artie was never robbed, but he recalls the Raymond run and Chowchilla Mountain run were robbed many times.
Driving a stage was serious business and Artie handled his team with the precision of a master while constantly safeguarding passengers from the many dangers surrounding them. His monthly wage was $40.00 plus board and room. Of course, "board" meant the remains of the bean pot on occasion while "room" was a straw bed in the barn with the stage horses, but it was a living and a good one for such a young man.
It's true that stage played an important role in the drama of life, but if history does repeat itself. maybe it would be safer if it could regress only to the point in time when gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and we could manage to harness the old Model T again.
"There were several bad accidents that happened to other drivers that I (Artie) can recall. There were two people killed at Carter's Creek, there was a group of Gordon brothers who all drove stage. Their names were Keith Gordon and his brother Jim Gordon and Henry Gordon. This one particular Gordon boy was the generation before Keith and Jim. Henry Gordon was only 15 years old and one day they decided to let him take a stage coach with one person on it. Well, they were coming down from Inspiration Point when his brakes gave out just as they were crossing the creek. One of the leader horses hit a rock as large as this table that was partly covered by water, and was killed. This caused the passenger in the wagon to fly over the stage and he hit his head on a rock and he was killed instantly. The accident broke the young Gordon's arm and tore off part of his foot. Someone came along a few days later and found them.
Once when we came by Nevada Falls there was a man and woman hiking. They had stopped by the bridge at Nevada Falls to eat their lunch. The woman got up to get some water out of the creek, when she dropped her canteen into the water. Well, the Nevada River is a very swift river with a large current. She pulled up her skirt to wade out and get the canteen and the under current carried her down stream so quickly that her brother could not help her. They found her about two weeks later down the stream about two miles.
Back in the early 1900's Hornitos was a very rugged town. One of the many stories that I remember is the time there were quite a few Spanish people around there. There were these two Spanish girls who had been arguing for a few days, and they couldn't settle their differences. So, the people finally just gave them each a Bowie knife and told them to hold on each to an end of a handkerchief and have at each other. Well, these two girls cut each other into ribbons. There were always things like this going on. Another time there was a Chinaman and a young boy arguing. So, the town's people put the Chinaman in jail, and that night some of the boy's friends came to the jail and offered the Chinaman some tobacco. When he put his arm out the window to get it, they tied a rope onto it and pulled his body partially through the bars, and then they tore his body in half.
They say to this day that the blood stains are still seen on the wall and floor of the jail. Hornitos was a very rough town to live in, or should I say survive in.
Artie drove stage from El Portal to Wawona during each season for Coffman and Kenny Company from 1905 to 1908. Acquiring the job at the age of 16 years old, he managed a four horse team over this route which carried as many as 12 persons excluding himself on the wagon's four seats.
With no chance of being a sleepy head, he had to depart very early in the morning to be able to reach the first stage stop at Curry Camp and still climb the route to Inspiration Point, the next stage stop, before reaching Wawona around noon. "Many of the people who came from El Portal to ride the stage to Yosemite were people on excursions who had never been to the Mariposa Big Trees. There were some important people too who rode my stage," Artie smiled in pleasure. "The Giradelli family from Hornitos, who became famous in the chocolate industry, and the Washburns, owners of the Wawona Hotel, were among the some of the people who rode on his stage," Artie said. In Hornitos in those days there was one big general store that was run by the Gallardos. It had everything in it from a sewing needle to horse collars. You could look for hours and never see everything in there. They also carried a brand of syrup that they called "Mariposa Lily Syrup" We used it for sweetener and to put on our pancakes in those days.
The only time he ever had any trouble with anyone was the time he took a group of Native Sons of the Golden West on a trip from El Portal to Wawona. He had to go very slow because it was a hot summer day. If he drove the horses too hard, when he gave them any water they would get colic and die. Well, this one young man decide that I was not going fast enough for him, so he said "I'm going to take those reins from that driver and make this stage go faster." Well Artie, used to carry a hatchet in his boot to make repairs on the wagon and for self defense. So he reached down and took the hatchet out of his boot and he told him that if he didn't sit down and behave himself, he was gonna split his dome open for him. He sat down and didn't say one word for the rest of the trip. That was the first and last time I ever had to threaten anybody in my whole life.
The Yosemite Stage route was relatively free from "hold ups" and Artie had never experienced a serious accident while he drove his stage event though the rout followed beside the rushing escape of water in the Merced River.
One of the hazards of driving a stage was the presence of brown and black bear as they often spooked the horses. With switch-backs along narrow paths barely wide enough to accommodate wagon wheels, and unexpected happening could hurl wagon, horses and passengers over a cliff. "on one run from Inspiration Point down to Wawona, we came down a very steep hill and had to cross a place called Artist Creek, which was in the bend of a curve. The momentum of the hill caused my wagon to climb up the back of my horses. I yelled, "Everyone get out and get out quick." Well I turned around and saw the two men and women along side the wagon, but they left the little four year old boy inside. I was so darn mad that I asked them, "What kind of cattle are you to leave your young one in the stage coach while you jump out. Not even a cow would leave her young one in that kind of situation." One of the men got up into the wagon and got the kid out. Then the other man threw a rock under the wheels, so I could get my horses up off the ground. That's as close as I ever came to endangering lives," Artie remembered.
As he pondered he recalled several other stage drivers who were less fortunat and some who were fortunate even after being held up. "For example," Artie said "the Raymond stage ran from Raymond all the was to Fishcamp, which is now Highway 41. One day a man in a duster stepped out of the bushes and told the driver he was going to rob the stage. He asked its there were any working men on the stage. Two men answered that they were blacksmiths and the robber said, "Well, I won't rob you, because I'm a working man myself."
In his many years as a stage driver Artie was never robbed, but he recalls the Raymond run and Chowchilla Mountain run were robbed many times.
Driving a stage was serious business and Artie handled his team with the precision of a master while constantly safeguarding passengers from the many dangers surrounding them. His monthly wage was $40.00 plus board and room. Of course, "board" meant the remains of the bean pot on occasion while "room" was a straw bed in the barn with the stage horses, but it was a living and a good one for such a young man.
It's true that stage played an important role in the drama of life, but if history does repeat itself. maybe it would be safer if it could regress only to the point in time when gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and we could manage to harness the old Model T again.
"There were several bad accidents that happened to other drivers that I (Artie) can recall. There were two people killed at Carter's Creek, there was a group of Gordon brothers who all drove stage. Their names were Keith Gordon and his brother Jim Gordon and Henry Gordon. This one particular Gordon boy was the generation before Keith and Jim. Henry Gordon was only 15 years old and one day they decided to let him take a stage coach with one person on it. Well, they were coming down from Inspiration Point when his brakes gave out just as they were crossing the creek. One of the leader horses hit a rock as large as this table that was partly covered by water, and was killed. This caused the passenger in the wagon to fly over the stage and he hit his head on a rock and he was killed instantly. The accident broke the young Gordon's arm and tore off part of his foot. Someone came along a few days later and found them.
Once when we came by Nevada Falls there was a man and woman hiking. They had stopped by the bridge at Nevada Falls to eat their lunch. The woman got up to get some water out of the creek, when she dropped her canteen into the water. Well, the Nevada River is a very swift river with a large current. She pulled up her skirt to wade out and get the canteen and the under current carried her down stream so quickly that her brother could not help her. They found her about two weeks later down the stream about two miles.
Back in the early 1900's Hornitos was a very rugged town. One of the many stories that I remember is the time there were quite a few Spanish people around there. There were these two Spanish girls who had been arguing for a few days, and they couldn't settle their differences. So, the people finally just gave them each a Bowie knife and told them to hold on each to an end of a handkerchief and have at each other. Well, these two girls cut each other into ribbons. There were always things like this going on. Another time there was a Chinaman and a young boy arguing. So, the town's people put the Chinaman in jail, and that night some of the boy's friends came to the jail and offered the Chinaman some tobacco. When he put his arm out the window to get it, they tied a rope onto it and pulled his body partially through the bars, and then they tore his body in half.
They say to this day that the blood stains are still seen on the wall and floor of the jail. Hornitos was a very rough town to live in, or should I say survive in.
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