Among these experienced drivers, and the most prominent, was the one who brought Horace Greeley through on time, Hank Monk, and who had the reputation of being one of the most expert drivers on the coast; he died recently in Carson City. Hank Monk was what is termed among stage men a lucky driver, seldom meeting with an accident and no passenger ever having been injured who rode with him. If an accident ever did happen to him upon his route, he kept cool, puffed his cigar, and kept his own counsel.
A passenger, who on one occasion occupied an outside seat, relates that in descending the steep grade from the mountain side into Carson Valley, and when within about a half-mile of the foot of the grade, the brake bar gave way. The stage, with its load of passengers, rolled forward upon the wheelers, but Hank took an extra turn of the line around his hands, held his cigar firmly between his clenched teeth, and speaking quietly to his mustang leaders said, “Gerlang! gerlang!” and they certainly did, for never in the history of staging was faster time made down that or any other grade. The passenger sitting beside him became frightened and started to jump, but Monk said, “Set still!” which fortunately for him he did. The passengers inside were frightened at the rate of speed with which the descent was being made, and not knowing the cause of it naturally supposed that some accident had happened to the driver. One of them, therefore, upon thrusting his head out of the window to reconnoitre, met the smiling countenance of Monk, and quieted the fears of his fellow passengers by remarking:
“We are making pretty fast time; but Hank Monk has hold of the lines, and it’s all right anyhow.”
The running wild mustangs were guided safely to the level valley below, and brought to a standstill in front of the hotel for lunch. When asked by some of the passengers why he drove so furiously
down that grade, he replied that he was a little behindhand for lunch, that was all.
There were other stage-drivers also who drove upon this mountain road, although not so well known perhaps as Monk, yet who had high reputations as expert drivers. Among them were Watson and Nelson. There was another one, who, if not so expert as a driver, and possibly did not acquire so great a notoriety in the business as others, at least when alive, created a greater astonishment at death, and this was Charley, the noted stage-driver who had followed the business of stage driving for some years upon various roads throughout the State, and upon whose death, which occurred only recently, it was discovered that the noted stage-driver was a woman.
It could hardly be expected that a well-traveled road like this, over which so much treasure was being transported, and where so many teamsters were returning with their freight money about them, should be free from the inquisitive eye of the road agent, although it was for a while. The temptation, however, in a short time became too great, and the unusual facilities for operating this species of industry rendered the conditions such that it followed from necessity. The business of certain classes of the sporting fraternity among the small towns of the mining regions, had at this time become almost entirely destroyed, and many of them in their desperation had actually gone to work. But with the opening of this new road, with its immense travel and unusual facilities, other opportunities of a little better nature than hard work were brought into existence; and the result was that many availed themselves of them. Teamsters were robbed of their well-earned freight money; travelers on foot, on horseback, and under all conditions, were relieved of their surplus at all points, and at all hours of the day or night.
It was often amusing, as well as very instructive, to stop by chance at some large hotel where a number of travelers and teamsters had put up for the night, and hear their stories of how they were ordered to stop and pungle by these knights of the road.