herding cattle, a number of loose head being frequently picked up from stampedes. He was frequently spoken of, even in 1863, as one of the cattle kings of the great Platte valley. He had gone into that country early and, secured control of an immense range for stock, and made a large sum of money during his pioneering there a third of a century or more ago. Not only was he a first-class trader, but he likewise enjoyed the reputation of being one of the shrewdest and best poker players on the overland route. It was often said of him by those well-acquainted that he made a good deal of money that way. Professional sharpers, well versed in most of the tricks of the gamblers, would frequently sit down to a "quiet game," in the hope and determination of fleecing the frontiersman, but at the finish Jack would almost invariably rake in the "pot." He had his faults; still he was a warm-hearted, genial fellow, and was known by reputation from the great Missouri to the great ocean. A few miles west of Cottonwood Springs I had my first view of a couple of Indian graves, and they were to me a sight that will never be forgotten. It was the Sioux and Cheyenne country, not far from the junction of the north and south forks of the Platte. The graves were on the south side of the road, perhaps sixty rods distant, but they were to me an attraction--a sort of landmark--as long as I was employed on the overland stage line. It was often said to have been an old-time custom of some of the Indians to bury their dead some feet above ground on poles set perpendicularly and held in place by bracing. Preparatory to going through with the last sad rites the dead body would be wrapped and sewed up in a blanket with a tomahawk, scalping knife, and bow and arrows, in addition to the traditional "pipe of peace"; then all would be securely wrapped in a buffalo robe and tightly sewed up. The mourners and their friends, on the occasion of the funeral, would all congregate, and, at the appointed hour, gather around the sacred spot. The strange exercise would then begin, and with all the solemn dirges and hideous noises peculiar to the "noble red men," produced by their mournful chantings and outlandish sounding instruments, the body, with its accompanying paraphernalia, would be elevated to the receptacle prepared for it, and finally be left to take, in the course of time, its flight to "the happy hunting-ground." We frequently saw Indians while making the journey up the |
Platte. The lodges of the Pawnees and Sioux in fact, nearly all tribes whose home was on the Western plains and prairies were built of light poles set upright in circular form, around which were stretched buffalo robes which had previously been sewed together. Some of the lodges were unique and quite handsome. A permanent lodge built in good, substantial shape, would measure from thirty to sixty feet in diameter, and had a conical roof. The lodges were covered with sod, making them delightfully cool in summer and warm and comfortable in winter; these were principally those of the Pawnees. It was fifteen miles from Cottonwood Springs to Cold Springs, the next station west; and fourteen miles farther was Fremont Springs, another "home" station. Elkhorn was the next stopping place, eleven miles farther. It was only a short distance from O'Fallon's Bluffs, a locality known by every one on the plains before the building of the Union Pacific road. This point was despised by the drivers. There was a piece of road that the stages used to travel occasionally, when there were few passengers and but a light run of mail or express matter. During all my overland experience between the Missouri river and the Rockies, I only twice passed over that particular section of the road. For a few rods down through the sand-hills the road was at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and although the driver applied the brakes so tightly that they held the wheels, the team fairly flew down the steep and rugged, winding stretch. This rough piece of road saved quite a distance in travel, but during the latter years of overland journeying it was seldom used, every one taking the new road which had been laid out around the south side of the "bluff"; and, although long and circuitous, it was really the only safe one to travel during the Indian troubles. The section embracing O'Fallon's Bluffs was undoubtedly the best place between the Missouri river and the Rocky Mountains for skulking Indians to hide and attack private parties or wagon trains. Like Gibraltar, it was a natural fortification--a place that appeared impregnable. The soil was sandy and seemed to be cemented. The place looked as if it were easy work for a handful of Indians, or a few desperadoes, to hold at bay a company or a regiment of soldiers, or capture a stage-coach or wagon-train. Just as we reached the Platte bottom, after going down through the "bluff" on the first trip, a party of about a dozen |
redskins, including a few squaws and papooses, attracted our attention. Several of them were on ponies and at first view we could not make out their purpose; but all were friendly, we soon found, and so we were not scalped or molested. We exchanged greetings by uttering the usual "How," and were similarly answered by them as we passed, they going east and we west. While watching the dusky sons of the frontier, we were often reminded of the old and familiar stanza:
It was fourteen miles from Elkhorn to
Alkali Lake, another "home" station, with a telegraph office
attached--a dreary, desolate location--but quite a prominent
point in connection with traffic during the days of overland
staging and freighting. |
place with a load. But most of the stage drivers enjoyed it. Parties in charge of ox and mule trains, however, always went around the "dive" quite a distance to the south, because they could do that quicker than they could stop and hitch on double the number of teams, and thus, after the necessary delays, finally pull through to the opposite side. Old Julesburg was a place that became historic. It was christened in 1859 for a man named Jules Beni, a Frenchman, who was a Pioneer on the plains, having gone out on the frontier and cast his lot in that section in the later '50's. He made his home in the upper Platte valley, trading among the Indians. When Jones, Russell & Co. abandoned the stage route between Leavenworth and Denver known as the "Leavenworth & Pike's Peak Express," which they laid out some distance south of the Platte early in the spring of 1859, they were forced to change it north in a few weeks, following the old military road on the south bank of this stream west from Fort Kearney to Denver. In establishing the various stations along the new route, one was built at the upper crossing, on the South Platte, opposite the mouth of Lodge Pole creek, about 450 miles west of Atchison. In its palmiest days, during overland staging and freighting, old Julesburg had, all told, not to exceed a dozen buildings, including station, telegraph office, store, blacksmith shop, warehouse, stable, and a billiard saloon. At the latter place there was dispensed at all hours of the day and night the vilest of liquor at "two bits" a glass. Being a "home" station and the end of a division, also a junction on the stage line, and having a telegraph office in the southeast corner of the station, naturally made it, in the early '60's, one of the most important points on the great overland route. It was also the east end of the Denver division, about 200 miles in length. Jules kept the stage station and was agent for the Leavenworth & Pike's Peak Express Company for some months during that and the following year. He was quite a noted and conspicuous frontiersman in early staging days between the Missouri river and Denver and Salt Lake. On the plains he simply went by the name of "Old Jules." Where he kept this station the crossing of the South Platte was widely known as "Julesburg." The place was also known by many freighters on the plains as "Upper California Crossing." Here there were frequent troubles, |
 A BAND OF "NOBLE REDS" ON A JOURNEY, Page 212. |
which first began in the spring of 1859. Being a sort of rendezvous for gamblers, for some time it was regarded as the toughest town between the Missouri river and the mountains. After Holladay came into possession of the great stage line, knowing the bad name that had for some time been attached to Julesburg, he subsequently gave the place the somewhat high-sounding name of Overland City. Across the Platte, a few miles from the old stage station and the Company's depot of supplies, a new town was laid out in the later '60's and christened the same name--Julesburg--when the Union Pacific railroad reached there. It was a "red-hot" frontier town, made up largely of tents and rough board shanties. In its palmy days it boasted several thousand inhabitants, large numbers of saloons, gambling-houses, and dance-halls. The town was short-lived. Lots at one time sold as high as $1000 apiece. Hardly a house besides the depot now remains. It is practically a deserted city. A portion of the site is grown over with sagebrush, and prairie-dogs occupy some of the streets of early days. In the lot used for a cemetery it is alleged be the bodies of no less than "a hundred victims of midnight rows, violence, and vigilantes." In six months nothing of the new railroad "city" of Julesburg remained except the graveyard. The Central Overland California Mail Company, whose stages forded the South Platte at old Julesburg, had the name of "Overland City" printed on the time-cards. It evidently looked as if they wanted to obliterate Julesburg from their list of stage stations. Still this name--Overland City--was seldom mentioned except by a few stage officials. In spite of everything that was done, the old name, Julesburg, clung to the locality, and so, in some sense, immortalized the old frontier Frenchman. For two years or more following the campaign of Colonel Sumner against the Sioux and Cheyennes, in 1857, peace had reigned 'long the Platte, and a number of ranches had been from time to time opened, in the valley, and a lively trade almost from the first grew tip with the overland emigrants destined for Salt Lake, Oregon, California, and the vast territory embraced in the Pacific slope region. While the business of opening up ranches along the Platte at that time appeared somewhat hazardous, and was attended with many risks, still there were a number of experienced, level-headed |
business men who were willing to take desperate chances, and risk, if need be, all they possessed, for the opportunity of engaging in a trade that promised, in a few years, to pile up for them snug fortunes. Jules was one of these men. When the express line was moved up north to the Platte, Beverly D. Williams, of Denver--formerly of Kentucky, now of Arkansas--was given the general management of the Jones & Russell Stage Company's business, Jules was placed in charge of the station bearing his name that had been built on the South side of the Platte opposite the mouth of Lodge Pole creek. Socially Williams was one of the best fellows in the world, but as manager of a great stage company's property on the frontier he was not a success. He knew very little about the plains, it was said, and much less of the people residing there. He seemed to look upon every one whom he employed as honest, capable, and efficient, when in reality some of them were at heart scoundrels and thieves, who systematically stole the company's property. Because a man knew the plains over which the stages ran, Williams would venture to hire him as a station keeper. Thus it was that he had in his employ a number of unprincipled rascals, who really ought to have been boarding at the penitentiary instead of living at the expense of the stage officials. Having been nearly bankrupted by what they believed bad management, the company decided to make a change, and Ben. Ficklin was employed as superintendent. He was a good man for the place, and one who thoroughly understood everything in connection with staging. There was no part of the overland route between the Missouri river and the Golden Gate with which Ficklin was not familiar. He was a man with force of character; likewise he had the "sand" and courage to carry out his plans. From the date of the change in management there was no longer peace and harmony. One of the first important moves made by Ficklin on taking charge was the placing of Jack Slade on the road as a division superintendent, having charge of the Sweetwater division, extending from Julesburg to Rocky Ridge, on Lodge Pole creek. Naturally there were some "delinquents" on the line, and Slade exercised his prerogative and made them come to time. He was an untiring worker, at first putting in the most of his time night and day for the interest of the company by which he was employed, as |
well as doing everything he could for the comfort of the passengers. Special attention was given by Slade to the stage stations; particularly was this so with the one at Julesburg. The discoveries made by Ficklin showed, Jules to be a thief and a scoundrel of the worst kind. Jules was at once made to settle with the stage company. He made a vigorous protest, but had to liquidate, knowing there was no escape. But he was determined on revenge, and accordingly lay in ambush one day and gave Slade the contents of a double-barreled shot-gun, which the latter carried off in his person and clothes. The next stage that passed over the road had Ficklin aboard and his first duty was to hang Jules, after which he drove on. Jules, however, was not ready to die just yet. Before he had quite ceased to breathe some one came along and cut the rope, and Jules revived and fled from that part of the country, remaining for a time in obscurity. But there was revenge in Jules's heart. He was bound to get even, and he never could get rest until he had obtained what he conceived to be his due. Going up on the Rocky Ridge road with a party of his sympathizers, it was not long thereafter until all sorts of depredations were committed on the stage company's property. How to stop these depredations was a matter of serious consideration. In the meantime Slade had recovered from the wounds inflicted by Jules, and Jules having been seen by some of the drivers, who informed Slade, he asked to be transferred to the scene of the depredations. Knowing Slade to be a terror to all evil-doers, Superintendent Ficklin made the change. For some time Slade rode back and forth over the line, carefully surveying with his keen eyes every rod of the route. In due time he found where Jules and his cowardly gang were located. With a party of resolute, determined men, Slade came along one day and caught them off their guard. A desperate fight took place. In the engagement Jules was badly wounded and, with no power to resist, he was tied by Slade, and stood up against the corral, when his ears were cut off and nailed against the fence, and bullet after bullet was fired into his body. Thus ended the career of one of the worst men that, up to the early '60's, had ever infested the overland line. For weeks following this barbarous act, one of Jules's ears remained nailed to the corral, while the other, it is said, was, taken off and worn by Slade as a watch-charm. |
When Slade went into the employ of the "Overland" he was regarded, so far as known, as a fair sort of a man. He had driven, and was an experienced stage man--an important requisite and no one on the line was ever more useful at the time. He had been a division agent, with headquarters at Fort Kearney. He was a sort of vigilance committee single-handed, and it was through his efforts that the line was eventually cleared of one of the worst gangs that ever held forth on the plains. Jules and his crowd having been effectually disposed of, and matters elsewhere having been attended to by Ficklin's orders, the line was shortly put in perfect order, and from that time on the stages ran with great regularity. Joseph A. Slade was originally from Clinton county, Illinois. In the later '50's and early '60's, while employed on the "Overland," he often visited Atchison, and would occasionally have a "high, old time" when in company with some of the wide-awake stage boys. He was not the bad man at that time, however, that he afterwards turned out to be, for while in the employ of the stage company he was faithful to the trusts reposed in him. But Slade, important as his services had been to the Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company during the period of its darkest days, finally went the wrong way. He soon lost all character and was unable to bear up under all the excitement he had gone through. Surrounded by all the alluring temptations and vices of the frontier, he commenced drinking, and finally became a terror to those to whom, in the earliest days, he had been a most-trusted friend, and fell into the ways of the ones he had so long fought on the overland express line. A few years later he turned up in the Northwest, and soon was at the head of the most notorious gang of highway robbers and murderers that ever infested a civilized community. Apparently there was nothing too mean for him to do. But everything must eventually have an end. He had committed one too many highhanded acts of lawlessness. He became so bold he even defied the courts where he was living. His outrageous acts were more than the community composing a big mining camp could endure, They witnessed his acts until "patience ceased to be a virtue." He was arrested, tried and hung at Virginia City, Mont., by the vigilantes, dying like a coward. Such was the end of the notorious Jack Slade. |
During the civil war, Ben. Ficklin, a Virginian, cast his lot with the South, the land of his birth. His energy, courage and superior business ability were devoted to supplying the Confederacy, during the "unpleasantness," with munitions of war. In this, it appears, he was quite successful, notwithstanding the blockade. At the close of the war, in company with General Armstrong, he was engaged in establishing a number of stage lines throughout the Southwestern states and Indian Territory. In a few years he had amassed a fortune. Every old overland stage man thought he was one of the best men they ever knew. His life was an eventful one, full of the most exciting and varied experiences. He died in Washington, by choking to death with a fish-bone at Willard's hotel, and thus ended the career of one of the pioneers of the "Great American Desert"--one who did much to help settle up and civilize what is becoming the richest and best section of our country. Julesburg was for some time the most widely known station between the Missouri and the Rockies. It was reached the fourth day out. Both the station and stable were long, one-story, hewed cedar-log buildings; there was also a store and blacksmith shop; and here was the fifth and last telegraph office on the Pacific line between Atchison and the Colorado metropolis. It was at this place that the stages for Salt Lake and California crossed the south fork of the Platte. The Pacific telegraph line at this point also crossed the Platte, having been completed through to San Francisco via Fort Bridger and Salt Lake, the shortest and best route overland known in the early '60's. In the spring of 1864, when nothing remained but the stage company's buildings and blacksmith shop, two wide-awake Western men conceived the idea that a rope ferry across the South Platte at old Julesburg would be a paying investment. At that time a big gold-mining craze was being inaugurated at Bannock, way up in the Northwest, and, in the opinion of the plainsmen, the natural place to cross the South Platte for the new diggings would be at Julesburg. The mining excitement along the overland route was then running high, and thousands of men from all parts of the country had rushed off wildly, with the new Idaho diggings their objective point. Those who were in a hurry and had the means took passage by Ben. Holladay's overland stage as far as Salt Lake, but |
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