A Good story. Stagecoach drivers! ENJOY!
TRUCKEE, Calif. Western stagecoach companies were big business in
the latter half of the 19th century. In addition to passengers and
freight, stages hauled gold and silver bullion as well as mining
company payrolls.
Stage robbery was a constant danger and bandits employed many
strategies to ambush a stagecoach. Thieves rarely met with much
resistance from stage drivers, since they had passenger safety
foremost in mind. The gang was usually after the Wells Fargo money box
with its valuable contents. Passengers were seldom hurt, but they were
certainly relieved of their cash, watches and jewelry. Before the
completion of the transcontinental railroad over Donner Pass in 1868,
the only transportation through the Sierra was by stage. Rugged
teamsters held rein over six wild-eyed horses as they tore along the
precipitous mountain trails. The stagecoaches were driven by skilled
and fearless men who pushed themselves and their spirited horses to
the limit.
One of the most famous drivers was Charles Darkey Parkhurst, who had
come west from New England in 1852 seeking his fortune in the Gold
Rush. He spent 15 years running stages, sometimes partnering with Hank
Monk, the celebrated driver from Carson City. Over the years,
Pankhursts reputation as an expert whip grew.
From 20 feet away he could slice open the end of an envelope or cut a
cigar out of a mans mouth. Parkhurst smoked cigars, chewed wads of
tobacco, drank with the best of them, and exuded supreme confidence
behind the reins. His judgment was sound and pleasant manners won him
many friends.
One afternoon as Charley drove down from Carson Pass the lead horses
veered off the road and a wrenching jolt threw him from the rig. He
hung on to the reins as the horses dragged him along on his stomach.
Amazingly, Parkhurst managed to steer the frightened horses back onto
the road and save all his grateful passengers.
NO PATIENCE FOR CROOKS
During the 1850s, bands of surly highwaymen stalked the roads. These
outlaws would
level their shotguns at stage drivers and shout, Throw down the gold
box! Charley Parkhurst had no patience for the crooks despite their
demands and threatening gestures.
The most notorious road agent was nicknamed Sugarfoot. When he and
his gang accosted Charleys stage, it was the last robbery the thief
ever attempted.
Charley cracked his whip defiantly, and when his horses bolted, he
turned around and fired his revolver at the crooks. Sugarfoot was
later found dead with a fatal bullet wound in his stomach.
In appreciation of his bravery, Wells Fargo presented Parkhurst with a
large watch and chain made of solid gold. In 1865, Parkhurst grew
tired of the demanding job of driving and he opened his own stage
station. He later sold the business and retired to a ranch near
Soquel, Calif. The years slipped by and Charley died on Dec. 29, 1879,
at the age of 67.
A few days later, the Sacramento Daily Bee published his obituary. It
read; On Sunday last, there died a person known as Charley Parkhurst,
aged 67, who was well-known to old residents as a stage driver. He was
in early days accounted one of the most expert manipulators of the
reins who ever sat on the box of a coach. It was discovered when
friendly hands were preparing him for his final rest, that Charley
Parkhurst was unmistakably a well-developed woman!
NOT LIKE OTHER MEN, ER, WOMEN?
Once it was discovered that Charley was a woman, there were plenty of
people to say they had always thought he wasnt like other men. Even
though he wore leather gloves summer and winter, many noticed that his
hands were small and smooth. He slept in the stables with his beloved
horses and was never known to have had a girlfriend.
Charley never volunteered clues to her past. Loose fitting clothing
hid her femininity and after a horse kicked her, an eye patch over one
eye helped conceal her face. She weighed 175 pounds, could handle
herself in a fistfight and drank whiskey like one of the boys.
It turns out that Charleys real name was Charlotte Parkhurst.
Abandoned as a child, she was raised in a New Hampshire orphanage
unloved and surrounded by poverty. Charlotte ran away when she was 15
years old and soon discovered that life in the working world was
easier for men. So she decided to masquerade as one for the rest of
her life.
The rest is history. Well, almost. There is one last thing. On
November 3, 1868, Charlotte Parkhurst cast her vote in the national
election, dressed as a man.
She became the first woman to vote in the United States, 52 years
before Congress passed the 19th amendment giving American women the
right to vote.
Sure Hope You Enjoyed This Story.
From Wikipedia:
Charlie Parkhurst
