Prior to 1880, all the passenger business and transportation of the mails for the entire country west of Fort Worth was conducted by stage lines, which radiated from the city as the railroads do now. The first line of importance and one that attracted the attention of the entire country was the Fort Worth and Fort Concho stage line which ran a daily line from this city to Fort Concho which stood where San Angelo is now located. This was what was known in postoffice parlance as “star route” service. In 1877 a contract was let by the Post Office Department for a daily line from Fort Worth to Fort Yuma, Arizona, a distance of 1560 miles, the longest stage line in the world. Fort Worth shouted itself hoarse when the announcement was made and a banquet was given the manager of the line, Mr. J. T. Chidester. Bob McCart who had but recently come to the city from Bloomington, Illinois, was the principal speaker on the occasion and one who heard his speech must have been impressed with the fact that this was the greatest commercial enterprise in all history, up to that time. The stages were run through to Yuma in seventeen days. But this was found to be too long. The coyotes and horned frogs that inhabited most of the country beyond the Concho could not afford to wait that long for their mail and so the Second Assistant Postmaster General, at the earnest solicitation of the inhabitants, and the contractors, agreed to increase the compensation one hundred per cent. if the trip could be made in thirteen days—which was easy. It was one of the matters for Congressional investigation of the “Star Route Steal” but they never found Chidester. The mail left Fort Worth in a concord coach pulled by six horses and ran to Tharp Springs, where it was transferred to a surrey with two horses. These went as far as Brownwood, where a buckboard and two bronchos took it the remainder of the way, if they were not interrupted. THE COURTS. At that time the Judicial District in which Tarrant county was a part included the counties of Denton, Parker, Wise and Dallas. Hon. Hardin Hart was District Judge. He was an appointee of Edward J. Davis and was not very popular with the bar or the people. He was about as rough a specimen of the genus homo as ever graced the bench. His habits were said not to be very exemplary and this contributed to his unpopularity. He was accustomed to use the vernacular of the bar-room and the poker game. At one time J. C. Terrell proposed to amend his pleadings and the Judge responded, “Now, Joe, you know you can’t raise at this stage of the game. Gause stands pat on his general denial and you will have to call or lay down your hand.”