He is tall, powerfully built, and as he rode carelessly along, with
his long rifle crossed in front of him, he was a picture. He was
dressed in a complete suit of buckskin, and wore a flaming red
neckerchief, a broad sombrero fastened up on one side with a large
eagle feather, and a pair of beautifully beaded moccasins. The costume
of the man, his self-confident pose, and the quick, penetrating glance
of his keen black eye, would give the impression that he was no
ordinary mountaineer.[224]
Still, Texas Jack was quite typical of most mountain scouts, being a man
of life and blood and fire, blazing with suppressed excitement in a land
of high adventure.
Although the stagecoach took over most of the tourist business after
1880 a few reliable pack masters remained in business. Among these was
the firm of Grant, Brogan and Lycan of Bozeman, which conducted a
seven-day tour for thirty dollars per person. Jordan and Howell of Cody
had a fourteen-day schedule, while Howard Eaton, in his day, personally
guided more than a hundred parties around the Park on a twenty-day
tour.[225] In 1923 the trail he used was improved, named, and dedicated
to his memory. The Howard Eaton Trail parallels the Grand Loop highway.
It is maintained by the government and is one of the most scenic bridle
paths in America. It was hoped that many people would take advantage of
this facility, but its public use is meager.
Travel by stage in Yellowstone was started in 1878 and concluded in
1917. Since a generation of Americans saw the Park in that manner, a
description of the procedure would be appropriate. The stagecoach itself
was a remarkable vehicle. It was substantially built, quite commodious,
and reasonably comfortable. Concord coaches were used; they varied in
capacity from seven to as many as thirty-three seats and were drawn by
four or six horses, according to size. Great leather springs, called
thorough braces, produced a swaying motion which absorbed all but the
most violent shocks. The driver’s seat was perched above the body of the
coach and underneath was a compartment for mail sacks and express
packages. There was a strong platform in the rear of the coach upon
which trunks and suitcases were loaded. Harness and other gear were
always of the best grade and condition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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