Hat Creek Dateline: 1877/09/05 & 22

Hickok's widow rides stage
by Ed Cook, Contributing Writer

Madame Lake Hickok, Wild bill's widow, and several of her traveling companions were on the down stage today. They had gone through on their way to Deadwood a few days ago. She was accompanied by Charles Dalton (Buckskin Charley) and his wife, and George Carson, a frontiersman widely and favorably known.

The purpose of her trip from Cheyenne to Deadwood on the stage, was so that she could visit the grave of her late husband James Butler Hickok (Wild Bill). Wild Bill had been killed in Deadwood a little over a year ago, just a few months after he and Agnes Lake had been married in Cheyenne. After visiting his gravesite, on Mount Moriah, Mrs. Hickok proposed that, "as soon as it is definitely settled that the grave yard will not be disturbed, to erect a fenced monument to his memory, in which kind action Buffalo Bill, Texas Jack and Buckskin Charley will assist." (Note: Madame Hickok and George Carson were married in Cheyenne on Sept. 27, 1877.)

Sept. 22, 1877: Alex Benham was on the up stage today. When he arrives in Deadwood he will replace Ed Patrick as northern division superintendent for Cheyenne to Black Hills Stage and Freight Company. Patrick is being transferred to the Sidney line. Benham is known far and wide as one of the best and most experienced stage men in the west. He has worked for Ben Holladay and Wells, Fargo and Company, on the Overland Stage line.

For the last few weeks, since the installation of the little green "salamander" safe in the treasure coach there have not been any hold-ups on the stage line. It is being referred to as the "road agent-proof safe." However there was a daring robbery of the Union Pacific train at Big Springs, Neb., yesterday. It is reported that the outlaw gang obtained from sixty to seventy-five thousand dollars in loot from the passengers and railway express.

The gang who robbed the train is believed to consist of Joel Collins, Sam Bass, Bill Heffridge, and Jim Berry. They are also wanted for the hold-up of the Black Hills stage on March 25 of this year. The stage company's officers are hoping that the outlaws have moved to "bigger game" and that now they will leave the coaches alone.

The down stages have been loaded to capacity every day lately as miners are cleaning up their summer's work and getting out of the hills before winter. Part of the reason for the early exiting of miners may be that the Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage company has reduced rates this month. They are advertising tickets to all parts of the east at the reduced rates.

Through tickets to St. Louis are being issued at the same rate as to Chicago, $41.15. Through tickets from Deadwood to St. Paul are now $45.

(Information source: "Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage and Express Routes." by Agnes Wright Spring.)

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