Chapter XVIII 



Coaching at Santa Catalina 



THE Pacific coast of North America has long 

 been famous for its coach lines and the men 

 who held the lines. Before the advent of the 

 railroad six-in-hand coaches carried passengers all over 

 the State. One line ran from San Francisco to Los 

 Angeles, five hundred miles ; from here another ran to 

 San Diego and over the desert to Yuma, Santa Fe\ 

 and the East. This difficult service developed a pe- 

 culiar class of men or drivers, noted for their courage ; 

 daring men who would take a mountain road at full 

 speed where there was not a foot to spare. The early 

 pages of California history are filled with stories of the 

 marvellous exploits of these men. The coming of rail and 

 electric roads has almost driven the stage out of business 

 in Southern California. There is a notable exception at 

 the island of Santa Catalina. The island is really a spur 

 of the coast range, separated from the mainland by the 

 Santa Catalina Channel ; a jumble of picturesque peaks 

 running in every direction and worn into thousands 



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