March 15, 1881 Two California boys are riding the box on this chilly night along the San Pedro River bottom in Arizona. Eli “Bud” Philpot, a top-rated stage driver who hails from Calistoga, California (about 60 miles north of San Francisco), and shotgun messenger Bob Paul, all six feet four of him, a former sheriff of Calaveras County (southeast of Sacramento). They are about halfway to Benson, after leaving Tombstone several hours earlier. After passing through Contention City, the Kinne
Already Signed Up? Log in here.
Read this article now for Free!
Ready for a third free article? Create a free account by entering your email address and a password below.
— OR —
Sign Up Now for $29.95 a year and have immediate access to all of True West content, including the complete True West Archives dating back to 1953!
