Seasick on the Prairie

Author Mark Twain likened the stagecoach to “an imposing cradle on wheels,” referring to the consistent sway of the vehicle that made some passengers seasick. Twain recorded his 1861 ride aboard Ben Holladay and Wells Fargo stages from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Carson City, Nevada, in his 1872 book, Roughing It. Passengers were limited to 25 lbs. of baggage, but sometimes even that luxury was too much for a stagecoach to handle. When traveling near Carson Sink, the humorist recalled crossi