Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-10-04

The FUTURE OF THE PoSY ExPRxss-t will
be remembered by the Stars readers that, I'm the
month of February last, we announced that an
agent had left this city for the purpose of putting
in operation Pony Express, to connect the At
ianuc and Pacific seaboards. We predicted for
the enterprise entire success. We were, however
not prepared for the early establishment and open
Ing Of the line, and its almost astounding results
The distance from st. Joseph to Sacramento Is
2,OOJH-1es. This entire route was stocked with
animals and provided with riders In less than
two months. and the first trip made from both
ends Of the road during the month of April in ten
days. The posts established by the mail contrac-
tors fscilitsted this early starting of the Pony
Express, and without their existence and prosec.
ton such an enterprise would be wholly imprac-
ticable. We have been furnished with a few
facts, which we publish for the purpose of show.
ing the successful accomplishment Of the enter
PRISE and Its value and importance to the country
BY telegraph and the ponies messages were car
ried from New York to San Francisco In 10 DAYS,
and In the incredibly short space of 16X days, by
means Of this line Of communication, an account
OF the Heenan and Savers fight was published In
the California papers. The journals which pub
lished true account Of the affair themselves con-
sidering 1t clever hoax. The first news of late
and stirring events in the city Of Mexico were by
way OF Acapulco, thence by steamer to San Fran
cisco, and thence by the Pony Express and tele-
graph, published on this side In advance Of the
route by way Of Vera Cruz and New Orleans
The patronage bestowed upon the line from the
beginning was beyond the anticipations of its
projectors, and promised to sustain it without
other aid than that which was incidentally de-
rived from the protection Of the United States
mail stations. The telegraph office in this city
alone has derived $500 week for dispatches
by this route to California, and the European let
ters already transmitted either way have averaged
thirty each trip. These isolated items from the
achievements Of a recently established enterprise
show its important benefits and the urgent neces-
sity Of Its continuance.
The action Of Congress at its last session in re-
lation to the contract for carryi ing mails by way
or the lsthmus render the overland communica-
tons more important, and as we have shown that
the Pony Express Is entirely dependent on the
continuance Of the mail line, with which 1t is CO.
existent, we would deprecate any change I'm the
running Of the mails from st. Joseph to Sacra-
mento, by which the Express would be psrilled,
especially until after the meeting Of Congress,
when we anticipate more favorable action than
at Its last session. The importance of this speedy
means Of communication is at this time greater
which the whole country il intensely Interested
III we had no other necessity, this would in itself
be sufficient for the continuance Of the Express
until after that event.
We have been led to these marks bv the infor-
nation that change is contemplated by the Post
Office Department in the running of the mails
from St Joseph, Mo. via Council Bluffs to Jules
burg, on the Platte river. The distance by this
route will be 100 miles greater, but will supersede
about 500 miles Of the route on which the express
now runs, and the entire service to Denver CITY
With the withdrawal Of the mail service from
this route, the stations 1t is to be presumed must
be abandoned; and with them, az a matter of ne.
cessity, the Company will also be obliged to with.
draw the stock Of the Pony Express. We are not
sufficiently in possession of all the facts involving
the necessity Of this change in the mail service.
and do not doubt its propriety, but express the
opinion that the community are SO we'll satisfied
with the importance and value Of the POW FIX
press, that they will sanction any action of the
Postmaster General which will insure it continu-
ance.