The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-09-10
About F00tmen.

Has the young reader of this ever read
the story of Marco Polo, the Venetian,
who, 600 years ago, travelled through
Tartary and China, and coming back
nineteen years later wrote book con
tanning accounts of such wonderful
sights and strange adventures that his
bosom friends would not believe him,
bed, to retract the falsehoods he had pub
lished? But Marco stuck to them, de
claring that every word he had written
was true. After many years other traV-
elers have shown that Marco had really
not told half the marvellous things he had
seen in the countries which he had Wis
tied Among many other wonderful
things which he describes in most fas-
cinating way he tells of the first pony
express and mail service that probably
ever existed in the world
Wherever he Travelled in Tartary,
Marco Polo says he saw the "couriers OF
the kahn" as the Emperor's swift mes
sengers, who carried letters from city to
city, were called Day and night they
fitted by him, on horseback and on foot,
over the great highways; "never stop
ping" he writes, "for an instant save at
the post-stations,' where fresh horses or
runners were always on hand.
There were both mounted and foot
couriers among the Tartars. The sta
tions for horsemen were twenty-five
miles apart Each courier had to ride
this distance in two hours on single
horse At the station, however, both
horse and rider had good long rest, Tor
fresh horse and fresh courier were
ready to take his message and speed on
ward with it to the next station, where
in turn the jaded horse and rider would
find rest, while the message would speed
onward in the hands of another courier
on {; fresh, fleet steed The foot cou-
riers had stations three miles apart.
When message was to be carried, IL
would be given to a foot messenger, who
would instantly start, running Win
might and main to the next station,
where he would deliver the message to
the courier in waiting. The trained
couriers could go this distance in very
short time, without much injury to them
selves, and, indeed, without much ia
tigue.
Foot couriers of the same kind were IN
use in England about $50 years ago,
though not employed by the monarchs
of that country, but by private gentle
men and noblemen 1t was their duty
to run by the side or in the rear OF tne
coaches when their masters were trav-
cling or riding for pleasure. These at
tendants were called "footmen, as tno
attendants on carriages nowadays are
called: but the first footmen did
not ride on the box with the drivers, or
on the seat behind as now. And the
footmen in past days accompanied the
coaches, not to open the door for their
masters and mistresses, as IN the pres
ent time, but for purpose you will
never guess, am sure. They ran after
the carriage to help it out OF the mud
and mire! In the "good old times"-
which, for all that you hear said in
nraise of them, had not half the pleas
ures and conveniences, nor, indeed, half
the virtue and goodness of the present
time-thc public roads in England were
so poor that it was almost impossible to
travel over them; every few miles the
footman had to help the coach out of the
mire. When "gay Prince Charley from
over the water" who was afterward
King Charles H., went to visit another
prince, his coach-and-six were six hours
in going nine miles! After the roads
were improved the footmen died out, or
, rather were replaced by what were
i called guards" These were strong
t stout men, who rode on the stage coach
or followed it on horseback, partly 70
i protect it from robbery, but mainly 70
} help it out Of the mud. When the stage
/ coaches gave way to railroad cars the
. guards became porters and brakemen.-
e From The Pony Esprsss,' IN 81. Nsesosaa
9 lfor September.