The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-07-30

Theexpress was dispatched weekly from
each side with not more than ten pounds
of matter. The riders chosen were Sc
ected from plains-men. trappers and
scouts. familiar with tho Indians, and
capable If great bodily endurance. IN
consideration of the danger 10 which they
were exposed. their salary was fixed at
the enNiable amount Of 81 200 month
each The ponies were swift and strong
A cross in breed between the American
horse and the Indian pony. Messengers
and steeds We're ruh sixty miles. ana then
await,d the arrival OF the express from the
opposite direction
such was the plan of the Central Over
land California and Pixies Peak Express
Company and on a memorable day. the
81 Of April. 1850, the first messenger was
20 start from ST. Joseph. The Daiiv Ga
,stte Of that town issued Pony Express
Extra in honor of the occasion. IL was
a small single sheet, printed on one side
only. and the first two columns were de-
voted to a heavily loaded account OF the
new enterprise, with this greeting TO the
press of California;
Through the pOliteness of the express
company We are permitted to forward by
the first pony express the first and only
newspaper which goes out, and which
will be- the first newspaper ever trans
mitted To California in eight days. The
first pony will start az precisely five
O'Clock this afternoon. and LETTERS will be
received from all points up to 1880 a
special train will be run over the IIannl-
bal and 81. Joseph Railroad for the pur-
pose OF bringing the through messeng'
from New York. The nature OF the con-
yeyance necessarily precludes our making
up an edition OF any considerable weight.
Il, however, contains summary OF the
attest news received here by telegraph for
some days past from al parts of the Union.
We send in ii greeting TO our brethren of
lhe press in California"
In a cloud OF dust, and amidst the loud
cheers OF the population. the messenger
galloped through the struggling streets on
70 the broad prairies reaching beyond the
horizon. The route chosen was some
what north Of the present track of the Pa
cific Ia lroad. IL lay, "a the timetable
shows, from st. Joseph TO Laran ie. thence
up the Sweet Water TO Salt Lake. and
down the Humboldt 10 Sacramento.
Night and day the express went forward
az the greatest speed attainable with ordi-
nary horseflesh. As soon a. station was
reached, one messenger. without waiting
20 dismount, tossed his bag to another al
ready mounted. who in few minutes was
out of sight in the direction Of the next
relay. So for eight days. with fresh horses
and messengers every sixty miles. the ride
was continued through the awful canyons
OF the mother range, up the bowlder-
strewn foothills. between forests Of hem
lock. pine and fir. through hot little min
mg towns, until Sacramento was reached,
scarcely minute behind the prescribed
time.
The pony express fulfilled It's promises
for two years The messengers We're
often followed by hostile Indians. and
several were killed. I'm addition to their
letter bag they only carried one revolver
and a bowie knife. They ran and fought
AZ the same time, and many a red-skin
kissed the dust in atonemrHt tor those
messengers who were slaughtered.
NJ the end Of two years, IN 1862, the
telegraph line across the continent had
been completed, and there was no longer
any use for the pony express. The com
pany was dissolved, having lost S2O0OOO
m It's courageous enterprise.-Augitst Har-