Democratic messenger., 1881-03-19
A 100000 BET.
1000 Miles Across Mountains and
Plains by Pony Express.

Plains by Pony Express.
In 1859 st. Joseph was the western
terminus of railroad communication.
Beyond, the stage-coach, the saddle
horse, and the ox-trains were the only
means of commerce and communication
with the Rocky Mountains and the
Pacific Slope. In the winter of 1860
there was Wall street lobby at Wash
ington, trying to get S5, 900, 900 for car
rying the mails overland one year be-
tween New York and San Francisco.
The proposition was extremely cheeky,
and William I'll. Russell, backed by
Secretary of War Floyd, resolved to
give the lobby cold shower-bath. He
therefore offered to bet 5000, 900 that he
could put on mail line from Sacra-
mento to ST. Joseph that should make
the distance, $50 miles-in ten days
The bet was taken and the 8th of April
fixed upon as the day for starting. Mr..
Russell called upon his partner and gen
eral manager of business upon the plains,
Mr.. A. b. Miller, now citizen of Den
yer, and stated what he had done, and
asked if he could perform the feat. Mr..
Miller replied "Yes, sir; / will do it,
and do it by pony express" To n :
complish this Mr.. Miller purchased 800
of the feetest horses he could find in
the West, and employed 125 men.
Eighty of these men were to be post
riders. These he selected with refer
ence to their light weight and their
known daring and courage. 1t was
very essential that the horses should be
loaded as light as possible; therefore,
the lighter the man the better. 1t was
necessary that some portions of the
route should be run at the rate of twenty
miles an hour. The horses were sta
toned from ten to twenty miles apart,
and each rider would be required to ride
sixty miles. For the change of ami
mails and the shifting of the mails two
minutes were allowed. When there
were no stage stations at proper dis
tances, tents sufficient to hold one man
and two horses were provided. Indians
would sometimes give chase, but their
cayuse ponies made but sorry show III
their stern chase after Miller's thorough
breds, many Of which could make sim
gle mile in minute and fifty seconds.
All arrangements being completed,
signal gun on the steamer at Saeramen-
to proclaimed the meridian of April S,
1860--the hour for starting-when Bor-
der Rufiian, Mr.. Nliller's private saddle
horse, with Billy Baker in the saddle,
bounded away towards the foothills of
the Sierra Nevadas, and made his ride
of twenty miles in forty-nine minutes.
The SHOWS were deep in the mountains,
ana one rider was lost for several hours
III snow storm. and after the Salt Lake
Valley was reached, additional speed
became necessary to reach st. Joseph
on time. From here on all went well
until the Platte was to be crossed at
Julesburg. The river was up and run
ming rapidly, but the rider plunged his
horse into the flood, only, however, to
mire in the quicksand and drown. The
courier succeeded i'll reaching the shore
with his mail bag in hand, and travelled
ten miles on foot to reach the next re-
lay. Johnny Fry, popular rider of
his day, was to make the finish. He
had sixty miles to ride, with six horses
to do it. When the last courier arrived
at the sixty mile post, out from st.
Joseph, he was one hour behind time.
A heavy rain had set in and the roads
were slippery. Two hundred thousand
dollars might turn upon a single min
ute. Fry had just three hours
and thirty minutes in which to
win. This was the finish OF the
longest race for the largest stakes
ever run in America. When the
time for the arrival was nearly up, at
least 5000 people stood upon the river
bank, with eyes turned towards the
woods from which the horse and its
rider should emerge into the open coun-
try in the rear of Elwood-one mile
from the finish. Tick, tick went thou
sands of watches! The time was nearly
up! But nearly seven minutes re-
mained Hark! shout goes up from
the assembled multitude. q He comes!
he comes!8 The noble little mare
Sylph, the daughter of Little Arthur,
darts like an arrow from the bow and
makes the run of the last mile in one
minute and fifty seconds, landing upon
the ferryboat with five minutes and a
fraction to spare. so. Joseph (llo. }
NClCS