The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-03-17
A Race Across the Plains.

In 1859 st. Joseph, Mo-, was the
western terminus of railroad commune
cation. Beyond the stage coach, the
saddle horse and the OK trains were the
only means of commerce and commune
cation with the Rocky mountains and
the Pacific slope. In the winter of go
there was Wall street lobby at Wash
ington trying to get $1,000, 600 for car
rying the mails overland one year be-
tween New York and San Fran
cisco. The proposition was extremely
"cheeky," and VIM. II. Russell, backed
by Secretary of War Floyd, resolved to
give the lobby a cold shower bath. He
therefore offered to bet $500, 900 that
he could put on mail line from Sacra-
mento to st. Joseph, that should make
the distance-1, $50 miles-in ten days.
The bet was taken, and the Sth Of April
fixed upon as the day for starting. Mr..
Russell told his partner and general
manager of the business upon the plains,
Mr.. A. B. Miller, what he had done,
and asked if he could perform the feat.
Mr.. Miller replied: "Yes, sir; will do
it, and do it by a pony express" To
accomplish this, Mr.. Miller purchased
800 of the fieetest 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 lightly as possible. 1t was
necessary that some parts 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
animals and the shifting of the mails
two minutes were allowed. Where
there were no stage stations at proper
distances, tents sufficient to hold one
man and two horses were provided.
Indians would sometimes give chase,
but their cayuse ponies made but sorry
show in their stern chase after Miller s
thoroughbreds, many of which could
make single mile in minute and
| fifty seconds.
Arrangements being completed a
signal gun on the steamer at Sacra-
mento proclaimed the meridian of
April 8, 1S60-the hour for starting
| when Border Ruilian, Mr.. Miller's pri-
vate saddle horse, with Billy Baker in
WV ouNNiCi DouiiuCu away bOWdIuS Jflt
foot hills of the Sierra Nevadas, and
made his ride of 20 miles in 40 minutes.
The SHOWS were deep in the mountains,
and one rider was lost for several hours
in a snowstorm; and after Salt Lake
valley was reached. additional speed
was necessary, to reach st. Joseph on
time. From here on all went we'll un-
til the Platte was to becrossed at Jules
burg. The river was up and running
rapidly, but the rider plunged his horse
into the flood, only, however, to mire in
the quicksand and drown. The courier
succeeded in reaching the shore, with
his mailbag in hand, and Travelled ten
miles on foot to reach the next relay.
Johnny Frye, a popular rider of his day,
was to make the finish. He had 60
miles to ride, with six horses to do it.
When the last courier arrived at the CO.
mile post, out from st. Joseph. he was
one hour behind time, heavy rain had
set in and the roads were slippery. Two
hundred thousand dollars might turn
upon a single minute. Frye had just
three hours and 30 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 his arri-
val came he landed upon the ferryboat
with five minutes and fraction spare
time. Joseph, (1fo.) Ne,cs.