Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1881-05-20
Misrellanroms.
A Two Hundred Thousand Dollars Bet.

In 1869 st. Joseph, No, was the western
terminus Of railroad communication Be-
You'd, the stage coach and saddle horse and
the OK trains were the only means of com
merce and communication with the Rocky
Mountains and the Pacific slope In the
winter of 1860 there was Wall street lobby
at Washington trying to get $5,0000O0 for
carrying the mails overland one year be-
tween New York and San Francisco The
proposition was extremely cheeky, and VIM.
II. Russell, backed by Secretary of War
Floyd, resolved to give the lobby cold
shower.bath. lie, therefore, offered 10 bet
100000 that he could put on mail line
from Sacramento to st. Joseph that should
make the distance $50 miles--in ten days.
The bet was taken and the 9Th of April fixed
as the day for starting Mr.. Russell called
upon his partner and general manager of
business upon the plains, Mr.. A. b. Miller,
now citizen of Denver, and stated what
he had done, and asked if he could perform
the feat, Miller replied: Eyes, sir; | will
do it, and do it by pony express. TO ac-
complish this Mr. Miller purchased 300 of
the fleetest horses he could find in the west,
and employed 1876 men. Eighty Of these
men were TO be post-rlders. These he Sc
lected with reference to their light weight
and their known daring and courage. IL
was very essential that the horses should be
loaded as light as possible; therefore, the
lighter the man the better.
IL was necessary that some portions OF the
route should be run at the rate of twenty
miles an hour, The horses were stationed
from ten 10 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 little 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.
All arrangements being completed, "A sig.
nal gun on the steamer Sacramento pro-
claimed the meridian Of April 9Th, 1860
the hour for starting--when Border RufIan,
Mr.. Miller's private saddle horse, with Billy
Baker in the saddle, bounded away toward
the foot hills Of Sierra Neyadas, and made
his ride oftwenty miles in forty-nine minutes
The SHOWS were deep in the mountains,
and one rider was lost for several hours in
snow storm, and after the Salt lake valley
was reached additional speed became neces-
sary % reach st. Joseph on time. From
here all went well until the Platte was to be
crossed at Julesburg. The river was up and
running rapidly, but the rider plunged his
horse into the flood, only, however, to mire
in the auckland and drown The courier
succeeded in reaching the shore, with his
mail bag in hand, and Travelled ten miles on
foot To reach the next relay. Johnny Fry,
u popular rider in his day, was 20 make the
finish. lie had sixty miles 10 ride, with six
horses 10 do il, When the last courier ar.
rived NJ the sixty mile post out from st.
Joseph he was one hour behind time Two
hundred thousand dollars might turn upon
. single minute. Fry had just three hours
and thirty. minutes III which 10 win. This
was the finish for the longest race, for the
largest stakes, ever run in America. When
the. time for his 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 the country in the rear Of EIwood-
one mile from the finish. Tick, tick, went
thousands Of watches The time was nearly
up But seven minutes remained Hank u
shout goes up from the assembled multitude
"IIe comes he comesp The noble 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 ferry boat with
five minutes and traction 10 spare