Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-05
Il Race Across the Plains,

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 communtca-
ton With the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific
Slope. In the winter Of 1850 there was a Wall
street lobby at Washington trying to get
so,o00.o00 for carrying the mails overland one
year between New York and San Francisco
Ine proposition was extremely cheeky and
W Wa4 Fovd f. RsSe 6ask 1s 6y seeereay
sh0Wer-bath. He therefore offered to bet
100000 that he could put on a mail
line from Sacramento to st. Joseph that
ten days. The bet was taken and the Sth OF
April fixed upon as the day for starting Mr.
Russel told his partner and general manager OF
business upon the plains, Mr.. A. 3. Miller. what
he had done. and asked If he could pefofm the
feat. Mr.. Miller replied: yes sir: VIII do it
ana DO 1t by pony express" To accomplish
this MI. Miller purchased 300 Of the fieetest
horses he could find In the west and employed
l25 men. Eighty of these men We're to be post
riders THESE he selected with reference TO
their light weight and their known daring aud
courage. It was very essential that the horses
should DE loaded as lightly as possible. It was
necessary that some parts Of the route should
0e run at the rate OF twenty miles an hour.
me horses were stationed from ten to twenty
10 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 cha ,e
after Mtlier's thoroughbreds, many OF which
could make single mile In a minute and t1rty
seconds.
Arrangements being completed, signal gun
On the steamer at Sacramento proclaimed the
meridian OF April s, 1S60-the hour for starting
die horse, with Billy Baker In the saddle.
bounded away towards the foot hills OF the
sierra NeVadas, and made his ride of twenty
miles In forty-ntne minutes. The SHOWS were
deep Id the mountains, and one rider was lost
IOr several hours In 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 running rapidly, but the
rider plunged bis horse into the flood, only,
The courier succeeded In reaching the shore.
with his mailbag In hand, and Travelled ten
miles on foot to reach the next relay. Johnny
Fly, popular rider OF his day, was to
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,
heavy rain had set In and the roads were slip
perry. TWO hundred thousand dollars might
turn upon single minute. Fry had just hree
hours and thirty minutes In which to win. This
was the finish OF the longest race, for the
iafgest stakes, ever run In America When the
Tune for his arrival was nearly up, at least five
thousand people stood upon the river bank,
with eyes turned toward the woods from which
the horse and its rider should emerge into the
open country in the rear of ElwOod0one mile
from the finish. Tick tick, went thousands Of
watches! The time was nearly up! But seven
minutes remained! Hark! shout goes up from
the assembled multitude, 'He comes! he
contest" The noble little mare. Sylph, the
daughter OF little Arthur, darts Ike 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 q
fraction to spare-S Joseph mo NescS.