The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-06-14

" foarx m..ea
A 100000 s.t q. 1a.o m.
VIC 1<aoo Over tie plaina- ~
= start and The T1nach
t>.. - .ooo y: Joeeph was The we.+.--
1.n9s Of I1tlroad commnrs.stss..
hy0"I. the stage coach. the ssIltIi:
~ ~, u.e OBTAINS were the onlv mesns
~ - cnmmerce and communicanon ~t+s.
ETY. sio nocky Mountains and the P.";S. III.
: I, a the winter OF 1880 thers ~.o
=" w:u street lobby 1t Waohinston ~
lug 20 get 5000, 900 for carrvins tIe
nj s one year between New YorS
.~u oan frsncteeo. The pronoeition
n..s extremeiy cheeky, and WI ii
Fs f.. hacked BY Secretary az wa
.,,Sy ETY., resolved to give the lokbv ! coid
~ ~ ootn. He therefore o0ere6 r.
H. w. sO.Ooo that he could put on : mil
.h .s iiV a SacIsmento to st. Joseph that
T.. tu MAKE the distance -, $50 mi)es-
o. sM ~ Gays. The bet was taken and the
III. II. Ann nxed upon for starting.
ss ~. n9sseu called upon HE partner an6
sL:o n manager Of business upon the
IL "m1"s, mr.. A: 3. Miller, now ! citizen
go Ive5, ana stated what he had done
III sskeo Il ne could perform the feat.
81. .i'ef replied: "Yes, sir; 1 viii do It.
comri; ~ - ~ ~ pony express." To 10
SS"@P1sn this NJ: Miller purchased three
4 1u1Gred OF the heetest horses he could
T n%a ln the west, and employed l25 men.
;Sty 1a tneee men were to be post
- ta ~ ineoe he selected with reference
- tnesf hight weight and their known
I .;si ana courage. It was very essen
,;~a ~ tnat the norsee should be loaded =
.,gnt - possible; therefore, the lighter
~ ss'o man the better. It was necessary
= ICY some portions Of the route should
% run g the nate Of twenty miles an
nOuI. Tne horses were stationed from
~ % twenty miles apart, and each rider
Mou!a % required to ride sixty miles,
FoI the change Of animals and shifting
o. 99 the mails two minutes were allowed.
Wnere there were no stage stations ct
proper d,stances, tents sufficient to hold
4ne man and two horses were provided.
1nd1ons weuld sometimes give chase,
Gut their cayuse ponies made but sorry
snow In their stern chase after Miller's
tnotooghbreds, many Of which could
make single mile In aminute and Afty
An arrangement. being completed, =
signal gun on thesteame1a q Sacramento
Proclaimed the meridian Of April Is,
1880 the hour for startinz-when Dor,
der Rufian, Mr. Miller's private soddie
horse. with Billy Baker ii the saddle.
bounded away toward the foothills OF
n
oI twenty miles In forty-nine minutes.
1 Ihs SNOW. were dep ia The mountains;
Ind one rider was lost for several hours
IN . snow storm :and amer the 6alt ~
Valley was reached, additional speed b.
lime. From here on. iii vent weIi I'M
til the Platte was to b crossed q jules
burg. The river was M and running
!apidly, but the rider plunged his horse
into the quicksaDd and drowned. The
With bis mailbag In hand, and Travelled
Johnny Fry, popular rider Of his day,
miles to ride, with six horses to do It.
Itxty mile post, out from st. Joseph, he
- VssO ASO~SS OG1114S~S U14SS0s a SsS0Vy
ain ct in and tho roads were slippery:
Two hundred thousand dollars miGht
urn upon . single minute. Fry had
ust three hours and thirty minutes in |
which to win. This was the finish for
'be longest race, for the largest sum,
,vef run I'm America. When the time |
Or his arrival Was nearly up. It least dve
hsusand people stood upon the river
Dank, With eyes turned towards the |
woods from which the horse and Ito
idef should emerEe into the open ooun-
~ in the rear Of Elwood- oneinile from |
be finish. Tick, tick, went thousande
4 watches! The time was nearly up!
But nearly seven inmates remained
lark! . shout goes up from tho assem-
,led multitude: HE comes! He
omes!" The noble little mare, 6ylph,
he DAUGHTER Of little Arthur, darts like
N arrow from the bow and makes the
nm Of the last mile In one minute and
|fty seconds landing upon the ferry
,oet with I'VE minutes and . half to
pare.