Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-04-05
4 100000 Bct.

S-UVsVVV
In 1859 st. Joseph was the terminus OF
railroad communication. Beyond, tho
Stagc-coach, the satidlc-horsc and the OK
trains were the only means Of commerce
and communication with the Rocky
Mountains ant the Pacitic Slope. In the
winter OF 1860 there was Il Wall street
lobby at Washington trying 10 get 5000
600 for carrying the mails overland one
year between New York and san Fran
cisco. The proposition was extremely
cheeky, and William II. Russell, backed
by Secretary OF War Floyd, resolved Ia
give the lobby I cold showcr-bath. N"
therefore offered to bet $500 900 that he
could put on mail line from Sacramento
to st. Joseph that should make the dis
tance-l, 900 milcs---in ten days. The bet
was taken and the Sth of April fixed upon
rs the day for starting. Mr.. Russell
called upon his partner and general man-
agcr OF the business upon the plains, Mr..
\. B. Miller, now citizen of Denver, aud
stated what he hal done, and asked him ii
lie could perform the feat. Miller replied
AYES, sir; will do it, and do It by pony
express" To accomplish this Mr.. Miller
purchased, three hundred of the fcctcst
horses he could find in the West, and en-.
loycd l25 mon. Eighty Of these men were
to be post-ridcrs. These he selected with
reference to their light weight and their
known daring courage. 1t was very cs-
scntial that the horses should be loaded rs
light rs possible; therefore, tho lighter
the man the better. II 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 bc re-
quircd 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
cayIIse ponies made bat poor show In their
stern chase after Millcr's tlorouglbreds,
many Of which could make single mile
In minute and fifty seconds.
All arrangements being completed, -
signal gun on tic steamer at Sacramento
proclaimed the meridian OF April 8, $500
the hour for starling--when Border
Rufilan, Mr.. Millcr's private saddle iIorsr,
with Billy Baker in the saddle, bounded
away toward the foothills Of the Sierra
Ncvadas, aud made his ride Of twenty
miles in forty-nine minutes. The SHOWS
were deep in the mountains, and one
rider was lost for several hours IN q snow
storm; and after the Salt Lake Valley was
reached additional speed became ncces-
sary to reach st. Joseph OH time. From
here OH all went well until the Platte was
to be crossed ut Julcsburg. The river
was MP and running rapidly, but the rider
plunged his horse into tho 1ood. only.
however, to mirc In the quicksands and
drown. The rouricr succeeded Ia reach
ing the shore, niih his mailbag Ia hand,
and Travelled Ten miles on foot 90 reach the
next relay. johnny Fry, popular rider
Of his day, was to make the inisb. lie
had sixty miles to ride with six horses 10
do il. When the last courier arrived at
the sixty-mile post, ont from ST. Joseph,
he was one hour behind time. a heavy
rain had set in and the roads were slip
perry. Two hundred thousand dollars
might turn upon a single minute. Fry
had Just three hours and thirty minutes Ia
which 10 win. This was the finish Of the
longest race, for the largest stakes. ever
run In America. When The time for his
arrival was nearly up, at least five thou
sand people stool npon the iyer-baDk,
with eyes turned toward the woods from
which the horse and Its rider sllonIi
emerge into the open country in thc rcgr
Of ElwOoj--one mile from the finish.
Tick, tick, went the Thousands of watches
The time was nearly up. But nenrly
seven minutes remained. liark! shout
goes up from the assembled multitude.
..Ilc comes. he cop,cs.'' The noble Iitlic
marc, Sylph, thedaughter little Arthur,
darts like an arrow from the bow AMI
makes the run Of the last mite Ia one
minute and fifty scconds-lan1ing upon
the ferry-boat with five minutes and Il
fraction to spare.-.&. Josspk Mo- Nees.