The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-08-26
The Famous Pony Express.

lnetS OF COLLECTORS WHO cannot auOru u
purchase the originals"
The Famous Pony Express.
Twenty years ago, settlers starting for
the far West, with their heavily-laden
wagons, knew that the journey would
occupy six months of hard travel, and
might involve many dangers of varied
character-chiefy from hostile Indians,
prairie fires, and rattlesnakes. Once
started on that far journey, many
weary month must elapse ere any tidings
could reach them from the home they
had left.
Great was the excitement when a
company Of fearless. determined men,
announced their resolution to carry let
ters from tho shores of the Atlantic to
those of the Pacific in fourteen days.
The feat was deemed impossible. Never
theless, the Central Overland California
and Pixies Peak Express was duly or
ganized, the vast cxpanse of country
right across the great continent was di-
| vided into runs of sixty miles, and at
each terminus rude log huts were erect
ed as stations and stables for men and
beasts.
] uO ldlIGI MCIO SlIOuS, SWllI pOulCS,
selected for their hardness and great
powers of endurance and the riders
were all picked men, experienced scouts
and trappers, noted-even in that region
of keen, hard-riding men-for courage
and good horsemanship; and many time
must both have been tried to the utter
most in the course of those terribly long
and awfully lonesome rides across the
/ trackless prairie, continually in danger
of attack, by day or by night, by wild
/ Indians or highway robbers.
| Once a week an express messenger
started from either side of the Great
Continent. From the first moment to
/ the last, not second must be lost. As
long as the pony could gallop, gallop he
must; and the eager beasts seemed as
keen as their riders, and scarcely needed
the cruel spur to urge them on. For six
/ ty miles at a stretch they must keep up
their utmost speed; and when at length
the goal was reached, where the next
messenger was waiting in the saddle,
ready to start without one minutes de.
lay, the precious letter-bag was tossed
from one postman to the other, and, ere
the wearied incomer had even dis
his onward way.
Then pony and man might rest and
feed, and rest again, till the return of
the messenger with a re-filled letter bag,
which was warranted to accomplish its
journey of upward of 1000 miles in 240
hours. CThe railway on the New York
side being already constructed as far as
st. Joseph, that station was the eastern
point to which the pony express had tc
rum
The Pony express was continued foI
two years, accomplishing its work with
amazing regularity, and involving many
feat of splendid riding AMI wild ad-
venture. 1t proved, however, ruinouS
failure from a commercial point of view
and the company collapsed with deficit
of $500, OOO.- Cassslps Family Magazine.
0X-llOrn Chairs.
"You have no idea what a demand
there is for this style of chairs" said
well known furniture dealer yesterday
to a Chroaicle reporter as he proudly
pointed at beautiful specimen made
entirely of horns and exquisitely finished
with silk plush and fringe. "No, it is
not exactly a new idea, I" continued the
furniture man, "for my firm has beer
turning them out for nearly a year
This style of horn chairs finished with
silk plush, easily sells for 800, while
; those finished with leather bring seventy
five dollars"
How are they manufactured
"Well, you see, there are twenty-tw
5 horns used in this seat which we are ex
amining. OF course smaller number
Of horns can be used in some STYLES
only eighteen are required, but these dc
not have as neat an appearance and arr
much cheaper. The mode of manufactur,
is quite simple. The horns, after being
thoroughly cleansed, steamed and scrapeC
to the proper thickness, are filed o
stuffed with sawdust and glue. Afte
being thoroughly dried and polished tn,
horns are fastened into the proper Dosi
ton with brass rivets and glue. Thel
follows the upholsteriug operation
which is very simple, but upon thr
whole the chairs thus made may be con
sidered very artistic"
"And the demands there mucl
call for this style of furniurel"
Eyes, indeed. There are man
chairs now in use in several of the Mob
hill residences. We have shipped then
to France, the Pacific islands, and man
to the Eastern and Northern States
Orders are constantly coming in, and
may safely say the demand is increas
ing. .-Saa FraneiseO Chronicle.