The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-08-07

les. They are used to complete the cab
inets of collectors who cannot afford to
purchase the originals"
The Famous Pony Express.
Twenty years ago, settlers starting for
the far West, with their heavil y-laden
wagons, knew that the journey would
occupy six months of hard travel, and
might involve many dangers of varied
Enthusiastically from hostile Indians,
prairie fires, and rattlcsnakes. Once
started on that far journey, many a
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
tiers from the 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
gained, the vast expanse of country
right across the great continent was di-
vidcd into runs of sixty miles, and at
each terminus rude log huts were erect
ed as stations and stables for men and
beasts.
The latter were strong, swift ponies,
selected for their hardness and great
powers of endurance, and the riders
were all picked men, experienced scouts
and trappers, notcd-even in that region
of Keen hard-riding mentor courage
and good craftsmanship 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
tracklcss prairie, continually in danger
Of attack, by day or by night, by wild
Indians or highway robbers.
Once 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
mounted, his successor had started On
his onward way.
Then pony and man might rest and
feed, and rest again, till the return of
the messenger with re-tillcd letter bag,
which was warranted to accomplish its
journey of upward of ., 900 miles in $40
hours. (The 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 to
rum
The Pony express was continued for
two years, accomplishing its work with
amazing regularity, and involving many
a feat of splendid riding AMI wild ad-
I venture. II proved. however ruinous
failure from commercial point of view,
and the company collapsed with deficit
of 5000, 900. Casselrs Family Magazine.
Ox-HOrn Chairs.
"You have no idea what a demand
there is for this style of chairs" said a
well.knOwn furniture dealer yesterday
to a Chronicle 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 new idea," continued the
furniture man, "for my firm has been
turning them out for nearly n year.
This style of horn chairs, finished with
silk plush, easily sells for 500, while
those finished with leather bring seventy
five dollars"
GLOW are they manutacturedH'
"Wcll, You sec, there are twenty two
horns used in this seat which we are ex-
aiming. OF course smaller number
Of horns can be used in some styles
only eighteen are required, but these do
not have as neat an appearance and are
much cheaper The mode of manufacture
is quite simple The horns, after being
thoroughly cleansed, steamed and scraped
to the proper thickness, are filled or
stuffed with sawdust and glue. After
being thoroughly dried and polished the
horns are fastened into the proper posi-
tion with brass rivets and glue, Then
follows the upholstering operation,
which is very simple, but upon the
whole the chairs thus made may be con-
sidered very artistic"
And the demands there much
call for this style of furniture?'
"Ycs, indeed. There are many
chairs now in use in several of the Mob
: hill residences. We have shipped them
! to France, the Pacific islands, and many
! to the Eastern and Northern States.
Orders are constantly coming in, and
may safely say the demand is increas-
e ing.-.SaH Francisco Chronicle.