Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-03-17

How the Famous Overland Enter
prise Was Established Ten Days
From San Francisco to st. Joseph
The LOndgest Race and Biggest
Purse ON Record.

al may be little hazy as to the exact
correct"
The speaker was an elderly gentleman on
the Oakland ferryboat, the first of the week
whe had just returned to California ate an
absence Of many years in the east. He had
| been contrasting the five overland railways
of the present time to the slow toiling OK.
team with which he crossed the plains in so
and the conversation had incidentally drifted
to the Pony Express, SO famous in its day.
"The circumstances leading to the estab-
lishment of that express" he went on, care
SO CLOSED over with a glamour Of fiction
that the unqualified truth would be diff cult
matter to get at.
"Twenty-nine years ago ST. Joseph, Mis-
souri,, was the Western terminus of the rail
| way systems of the country. Beyond ST.
| Joseph the stage coach, ox.team and kindred
methods Of transportation were resorted to
for the purpose Of maintaining communica-
ton with the Pacific Slope. This Coast was
by that time pretty well settled, and bust
ness men began to wish for rapid overland
mail service.
ain the Winter Of 1860 Wall street was at
work in Washington endeavoring TO get a
subsidy of $40, 900, 600 for carrying the mails
overland one year between New York and
San Francisco.
civilian H. Russell, backed up by Secre-
tary of War Floyd, looked upon the scheme
as very extravagant proposition and said
that he could put on mail line from San
Francisco to St. Joseph that would cover the
distance-Ie5o miles-in ten days. So con
6dent was he that he professed himself will
ing to wager $2oo, 900 on the proposition.
"1he scheners for the big mail contract
wager, the 9th day of April, 1860, being
fixed as the time for starring
ga. B. Miller, who died in Denver about
four years ago, was Russells partner and
general manager, and to him Russell looked
for the successful outcome Of the venture
Miller was positive that pony express could
be established which would enable his part
ner to win his prodigous wager.
"There was no time to be lost, and Miller
set about his task with energy. He purchased
| 300 Of the feetest horses he could procure
and engaged the services of r75 men. Eighty
of these men were selected for post riders,
and of course were specially chosen for their
daring and light weight-the lighter the
man the better for the horse, as some parts
of the route had to be covered at the killing
rate of twenty five miles an hour.
"In establishing the relays the distance in
each instance was determined by the charac-
ter Of the country. AS rule the horses
were stationed from ten to twenty miles
apart, and each rider had to make sixty miles
Two minutes were allowed for changing the
animals and shifting Of mails. If the stage
stations were not at proper intervals, a tent
was put up sufficient to accommodate one
man and two horses.
"By the day set for the starting everything
was in readiness, and before the smoke clear
ed away from the muzzle of the signal gun
on the steamer Sacramento at the hour of
noon, April s, 1860, Billy Baker, mounted
ON Border Ruffian, Mr.. Millers famous sad
die horse, dashed away toward the Sierras,
covering his twenty miles in forty nine min.
utes.
"Deep snow lay in the mountain passes,
and to Salt Lake Valley slow time was made,
so that from the valley on it was necessary
to make extra fast speed to win the huge
wager.
CAN went we'll until the crossing at Jules
burg was reached. To his dismay the courier
found the Platte River high up in its banks
and strong current running. Fearlessly
horse and rider plunged into the turbid
stream, but only the man reached the oppo-
site bank. His gallant steed mired in the
quicksands and was drowned The courier
saved his precious mail-pouch, and had to
walk ten miles to the next relay station.
"Johnny Fry-I remember him well-was
one of the famous men Of his day on the
border. Tough and wiry he was as light as
cat, and as rider he never knew an equal.
To him fell the duty of riding the last sixty
miles of the long race. He had six horses,
thoroughbreds they were. too, to do it with.
"When the courier arrived at the sixty.
mile post out OF ST. Joseph he was one hour
behind time. Johnny had to make up that
last hour or the wager was lost. Miller had
considered all this when he selected Johnny
Fry to make the final dash.
"Three hours and thirty minutes in which
to make the ride of sixty miles. Never be-
lore nor since has such purse been run fol
in America as would be won or lost by
Johnny's success or failure.
"As the hour drew near for Fry's arnva
at St. Joseph, thousands Of people lined the
river bank, gazing with feverish expectancy