The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-20
THE PONY EXPRESS.
The FOrerunner of the Great
Overland Lines.
FROM THE MISSOURITO THE COAST
The Idea Conceived in This City Thirty Years
Ago, and Which Afterwards Proved
Such a Success.

There is quiet, middle aged gentleman,
whose life work constitutes an important
part of the growth and development of the
great state of Colorado. His name is John
Scudder, and he was one OF the first to ad
vocate the organization of the celebrated
pony express, and, after its establishment,
through the efforts of William II. Russell,
assisted in its management and operation.
In conversation with a reporter, he related
the history of that famous enterprise.
After lighting a cigar and seating himself
in a comfortable easy chair he said:
''The firm OF Majors, Russell & Waddell
were at that time the wealthiest and most
extensive freight contractors in the Union.
Just to give you an idea of the magnitude
OF their business, will tell you that in
1857, when l first knew Mr.. Russell, they
were under contract with the national gov
eminent to carry every pound of freight
north, south and west of the Missouri
river and east of the Rocky mountains, in
Guiding every government post in that ter
ritory. AT that time they had over seven
ty-two hundred wagons on the road at one
time, costing from $50 to 500, and as each
wagon required six yoke of oxen to pull it,
you may form some conception of the
amount of capital invested.
THE PLAN CONCEIVED.
at was in the fall of 1859, and during the
ensuing winter l, together with some of
Mr.. Russell's men, gathered at the head
quarters in Salt Lake city, which were un-
der the charge of 4. B. Miller a man of
considerable ability, and known through
out the west as a sporting character. The
eastern newspapers which found their way
into camp were full of the overland mail
agitation, and becoming interested III the
discussion, we began to figure on the time
and distance. l did most of the calculat-
ing, and the more l figured the greater be-
came our interest. We satisfied ourselves
fully that the time could be greatly short
ened, and the result was that the boys
wrote to MIR. Russell, informing him that
they would undertake to carry mail from
st. Joseph, Mo, to San Francisco in twelve
days. Now, III addition to his wonderful
enterprise, Mr.. Russell was kindly man,
and ever ready to listen to suggestions
from those under him. We were not sur
prised, therefore, when he replied promptly
to our letter and requested that we ac-
quaint him fully with the particulars of
our plan. We Immediately drafted out
rough map of the country, showing the
proposed route, together with the stations
and their distances apart, and this we for
warded to him without delay. We, at the
same time, wrote him another letter. eX-
planning our plan of covering the route by
relays of horses, carrying a mail pouch,
and strongly urged its entire practicability
Quite number of communications passed
between Mr.. Russell and his agent at Salt
Lake, and the upshOt of it was that the
former agreed to test the matter by string
ing out number of horses and riders be-
tween the Missouri river and the Pacific
coasJ. The first notice they received of
AIR Russells acceptance however, was the
receipt of an order TO buy 200 head of good
horses at Salt Lake. At the same time,
Ben Fickland who was then division
master between Denver and Salt Lake, but
afterwards famous as blockade runner,
left New York for San Francisco to buy
horses there. The horses were good
strong ones, but not heavy, and the prices
paid for them ranged as high as 800 each
Associated with US also in the work of
preparation for the great trial were were
man named Bromley and the notorious
Slade, who was afterwards hanged in Mon
tana, and who was employed as division
master between Denver and Fort Kearney.
Another of those interested IN the work
was man named Clute who was Mr.
Russell's manager at st. Joseph.
DISTRIBUTING THE HORSES.
AitnI tic pulLAEtSG VI llG HNE5SS luS
work of distributing began, and assisted
Miller and Bromley in scattering them
along the line between Salt Lake and Platte
bridge. This done, the line was given a
practical test by being run over once or
twice, and Mr.. Russell was so far satisfied
that he caused it to be announced in the
New York Herald and Washington Star,
the latter of which he owned, that ne would
start the first horses from San Francisco
81, L. -
day of April, and that he would agree to
carry letters or written correspondence
between those points in ten days. This
created great excitement IN the east, and il
became evident that Mr.. Russell possessed
a more thorough knowledge of the great
west than was had in the departments at
Washington. The stage line representa-
tiVes, who were working up this overland
mail scheme, laughed at his plans, and his
partners even went to Washington to re-
monstrate against what they considered a
piece of eXtravagant folly. So strong was
his faith in his plan and so firm was he in
his determination to carry it out that he
assumed payment of all bills contracted,
and thus the enterprise became his own.
THE FIRST START.
"When the momentous 9th day of April
arrived a magnificent black horse, carrying
a mail pouch and rider, left St Joseph on
the ferry boat, bound west, in the presence
of 40, 600 cheering spectators. At the same
hour splendid white horse left San Fran
cisco on the steamer for Sacramento.
Over plains and mountains they sped, past
station after station, day and night, with
out hating longer than to transfer the
pouch from horse to horse, and in eight
days and four hours the letters that left st.
Joseph were in Sacramento. Mr.. Russell's
scheme was an assured success, and the
pony express became for time one of the
most potent factors in civilization. 1t
brought the far west into closer communi-
cation and sympathy with the east, and ad-
yanced the development of the west, in my
Opinion, fully fifty years. The stage com
panies' contract scheme fell through, and
one year later Mr. Russell was awarded
the contract for carrying the overland
mails.
''In closing, will state that the stations
were from nine to fifteen miles apart, &C
cording to the nature of the country, and
each rider covered from two to three sta
tiol4s, changing horses at each. They were
a hardy, fearless set of men, and capable
of enduring great eXertion. The saddle,
bride and pouch were strongly and com
pactly made and weighed together thirteen
pounds Each rider carried small horn,
by means of which ne announced his ap
proach from distance in order to warn
the stable attendants, and in this way the
horses were always in readiness on his ar
rival and no time was lost. st. Louis
Republic.