Wichita eagle., 1889-02-15
A COLOSSAL WAGER.
The History Of a Two Hundred
Thousand Dollar Bet.
The Distance from San Francisco, Cal, to
st. Joe, TO. Covered in Ten Days
Johnny Fry's Famous Ride On
His Noble Steed Sylpi.

al may be little hazy as to the exact
figures, but in the main my recollection is
correct"
The speaker was an elderly gentleman on
the Oakland ferry boat, who had just re-
! turned to California, after an absence OF
many years in the East. He had been con-
trasting the five overland railways Of the
! present time with the slow, toiling ox-team
! with which he crossed the plains IN 1850,
/ and, says the San Francisco Alta. the con-
! yer sation had incidentally drifted to the
pony express, SO famous in its day.
! Twenty nine years ago St Joseph, No,
was the western terminus of the railway
system of the country. Beyond st. Joseph
/ the Stage-Coach, oX-traln and kindred
methods were resorted to for the purpose
of maintaining communication with the
Pacific slope. The coast was by that time
pretty well settled, and business men be-
gan TO wish for rapid overland mail
service.
I'm the winter of 1880 Wall street was at
work in Washington endeavoring to get a
subsidy Of 100000 for carrying the
malls overland one year between New York
and San Francisco.
William H. Russell, backed up by Sec
rotary War Floyd, looked upon the
scheme as q very eXtravagant proposition,
and said that he could put on 4 mail line
from San Francisco to ST. Joseph that
would cover the distance-1 $50 miles-ip
ten days. So confident was he that he pro-
fessed himself willing to wager $4,000 on
the proposition.
'sThe schemers for the big mail contract
felt bound to meet the bluff and took up the
wager, April s, 1860, being fixed for the
time of starting.
"a 3. Mile L, who died in Denver few
years ago, was Russell's partner and gen.
eral manager, and to him Russell looked for
the successful outcome Of the venture.
Miller was positive that a pony express
could be established which would enable his
partner to win his prodiglous wager
There was no time to be lost, and Miller
set about his task with energy. He pur-
chased three hundred Of the ieetest horses
he could procure, and engaged the services
of one hundred and twenty-five men.
Eighty of the men were engaged as post
riders, and of course were especially 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
"By the day set for starting every thing
was in readiness, and before the smoke
cleared away from the muzZle of the signal
gun OF the steamer Sacramento at the hour
OF noon. April 8, 1850 Billy Baker, mounted
on Border Ruffian, Mr.. Miller's 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.
"Al went well until the crossing at
Julesburg was reached. To his dlsmay the
courier found the Platte river high Up in its
banks and strong current running. Fear
lessly horse and rider plunged into the
turbd stream, but only the man reached
the opposite bank. His gallant steed mIred
in the Qulckssnds and was drowned. The
courier saved his precious mail pouch and
had TO walk ten miles to the next relay sta
ton.
johnny Frv-I remembered him we'll
was one of the famous men of his day on
the border. Tough and why, he was as
light as a 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
de it with.
when the courier arrived az the sixty
mile post out of st. Joseph he was one hour
behind time. Johnny had to make up that
lost hour or the wager was lost. Miller
had considered all this when he selected
Johnny Fry 10 make the final dash.
Three hours and thirty minutes in which
to make the ride of sixty miles. Never be-
fore nor since has such purse been run
for in America as would be won or lost by
Johany's success or failure.
" As the hour drew near for Fry's arrival
st ST. Joseph thousands of people lined the
river banks, gazing with feverish expect
ancy in the direction of the woods from
which the horse ana rider should emerge
into the open couptry-one mile from the
finish.
"As the minutes few by the excitement
became intense, and the people spoke TO
eacn other IN subdued sort OF way. Sew |
en- minutes and the wager would oe lost |
when suddenly brigbt-eyed youngster !
ca ght sight of the anxiously-looAed-for |
courier, and the yell that went up from the |
crowd reached the cars of the rider mile |
away.
= Horse and rider fairly few on the wings |
Of the wind. Feathery fakes OF foam |
streaked the painting TANKS Of the noble /
steed as she. with wide-dlstended and blood |
red nostrils, bore the courier 10 his jour
1ey's end. covering the last mile IN one min
Ute and fifty seconds. The little mare Syiph |
lad won the wager. and there were ave
and Z fraction N