Arizona silver belt., 1892-06-11

RUNNING A PONY Exppsss.
Exciting Experiences of a Mail carrier in
 the Early Days Of the West.


 tho Early Days Of the West.
 When the venerable Steve Rugles nnlled off his storm defer and touched up with parlor match goodly pinch of old Virginia natural leaf, he was only a moment sending more than cloud winding among his neighbors in the Grand Pacific corridor. Steve had come in from Denver few hours be- fore and had been in the city just about long enough to not care blank wheth- CT he saw anything, anybody or any where
 You can bet that I'll show some of these tenderfeet, if they tackle me, that I'm the biggest glizzly this side of the peak" and Steve gyrated and de- scrihed few circles with his feet. Mary jump in the road arc any of these here umbrella swingiq dudes goin ter step up next ter me, fer right sudden there's goin ter be CT TOW Now, there cain't anybody realize any better than l kin that Chercawgo is ther city of tber only Worlds fair, but let me tell you, pardner, some of these young ducks what thinks they'se got an immortal cinch on the universe is goin ter get into hull lot of trouble if they fools with this old coI1norant from away out west.
 Old Steve took au extra puff on his well seasoned black brier and settled into a reminiscent mood. He had taken part in many of the early incidents of the border days, and when he was in- chned could tell many interesting tales
 Why, young fellow, way back in 1s49 l was one of the first of the boys to tackle the pony express business It didn't take much nerve the way nerve weighs nowadays, but when you come to look at 1t in them days q fellow had to take all the chances of lifetime, and it was a kinder ticklish job to tackle q horseback ride across the lnjun country alone
 Il would start ont from St. Jo, pony on the gallop from inc seeoud 1 put my hand on the saddle horn and ther want no let up on that jump til landed in Denver Right through the redslsiu country then, and now when you can ! look at 'em Twin quiet down in Florida or occasionally kiclip over the traces i up north, they ain't marker to what we had to deal with in thet country them days it was likely to be run uin fight from start ter finish, and ] am only sorry thet yer didn't live ter write erbout tLet old time iroln actual er ! perience."
 Tell me something about the pony
 express.
 Well, of course it's aa cid story
 about how she was starlel and run un-
 til tue stages and railroads knocked the
 business out, But iu the early dags of
 that gallopiu mail arrangement a fellel
 got all the excitement he wanted every
 trip. You know We wasn't supposed tC
 lose . seconds time along the road. and
 mauy's the time I've ridden 8 quarter oi
 half mile on the dead run with thC
 saddle cinches undoue completely, sol
 the minute 1 got lougsiae Ing chang
 pony I'd lose no time transferring my
 saddle
 Fer long time we didn't know
 whether CT mol we was goia to find any
 transfer still runniu fer our benefit, fei
 the ponies was good ones and the IHjun!
 didn't care much fer a man CT two whgi
 they was after hossas. Several times
 struck a Gcsartel transfst s.atioI sav the lo0r rsl'gys iyin there viti ihe tol of their lead gone. but had lnov' on. a. | Lad q ulea pony and coH.dn lose time getting to the next staten t change.
 hid you ever have any personal an counter with the lusliaaz, Mr Rugls5t "You bet, out Uout call one .tr Rugies; plain Gll Steve. lcs, I've scar, : the whizz of he aIrer and hum of tE bullgt. have cone at g dead rgu with th bridle rein5 between my teeth 6otI [ hand .igl .r-3 iy shooters. au have been plugged thege times Iaa,' the narrow cst escape ever had, an the veteran pu he'd back hia gray hal and exhibited 8 gear that cztend1 !, across tho side of the head on levs with ih1 left temple.
 1t was getting along toward nisht
 and about the lime the rcuy began ! | act kinder 4uccr l commenced e fpaaz P that Iujuus WIS gUInewhoTcs close 1m enough, the first thing Eacw,a gaus E em comes gaHoIia from some ,lAUer ! short WHY'S of, yciiin and ahootin Pon and me went fer aii we was worth. an a then l remember holdin onto the saddle horn aud al grew suddenly dark. Il heavy ioitmg woke me Gp, and ioun . that my saddle had saved my scall | Wounded and stauncd. l mad never lC' y my horse sense, yer might say, aud e had hung on all the time At this junction one of Stcvc's earl e friends came up. everybody went u II and "smiles. and Steve promised :, talk more some other time Chieaa n Nr