The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-29

first EXPRESS. The two young Yankees, or
New Workers, Mr.. Wells and Mr.. Fargo, we
are told, had the idea forced upon their
minds by the innumerable commissions"
aud packages and bundles which they and
their friends were bothered with IN going
10 and from Boston and New \ Ork. OF
course the idea was q fortune ready made.
They were renowned and rich men at once.
We read that they did good service, more
prompt and certain service than the Govern
ment and so letters were sent by Wells
Fargo Then the Old law was dug up, and
their eXpTess-rdeTs were chased up and
down the pOstrOads and across the fields
with deal more energy than had, as yet,
found expression in the Postal Department.
1 remember we miners used to marvel at
the generosity Of Wells-Fargo in placing
stamped envelopes before Us. W ny not save
those few cents out Ut the p?
But / reckon The enterprisng young
founders Of Wells-FaTgO had proposed, as
a compromise measure, 10 use only stamped
envelopes when their lines ran by mail
routes, thus saving themselves lot Of
bother, and saving The Government all, and
more than all, the revenue is could nope 10
get without its great rival being in the field.
For this rivalry made brlSker work all
around. and il is safe 10 conclude that we
owe a good deal TO NellS-Farg0. Yet our
postal service is still crude, costly and
clumsy, Look al London with her one little
Wigwam sort of Central Postoffce. We
build pOstotlces as we build cathedTals
But that is another story.
The pony express was a great feature in
the gold mines OF California long before
anybody thought Of putting it on the plains,
under Kit Carson. Every creek camp or
city had its pony express. which ran TO
and from the nearest puStOfflce aud Wells
Fargo. at YTeka sc had the Humbug
Creek Express. the Deadw0Od Camp Ex-
press the GreeHh0rn, and so on. Tie rider
was always a bold, bright young fellow,
who owned the line, horses and all aud had
Lis Office in some res pOnsible store" lie
crowded an immense deal OF personality in
his work; would die IN he saddle rather
than delay 10 minutes over the expected
time. tie was, Of course, always a das hing
rider, dressed gayiy, and blew q small bugie
norm as be came and went up and down the
creek az q pluuging rate. How tie heart OF
every muddy miner thrilled with the
thought Of the long-looked-for letter from
home
These blasts, after the fashion Of the Lon
don p0stman's whaek aud bang at the door
knQcker, meant a letter for this or that
claim" as the gay rider dashed down the
trail under the oyerhaDging forest trees.
and then the hats IN the air. HuTrah.
huTrahi hurrah, Whose is it? and which
one OF the half-d0Zan or dozen dripping men
by the long SluIce- boxes is to hear from his
vile, his mother, or his waiting sweet
heart?
This one starts to get it, that one. then
the other They look at one another hastily
and then one Of them, strangely enough.
nearly always the right one, springs up the
ladder; away! away. over the bouldeTs
with bound, the 25-cent piece In his fist.
He clutches the letter, away bounds the
spirited pony another blast Of the horn;
one, tHO, three! and so on away and away
down the creek till the blasts Of the
bugle fade and die in the tremul0us