The morning call., 1893-10-17
THE PONY EXPRESS.
Hard and Dangerous Riding With
Letters for the Gold-Diggers.


The regular work of the daring and
romantic overland pony express riders
has never been exceeded, even by the re-
cent specially trained for Iong-distance
riding of the German and Austrian army
officers. When it is considered that those
pony express riders Travelled over a wild
country, without bridges or even
roads deserving the name. crossed two
great mountain chains, vast alkali deserts.
and had to fight Indians and wolves
along much OF their journeys, and
that the average time made was
$50 miles day, it will be seen that even
the Governments which pay attention to
such matters have no such courier system
TO call upon. But this system was organ
lied for the accommodation OF the gold
miners of California, who were able and
willing to pay, and. in fact, did pay S5 for
each half ounce OF mail brought to them
from the old folks at home by the daring
little Pony Express riders. Each rider
was limited to fifteen pounds of mail
which was divided into four packages OF
equal weight and carried in saddle pockets,
two in front and two behind the rider.
SO it viii be seen that each rider carried
nail for which the company received $1,000,
in addition, of course, to the United
States postage.
The route of the pony express began at
st. Joseph, Mo-. and extended due west to
Fort Kearney, Neb.. thence up the Platte
River TO Julesberg, Col, across the Platte
and to Forts Laramie and Bridges. Wyo..
and on 10 Salt Lake, Utah. The descent
into the plains of Nevada was made by
the route through Ruby Valley and thence
along the Humboldt River. The Sierra
Nrvadas were crossed by way OF Canyon
City, Placerville. then known as Hang
I a Coz oil
by the road the miners had made down by
Folsom 10 Sacramento. and thence along
the valley and over the foothills into San
Francisco, where the long journey ended.
There were always eighty riders in the
saddle, forty going east and forty west.
Change stations were close together, espe-
cially over the mountainous sections, RS
the ponies were kept at top speed from
station to station, no matter what kind of
country they had to travel. Many OF the
brave Iightweghts in the Pony Express
service lost their lives in Indian fights, for
the gcntle red man seemed TO esteem 1t
peculiarly high honor to dangle an express
riders scalp at his belt.
The wonder was that the service was
kept up at all; that SO many Of the riders
escaped the Indians, and the dangers OF
food, storm, snow, heat and cold. Their
chief advantage in encounters with the
Indians was that the Pony Express riders
were always DelLeT n1huule ON DPbleT leu
horses, than the Indians. and could take
care OF themselves in chase. They were
wary and inexperienced lot and difficult
to am buscade, 80 that while an occasional
scalp was lost there were not many of the
letters lopged for which never came over
that dangerous route.
The Pony Express went out OF existence
when the overland railroad and telegraph
service was completed in 1862 Few Of the
old riders are still living, and the pro-
moier OF the scheme, William ii. Russell,
and his chief assistant, b. +. FickllD. are
both dead.
At Dublin, Ind., the other day, man
attempted 20 pump the water out OF the
well. When he had pumped out about
five feet the water began to bubble and
boil. A torch was applied, when a loud
explosion took place. In a short tine an
other torch was applied with the same re-
suit. and for half a dozen more times
when torch was held over the we'll loud
report followed.