The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-19

over two years. At the end of that
time an enterprising citizen of Omaha
Neb., Edward Creighton, completed a
telegraph line across the continent
and the swift pony was superseded by
the swifter lightning.
FIVE DOLLARS AN OUNCE FOR
( EXPRESSAGE.
+ Messages carried by the pony ex-
press were required to be written on
tissue paper, thus combining ightness
and compactness. The rate charged
was S. an ounce, and the weight car
ried each trip was limited to ten
pounds. 1t was a losing business ven
ture, but it opened the way for the
telegraph and railway lines.
ADVENTURES OF THE SERVICE
One of the riders of the pony express
of wide fame, Col. w. F. Cody Buffalo
Bid, then a much lighter weight in
avoirdupois, and in fame, than he is to-
day, rode route of 116 miles over a
rough and dangerous trail, through a
hostile Indian country, in a section now
comprised in the Black Hills region.
On one occasion on reaching the end
of his route ne found the rider who
should succeed him had been killed by
the Indians. Young Cody was called
the dead rider. This he did, making a
ride of 3S4 miles without rest or stop
except the two minutes changes OF
horses, and for his meals. He made
the journey in twenty-four hours, rid
ing an average of sixteen miles an
hour, and changing horses thirty-siX
times. This was a wonderful ride, and
is still the subject of comment among
men with whom feats of skill and en-
| Il DO,
occurrences.
During the life of the pony express
the Piute Indians in Nevada went on
the warpath, and made it exceedingly
difficult for the express boys to keep
their scalps where nature intended
they should wear them. Bob Has
lam c'Pony Bob'D tells this story OF
one of his rides over the trail:
Il got hundred dollars extra fol-
one ride. l arrived at Fort Churchhill
at the end of a 75-mile ride. The Piutes
/ were making things very lively along
the line, and man who wanted to stay
on the earth was not liable to go to
sleep in his saddle. The rider who was
to succeed me had got a scare on, and
he refused to go out. The superinten-
dent, who was present, said, Bob, I'll
give you $50 extra if you'll make this
ride All, right, I'll just go you for
fiftyp In five minutes / was in the sad
die bow and brace of Colts navy re-
volvers in my belt. 1t was thirty-five
miles to the sink of the Carson had
to ride all the distance without change
of horses, then I pushed on to Sand
Springs. 1t was a heavy trail. At the
Springs I changed horses and went
right on to Cold Springs, made another
change and rode the fresh pony thirty
five miles to Smith creek [ stayed nine
hours at Smith creek, and was again in
the saddle with the return express
When 1 reached Cold Springs 1 found
the Piutes had killed the station man
and taken away the horses. The pony
was on had already carried me thirty
five miles at a pretty fast gait, but
there was nothing else 1 could do but
to go on with the tired pony. It was
very dark, and my trail lay through
segebrush as high as a mans head. l
kept sharp watch on my pony's ears
His acute senses would discover foe
quicker than mine, and anything I'M
usual would be a t once indicated by his
ears The moaning of the wind through
the sagebrush, and the bowling of the
wolves made cold chills chase up and
down my back. At the next station !
found things all right, got a fresh pony
and galloped away to the Sink of the
Carson I found fifteen white men
there expecting an attack. A band of
Piutes had been seen skulking around
I pushed on to Fort Churchhill When
I arrived there 1 had ridden 264 miles
had made nearly schedule time, and
I had had only seven horses under me
These ponies showed wonderful endur-
ance, one of them having carried me
over seventy-fve miles.
Il found the superintendent at Fort