The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-01
A GREAT HORSE RACE.
The Stake Was 5000. 600. the Distance
1850 Miles, and the Time 10 nays.

1850 Miles, and the Time 10 Days.
In 1859 st. Joseph, Mo-, was the
terminus of railroad communication.
Beyond the stagecoach, the saddle
horse, the OK team and prairie
schooner were the means of trans.
portation thence to the Rockies and
the Pacific slope.
In the winter of 1S59-60 there was
a Wall street lobby at Washington
trying to get $1,000, 900 for carrying
the mail overland for one year be
tween New York and San Francisco.
The proposition was extremely
cheeky, and William H. Russell,
backed by Secretary of War Floyd,
resolved to give the lobby a cold
shower bath. He therefore offered
to bet 5000, 900 that he could put on a
mail from Sacramento to St. Joseph,
Mo-, that would make the distance
1850 miles-in 10days. The bet was
taken, and April 8 fixed upon as the
day for starting.
Mr.. Russell called upon his partner
and general manager of business
upon the plains, Mr.. A. B. Miller,
and stated what he had done and
asked if he could perform the feat.
Miller replied, Yes, sir; / will do
it and by pony express"
To accomplish this Miller pur-
chased 300 of the fieetest horses he
could find in the west and employed
1875 men. Eighty of these men were
to be post riders. These he selected
with reference to their light weight
and known courage. 1t was very
essential that the horses be loaded az
light as possible, therefore the light
er the man the better. 1t was neces
sary that some portions of the route
should be made at the rate of 20 mile
an hour.
The horses were stationed from II
to 20 miles apart and each ride
would be required to ride 60 miles
For the change Of animals and tn
} shifting of the mails two minute
were allowed. Where there were NJ
stage stations at proper distances
. tents sufficient to accommodate on
, man and two horses would be pre-
= vided. Indians would sometime
5 give chase, but their cayuse ponie
} made but sorry show in their ster
. chase after Miller's thoroughbred
many of which could make a singl
| mile in 1 AS.
, All arrangements being complete
3 signal gun on the steamer Sacr'
: mento proclaimed the meridian {
Y the Sth of April, 1S60-the hour fc
starting-when Border Rufian, M
u Miller's private saddle horse, wit
Billy Baker in the saddle, bounde
away toward the foothills in the S
e ezra Nevada and made his race of
miles in 40 minutes. The snow
:, o were deep in the mountains and OF
y rider was lost for several hours in
!, snowstorm, and after the Salt Lal
= valley was reached additional spe'
y became necessary to reach st. JOSEF
70 on time. From there all went VIZ
~ until the Platte was to be crossed
,e Julesburg. The water was up al
Ia running rapidly, but into the riv
al flood the rider plunged his hors
w. only, however, to mire and drown
a. the quicksand.
The courier succeeded in reach
the shore with the mail bag in
hand and travelled 10 miles on foot
le reach the next relay. Johnny Fl
Ds popular rider of his day, was
le make the finish. He had 60 miles
es ride and six hours to do it wi
IN When the last courier arrived at
Mt 60 mile post out from st. Joseph,
a was one hour behind time. A hea
I'd rain had set in, and the road v
a" slippery. Two hundred thousa
p dollars turned upon a single mint
ID, Fry had Just three hours and b
or in which to win. This was the
nd ish of the longest race for the lar2
stake ever run in Americra.
When the time for his arrival
:. nearly up, at least 5000 people st
~ upon the river bank, with e
~ turned toward the woods from WI
~ ~ the horse and rider shortly emer
10 into the open country in the rea
Elmwood, one mile from the nm
~. Tick, tick, tick, went thousands
Oh watches. The time was nearly
80. but seven minutes remained. HI
10. shout goes up from the assem-
Ilo throng: He comes! He com
NO. The noble little mare, Sylph,
,,,,t daughter of Little Arthur, darts
ia an arrow from the bow and M
the run of the last mile in 1:5o, l
ing on the ferryboat with 5 min
IA IN cooopds tO sDar9-SayaI