The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-28
A Great Horse Race.

In 1889 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
Wall street lobby at Washington
trying to get S., 900, 900 for carrying
the mail overland for one year be-
tween New York and San Francisco.
The proposition was extremely
cheeky, and William Fl. 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 10 days. The bet was
taken, and April fixed upon as the
day for starting.
Mr. Russell called upon his partner
Ind 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, Eyes, sir; I will do
it and by pony express.
To accomplish this Miller pur-
chased 300 of the feetest horses he
could find in the west and employed
125 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 as
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 90 miles
an hour.
The horses were stationed from 10
to 20 miles apart and each rider
would be required to ride 60 miles
For the change Of animals and the
shifting of the mails two minutes
were allowed. Where there were no
stage stations at proper distances,
tents sufficient to accommodate one
man and two horses would be pro-
vided Indians would sometimes
give chase, but their cayuse ponies
made but sorry show in their stern
chase after Miller's thoroughbreds,
many of which could make a single
mile in 1 AS.
All arrangements being completed
a signal gun on the steamer Sacra-
mento proclaimed the meridian of
the 8th Of April, 1S60-the hour for
starting-when Border Ruffian, Mr..
Miller's private saddle horse, with
Billy Baker in the saddle, bounded
away toward the foothills in the ST.
ezra Nevada and made his race of 20
miles in 40 minutes. The SHOWS
were deep in the mountains and one
rider was lost for several hours in a
snowstorm, and after the Salt Lake
valley was reached additional speed
became necessary to reach st. Joseph
on time. From there all went we'll
until the Platte was to be crossed at
Julesburg The water was up and
running rapidly, but into the river
flood the rider plunged his horse,
only, however, to mire and drown in
the quicksand.
The courier succeeded in reaching
the shore with the mail bag in his
hand and travelled 10 miles on foot to
reach the next relay. Johnny Fry,
a popular rider Of his day, was to
make the finish. He had go miles to
ride and six hours to do it with.
When the last courier arrived at the
go mile post out from st. Joseph, he
was one hour behind time. A heavy
rain had set in, and the road was
slippery. Two hundred thousand
dollars turned upon single minute
Fry had just three hours and half
in which to win This was the fin
ish of the longest race for the largest
stake ever run in America.
When the time for his arrival was
nearly up, at least 5000 people stood
upon the river bank, with eyes
turned toward the woods from which
the horse and rider shortly emerged
into the open country in the rear Of
Elmwood, one mile from the finish.
Tick, tick, tick, went thousands of
watches. The time was nearly up,
but seven minutes remained. Hank
a shout goes up from the assembled
throng: He comesl He comes ~
The noble little mare, Sylph, the
daughter Of Little Arthur, darts like
an arrow from the bow and makes
the run of the last mile in / 80, land
ing on the ferryboat with minutes
| and ten secOnds To snare -S0v1 nnOI