Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-03-30
A GREAT RACE.
TT WAS AGAINST TIME, AND THE
STAKE WAS 100000.
Carrying the United States Mall From
st. Joseph, Mo-, to Sacramento,
CAL, In Ten Days by tho
Pony Express.
n IoOJ 81. Ioseph, Mo-, was th
terminus of railroad communion

N 1859 st. Joseph, Mo-, was the
terminus of railroad communion.
4 ton. Beyond, tho stage coach,
the saddle-horsc, tho ox-tenm and
prairie schooner were tho means of
transportation thence to tho Rockies
and the Pacific slope.
In the winter of 1S59-G0 there wns n
Wall street lobby mt Washington try
lug to get So, 900, 900 for CARRYING tho
mail overland for ono year, between
New York and San Francisco. The
proposition was extremely cheeky, and
William III. Russell, backed by Socro-
tary of War Floyd, resolved to give
tho lobby cold shower-bath. Ho
therefore, offered to bet 5000, 900 that
he could put on mail from Sacra-
mcnto, Cal, to st. Joseph, Mo-, TINT
would make the distancc-1950 miles
in ten days. Tho bot WIS taken, and
April fixed upon ns tho day for
starting.
MIR. Russell called upon his partner
and general manager of tho business
upon the plains, Mr.. A. B. Miller, and
stated what he hnd done, and asked if
he could perform tho feat.
Miller replied: Eyes, Sir, 1 will do
1t, and by pony cXpressl"
To accomplish this Miller purchased
300 of tho swiftest horses he could find
in the West, and employed 125. mon.
Eighty Of these mon were to be post
riders. These no selected with refer
cncc to their light weight and known
courage. 1t was very essential that
the horses he loaded rs light rs posi-
ble-thercforc, tho Lighter tho man
tho better. 1t was necessary TINT some
portions of tho route should be made
MT the rate of twenty miles m hour.
The horses were stationed from ten
to twenty miles apart and each rider
would be required to rido sixty miles.
For tho chnnge of animals and tho
shifting of the mails two minutes were
allowed, Whore there were no stage
stations ut proper distances tents suili-
Gent to accommodate one man ind
two horses would be provided. In
dians would sometimes give chase, but
their cnyusc ponies made but sorry
show i'll thoir stern chnso after NIillcrs
thoroughbreds. many of which could
mako single mile in LAG.
All arrangements being completed,
signal gun ON tho steamer Sacrn-
mcnto proclaimed the meridian of Sth
Of April, 1SG0-tho hour for starting
when Border Rullian, Mr.. Miillor's
private saddle horse, with Billy Baker
in tho saddle, bounded away toward
the foot hills in tho Sierra Nevada,
and mado his rido of twenty miles in
forty-nine minutes. The SHOWS were
deep i'll tho mountains, and one rider
was lost for several hours in snow
storm, and after tho 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 DO crossed Mt Julesburg.
Tho water was pnnd running rapidly,
but into tho river flood tho rider
plunged his horse, only, however, to
miro and drown i'll tho quicksnnd.
The courier succeeded in reaching
the shore with the mail bag i'll hnnd,
and travelled ten miles on foot to roach
the next relay. johnny Fry, popu-
lnr rider of his day, was to make tho
finish. He had sixty miles to ride,
and six hours to do it with. When
the last courier arrived at tho sixty
mile post, out from st. Joseph he was
ono hour behind TING. A henvy rnin
had set in, and the road was slippery.
Two hundred thousand dollars turned
upon u single minute. Fry had Just
three hours and thirty minutes i'll
which to win. This was the finish of
the longest race for tho largest stake
ever run in America.
When the time for his arrival was
nearly up Mt least 5000 people stood
upon the river bank, with eyes turned
toward the woods from which tho
horse and rider shortly emerged into
tho open country in the rear of Elm
wood, one mile from the finish. Tick
tick tick went thousands of witches.
Tho time was nearly up-but seven
minutes remained Hunk shout
goes up from tho assembled throng
"He comes He comos!" The noble
little mare, Sylph, the daughter of
Little Arthur, darts like all arrow
from the bow, and makes the run of
the lust mile in 30, landing on the
ferryboat with five minutes and ten
seconds to spare !-Savannah (Ga.)
News