Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-09-28
THE PONY EXPRESS.
Mark rwain's Description of Mall
Delivery In Early Times
out west


In little while all interest was
taken up in stretching our neclSs
and watching for the pony rider-the
feet messenger who sped across the
continent from st. Joe TO Sacramento,
carrying letters 1900 miles in eight
daysl Think of that for perishable
horse and human flesh and blood to
dol
The pony rider was usually little
bit of a man, brimful of spirit and en-
duranoe. No matter what time of the
day or night lbs watch came on and no
matter whether IL was winter or sum
mer, raining. showing, hailing or sleet-
ing. or whether his beat" was level
straight road or a crazy traIl over
mountain crags and precipices, or
whether IL led thrsugh peaceful re-
gions, or regions that swarmed with
hostile Indians, he must be always
ready 20 leap into the saddle and be
oil like the wind. There was no idling
time for n pony rider on duty. lie
rode 90 miles without stopping. by day
light, moonlight, starlight or through
the blackness Of darkness--iust ,as it
happened. He rodo a splendid horse
that was born for racer and fed
and lodged like a gentleman; kept
him at his Utmost speed for ten miles
and then, as he came crashing up 20
the station where stood two men hold
ing fast n fresh impatient steed. the
transfer of rider and mailbag was
made In the twinkling of an eye, and
away flew the eager pair and were out
OF sight before the spectator could
get hardly the ghost of look.
The stage coach Travelled about 100
10 125 miles a day (24 hours), the pony
rider about $50. There were about so
pony riders in the saddle all the time,
night and day, stretching in a long
scattering procession from Missouri TO
California, 40 flying eastward and 40
toward the west, and among them
making 400 gallant horses earn a stir
ring livelihood and see a deal Of scenery
every single day in the year. We have
had a consuming desire from the be-
ginning to see pony rider, but, some
how or other, oil that passed us and
all that met us managed 10 streak by In
the night, and so we heard only .
whizz and hail. and the swift phnn
tom Of the desert was gone before W,
could get our heads out Of tho win
dows. But now we were expecting
one along every moment, and woult
see him in broad daylight. Present.,
! thp drivar avpfafrt,u.
"Here he comes"
Every neck is stretched further ont
every eye Is strained wider. Ava.
across the endless dead level of III
prairie black sreck appears agains
the sky and IL is plain that II moves
Well, / should think sol In a secon
or two II becomes horse and ride
rising and falling, rising and falling
sweeping toward us nearer and neare
growing more and more distinct
more and more sharply defned-neai
er and still nearer, and the hutter {
the hoofs comes fSintiy to the ear
another instant a whoop and hurra
from our upper deck, wave of III
riders hand, but no reply, and ma
anu morse puFht phS1 our cNcitcu Aoct
and go winging away like belate
fragment OF q storm.
So sudden is it all and so like fas
eff unreal fancy that but for the FAX
CT white foam left qulverlng and pei
ishing on mail sack after the visio
had flashed by and disappeared, W
might have doubted whether we ha
seen any actual horse and man at al
From Mark Twain's "Roughing It.