The Washington times., 1901-10-13
THE old PONY EXPRESS.
Carrying Mail Through a Hostile
Country at So Per Ounce.
Daring Riders Who Superseded the
Postfiice Department in the Far
West-Trnve1inE 1,9O0 Miles in Ten
Days-Some Exciting Adventures.

In these days of full-fedged postmer
and express wagons it is not fair to forge
the hard workers of '4s, who paved tn,
way for them. There was the old Adam!
Company, there was the pony express
and the stage mail, and there was Greg
Cry's express
A son of Pioneer Joseph W. Gregor,
was in the Photographic business befor,
there were any photographs-when da.
guerrotypes and ambrotypes still obtain.
ed. He treasures to this day a daguerro
type of his fathers express wagon stand.
ing at the corner of Merchant and Mont
| gomery Streets.
That little old express wagon came
around by way of Panama in 49," he says
proudly. That's what my father used to
race the Adams Express with, and 1 tell
you when they got started it was nip and
tuck to see who'd be first to reach the in
terror cities with the mail and news for
the papers"
He tells story of time when some
important Presidential news was expect
! ed. 1t was to be carried from San Fran
cisco to Sacramento. The Adams Com
pany secured the only available boat for
! the transportation of mail and express
matter up the river
| Gregory wasn't going to be beaten that
way. He secured a small rowboat, got it
under the pier where he could converse
with the boatmen and bribed one of them
to pass the mail and express matter to
him through hole. Having gained the
coveted prize he made off for the capi-
tai under the very nose of the guards and
the Adams CoInpany's agents.
1t was hare and tortoise race The
Adams Company, secure of it's cinch took
its time in going up the river.
Meanwhile Gregory was hurrying for
dear life, and the outcome was that the
| news was published in Sacramento next
morning while the Adams people were
| still progressing leisurely up the river.
Both companies took desperate chances
| time and again in their haste to deliver
dispatches. There were laws against fast
ridings and drivings, but on missions Of
that kind little heed was paid to them.
On one occasion an officer standing in the
middle of the street attempted to stop
one of Gregory's messengers. but the
horse and rider were equal to the occas-
ion. A seconds halt and the officer lay
sprawled in the dust. while horse and rid
er leaped over him and sped on their
way
Poor Gregory failed through the defal-
cation of trusted agents in New York
city. He was burned out, too, in both of
the big fires Of the early fifties, but still
he kept on with the express business up
to 1852
In September, 1858, an innovation came
in the way of a trans continental mail. 1t
was a stage line connecting San Francisco
with St. Louis by way of Arizona, Texas,
and Arkansas. Two stages each week
brought fresh fortune-seekers and the
ever-welcome mail. Californians began to
feel very near to the East with eight
mails month. instead of two. as in the
days when they had been obliged to de-
pend upon the steamers.
Most famous of all the old carrier sys-
TENS was the pony express, founded two
years later-that is. in 1860 Buffalo Bill
and no end of Indian adventures served
to make history Of the pony express.
1t was planned to be similar in every
way to the New England bi-weekly mail
of half century before. 1t was a horse
back mail service from st. Joseph. Mo-,
the most Western point then reached by
the Eastern railroads. st. Joseph could
be reached in an almost direct line from
Sacramento, the distance between the two
being about 1.9OO miles, which at an av-
erage rate of eight miles per hour could
be covered in ten days
Senator Gwin induced a company TO un-
dertaBe the matter Arrangements were
made for stations along the line. At e&ch
station a fresh horse was to be ready to
start on with the mail pouch A rider,
commonly known as Pony Bob" rode
on one occasion $50 miles. completing the
trip in little less than schedule time.
Another rider, William F. Cody. after
ward famous as Buffalo Bill" made one
continuous trip of Ss5 miles. stopping only
for meals and fresh horses. There were
to be two mails a week each way and
the number of letters was necessarily
limited to not more than 200 for each rid
er. Ordinarily the number ready for the
post fell far below the limit The expen-
sive method of transportation necessitat-
ed a high rate of postage, the charge be-
ing s. per ounce. To diminish weight
letters were written on lightweight paper,
frequently tissue.
After all preliminary arrangements had
been completed the pony express left Sac
ramento and st. Joseph at the same hour
on April 8. 1860.
Mail from st. Joseph as it Travelled west
ward passed from rider to rider by the
southern pass and Salt Lake, reaching
Sacramento April 13. News OF its ap-
proach was enthusiastically received The
Senate and House adjourned TO be ready
to welcome his arrival in Sacramento.
Just before the regular steamer sailed for
San Francisco horse and rider and mail
pouch were placed on the boat and ship
ped for San Francisco. where they mount
ed the wharf at l O'Clock on the morning
of April H.
Here they were met by a crowd with
band and torches. They were escorted
at the head of a procession to the post
office amid music and cheers.
The time was now shortened by the
pony express from twenty-one days to
ten, and this service was kept up until
by trans-conunental lines.
Among the requirements to equip the
pony express of yesterday were 500
horses 1870 stations, with 200 station keep
ers. and so riders.
President Buchanans last annual mes
sage was carried from the Missouri River
to Sacramento in eight days.
Lincoln's first message was carried over
the same route in seven days and seven
teen hours. which is distinguished as be-
ing the quickest transportation of the
kind on record.
Plenty of adventures have been related
by the riders. Troubles with Indians were
frequent in the neighborhood of Soda
Lake. on the Mojave Desert. Here was a |
station guarded by Higgins and Sutton. |
This station was on the most Travelled |
wagon road to Ivanpaugh. where very |
rich silver mines were being worked. |
was also an Indian centre |
and headquarters.