The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-02
THE OLD PONY EXPRESS.
Bronehos Carried Lineoln's Inaugural
Address 1000 Miles in Z Days.
- lOrk Nunl

6ronchos Carried Lincoln's Inaugural
Address 1000 Miles in Days.
(New York SUM
The men were talking of the cross
continent record made by the Austria
Ian mail. The old Indian fighter
twisted his mustache thoughtfuIly.
Ihere's something very fine about a
race like that, he said. 7 never get
used to our fast trains. They are awe
some things. / take of my hat to
them But when YOU want exciting
stories of Pacific mail you must get
mold OF someone who knew the pony
express. There was a mail service for
you.
Don't know much about it? Wen 7
suppose not. It didn't last very long.
and down east here you forget every
thing except your family pedigrees.
The Indian troubles never seemed
real to New Workers. They couldn't
believe in an Indian massacre later
IMAM the French and Indian war They
heard about the Indian fighting out
west, but they didn't take it seriously.
We did, Good Lord, it was serious
enough.'
The old man lapsed into silence and
sat staring into the past. with a deep
furrow between his brOws.
But about that pony express 2''
someone asked.
oh, yes; the pony express. You
men aren't so young. but I dare say
you were too young to know anything
about those days, save what YOU read,
4 wasn't very old myself in 1859 but
/ remember / was in the midst Of
| things. That makes a difference. I've
/ picked up pony messengers where they
/ fell with wounds all over them and
their scalps missing.
I've seen messenger stations after
/ the Indians had visited them and gone
/ on. One doesn't forget that sort of
/ thing. l knew Aubrey. There was a
man for yOu!"
There was another long silence. No
/ one liked to ask questions. The old
/ fighter objects to being prodded. He
! viii tell his story in his own way, if
/ he tells it at all. If he doesn't care
| to talk. no amount of questioning will
| SUR him to Renaissance. So the othsy
men waited. and finally the major
went on:
The overland stage had carried the
mail and express. Everybody knows a
good deal about the Overland's his
tory. It ran from ST. Joe to Sacra-
inento and covered the 1000 miles in
twenty-five days
Iaking everything into considera-
tlon, that was pretty fast travelling.
At first the stage ran twice a month
Later 1t ran daily.
I've made the trip and I got moro
Tor my money than I did when I came
o. from San Francisco last winter on
the Iast mail. The stations were from
nFe 10 ten miles apart, ACCORDING f.
lhe ground, and we drove like Jehu dav
and night.
The driver didn't even leave his seat
at the stations. Horses were ready
the change was made like Egbtnfng
ana on we went. There were winners
or outrlders, heavily armed. who helped
guard the coach and dashed the horsNs
on top speed
IL took steady nerves to enjoy that
travelling There was danger at every
tufh-hOStlle Indians, desperate road
agents, bad roads swollen streams
blizzards. I've seen all that was left
or a stage and its load after the In
dams had swooped down on it. To this
DAY the very sight of an InjlIn makes
me see red The road agents robbed
the cOach, and perhaps the driver and
guard were killed in the mix-up. but
they usually left the passengers IN
harmed.
The stage drivers had enough to
try their nerves, but the pony messen,
gers had even a harder proposition
There was need of faster mail and
express service. The Overland was too
o % @
80 the pony express was organized
for the carrying of valuable light ex-
press, money and special letters. and
II lowered the time record tn eight
days, in place of the Overland's [
twenty-five days.
one pony express carrying LincOln'g
inaugural address was put through in /
seven days and seventeen hours. When
you think that that means 1000 miles
% horseback riding over the worst sort +
or country with obstacles of every
KIND to bar the way, it looks a good /
distance.
There were 200 stations on the +
route, and 100 riders in the service.
9pV other men were employed at the
sIaCons. The horses used were
oronchos, and every rider had to be +
a oroncho buster Of the finest sort:
but bronchO busting was the least of /
the strains upon his nerve.
Inc bronchO was led into the yard.
blindfolded. A big Mexican sad
die, made extra light and fitted with
pockets for the mail and express. was
strapped on him. Only twenty-five
pounds of matter was carried and the
rates were high-S15 for every letter
weighing half an ounce.
When the mail was in the pockets
r~~@
was jerked of the horses
eyes, and for a few minutes there was
lively buckng scene. Then the
oronchO started off on a dead ran.
and he kept that up until he reached
the nrst station, where the rider
5prang on a fresh horse and tore along.
The runs were only about ten or
Twelve miles, but a horse ALWAYS
reached the station dead heat and ex-
The riders knew what a horse
could stand and ran each one to his
INIT, outstanding his strength to make
lim last the distance.
Each man rode fifty or sixty miles
ln stretch and it was wild riding.
me messenger was absolutely alone.
following perilOus trail, at top-speed.
lay and night through the widest of
country.
Any rock or tree might hide an en-
smy- Any ravine might shelter a band
II Indians. The rotting wheels and
bleaching bones scattered along the
Dad told stories that were not reas-
surfing.
There were streams almost impos-
iible to swim There was the desert
leat and dTouth and mirage madness
n summer and the blizzard in winter.
Snow fell steadily, hour after hour
lIdIng all traces of the trail and H.