Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-14
THE PONY EXPRESS.


fornia in 1s4S-9, and by Gen. Albert
Sidney Johnston and his army of 1000
men. who marched from Fort Leaven-
worth to salt Lake city in 1873 prom
jscs to throw one of the most fascinat-
Ing side lights upon western history
Incidents Of those remarkable jour
neys continue TO enlist the investiga-
tion of contemporary writers. The
bare recital of the deeds Of the pony
express riders thrills the heart of youth
and occasionally holds the attention of
ali thoughtful readers with its strange,
wild and heroic flavor.
AS Elder Orson f. whitney of the
Council Of the Twelve, remarked in
recent discourse. this part Of the Unit
ed States was at that time Mexican
soil, roamed over by savage tribes,
Wild beasts, and few hunters and
trappers who, with their Indian wives
and half-breed children. baited the
bear. trapped the beaver, or guided
the occasional emisrant train or chance
traveller to and from the western ocean.
The Missouri river was the frontier OF
the nation Beyond lay the broad
plains of the Louisiana Purchase, now
divided into the states OF Kansas Ne
braska. the Dakotas, and other COM
monwcalths Farther west was re-
gion called the Great Basin, broad
stretch OF elevated arid country be-
tween the Wasatch and the Sierra Ne
vada mountains. Then came the fer
tile slopes of California and the wooded
hills and wales Of oregon. Early in the
"forties" proposition was made In
Congress to. establish mail route
from independence Missouri, to the
mouth of the Columbia river. for the
accommodation of n few Americans
who had settled there. Oregon was
claimed by Great Britain, as well as by
the United States. and a war seemed
Imminent between the two nations
over the question of ownership. Cali
fornia. which included Utah and Nc
vada, belonged to the republic of Mex
SEQ.
Coincidentally with the publication in
these columns of Prof. Pauls articles
on Utah, dealing with the evolution OF
transportation and the Journey Of the
Pioneers, comes the announcement OF
II history of the pony express, filled
with tales of the overland mail and
famous rides and riders.
The book is written by William
Lishtfoot Vissoher and published by a
Chicago firm. It especially recalls
how the hunter. freishter emigrant,
telegraph, the railroad and irrigation,
each in turn blazed, opened, and inn
proved the westward way, until now in
this land of prosperity. only the mem
ories OF the pioneers are left.
The central route" as II was termed.
from the Pacific Ocean to the Missouri
river. was by way of Sacramento, Salt
Lake City, South Pass and down the
Platte to st. Joseph.
Notwithstanding the strong desire OF
the West, then rapidly filling up with a
busy people, to receive tho news as
fresh as possible from the East and the
centers of civilization, II was found
impossible, as late as 1859, to obtain any
subsidy from Congress for the carrying
of the overland mall. In that winter.
Senator Ciwin from California, who had
been urging the establishment by the
government of a Western mail route
met with several capitalists in Wash
ington. and laid before them the plan OF
the afterwards famous pony express"
lone of the most romantic and daring
business ventures ever known in this
or any other country
BY this time much faster travel had
superseded the slow trains of the Pho
neers and OF the gold-seekers of the
days OF 40" News was now carried
across the continent in twenty days.
With the advent OF the pony express,
tho time was reduced 10 ten days--a
feat of horsemanship no doubt un-
paralleled In the annals OF history.
To traverse the 1880 miles OF the most
direct railway route from New York
10 San Francisco, IN the earlier years OF
our railroad history, required seven
days, three hours ana forty-Aye min
utes by the fastest express trains This
fact gives clear view OF the skill,
courage and endurance OF the pony rid
ers. who made the run IN ten days
In 1869 81. Joseph Missouri, was this
western terminus OF railway oommun-
cation, and between that city and the
young city OF the Golden Gate, there
interviewed but one city, Salt Lake and
1000 miles OF wild, unlnhahlted coun-
Try. infested with warlikc Indians.
Thpough this unlnyitlng region led the
trails over which II was proposed to
ride the flying ponies.
u was In me spring Of 1860 that Boil
iyar Roberts, superintendent OF the
western division of the Pony Express,
went to Carson city, New. 10 engage
riders and station agents for the route
across the great plains. In few days,
nifty or sixty riders were engaged-men
noted for their 1.-THE. Wlry physiques
bravery and GOODNESS IN moments OF
great personal danger, and endurance
under the most trying circumstances OF
fatigue.
Horse and human flosh' writes Mi.
Nlsscher were strained 10 tha utmost
OF physical tension, Day or night, I'm
sunshine or storm, under the darkest
skies, I'm the pale moonlight, and with
only the stars al times 10 guide him.
me brave rider must speed on. Ram.
nan, snow or sleet there was no de-
lay, Sometimes Ms nathwav
leu across level prairies straight as
thN night OF an arpoN ~ t,.e ,ft.,, "a