Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-31
Miseellaneous Rsaaiag.
A THOUooND-MlLE RACE.
Memorable Dash Against Time Be-
tween Santa Fe and Westport In
DAYS of Pony Express.

In 1859 the terminus of the rail-
way system of tho company was at
st. Joseph, the station being at Eighth
and Olive streets. West of this city
the stage coach, OK team and kindred
methods of transportation were re-
sorted to for the purpose OF MAIN
tanning communication with the Pa
cific coast, which was by that time
fairly we'll settled. and business men
began to study the problem of rapid
overland mail service.
Wall Street capitalists were at work
in Washington in the winter of 1859
endeavoring to secure subsidy OF
$1O,OOO,OOO for carrying the mails
overland one year between New
York and San Francisco. William II.
Russell, backed up by Secretary oil
War Floyd, considered the scheme a
very extravagant proposition and
said that he could put on mail line
from ST. Joseph to San Francisco that
would cover the distance-1,95O 10
miles-in ten days. He was so con-
fident that he offered to wager
100000 on his proposition. The
schemers for the big mail contract felt
bound to meet the bluff" and took
up the wager. April 8, 1860, was
fixed as the date for starting.
A. b. Miller, Russelrs partner, was
positive that a pony express could be
established which would enable Rus
sell to win the big bet. There was
no time to be lost, and Miller set
about his task with energy. He pur-
chased 800 of the fleetest horses he
could procure and secured the SER
vices of 1875 men. Eighty Of these
men were selected for postriders, and
of course, were specially chosen for
their light weight-the lighter the
better for the horse-as some parts
of the route had to be covered at
twenty-five miles an hour.
In establishing the relays. the dis
tance in each instance was deter
mined by the character Of the coun-
try. As a rule the horses were sta
toned from ten to twenty miles apart,
and each rider had to make sixty
miles. Two minutes were allowed for
changing the animals and shifting the
mails. If the relay stations were not
at proper intervals tent was put up
sufficient to accommodate one man
and two horses.
Some days before the start was to
be made all was hustle and excite
ment among those Immediately in
terested at st. Joseph, and soon the
whole town had caught the infec-
ton. On the morning of April 8,
1860, all was in readiness. and John
ME" Fry mounted a beautiful, fleet
looking little horse and rode to the
postoffice, where his mail pouch had
already been filled. and, after his pic.
ture was taken, he rapidly rode to the
ferry boat, cheered by throngs of
people, most of them following him
to the boat, where the river bank was
lined with spectators.
Thus departed the first pony eX-
press rider from the eastern terminus
Of the long mail route. The first rider
to reach st. Joseph from the west
was also Johnny Fry. He was
Seneca, sixty miles away, waiting for
the courier to arrive with the precious
mail, and when he did come he was
an hour late, which Fry had to make
up on his ride to st. Joseph. He had
six thoroughbred horses to do 1t with.
John Fry was a schoolbOy in st.
Joseph and lived up on Blacksnake. "
east Of where the Chicago Great
Western depot now stands. He was
tough and wiry, light as a cat" and
a rider with no superior. He was
Der of General Blunts body guard.
1t was his duty to ride the last sixty
miles of his race. and nobly did he
perform his task. AS the hour drew
near for Fry's arrival in st. Joseph
thousands Of people lined the river
bank gazing with feverish expectancy
in the direction of the Kansas woods
from which the horse and rider
should emerge into the open country
one mile from the finish.
Seven minutes more and the wager
would be lost! Just then bright
eyed youngster caught sight of the
anXiOusly looked for courier. and the