The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-09-30
(Kansas CITY Star.)

III 1919 TIE terminus Oh the railway
system of the country was at st. 10
seph, the station being at Eighth and
Olive streets. West Of this city thu
stage coach. OK team and kindred
methods of transportation were re
sorted to for the purpose of maintain.
Ing communication with the Pacific
coast. which was by that time fairly
settled, and business men began tc
study the problem of a rapid overland
mail service.
Wall street capitalists were at work
in Washington in the winter Of 1855
endeavoring to ecure a subsidy OF
erland n year between New York
and San Francisco. William H. Rus
sell. backed by Secretary of War
Floyd. considered the scheme a very
eNtraNagant proposition and said that
he could put on a mail line from St.
Joseph to San Francisco that would
the distance-1,95O miles-in
ten days. He was so confident that he
offered to wager $500, 900 on his pro-
mail contract felt bound to meet the
bluff" and took up the wager. April
s. 1860, was fixed as the date for
starting.
A. b. Miller, Russell's 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 serv-
were selected for p~ostriders. and OF
course. were specially chosen for their
ifght weight-the lighter the man the
better for the horse-as some parts
of the route had to he covered at
twenty-five miles an hour.
In establishing the relays. the dis
tance in each instance was determined
by h character of the country. AS
a rule the horses We're stationed from
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 a tent was put up sufficient
10 accommodate M man and two
Some days before the start was to
be made all was hustle and excitement
among those Immediately interested at
Joseph. and soon the whole town
a caught the infection. On the
morning Of April 8. 1860, all was in
readiness and johnnie" Fry mounted
a beautiful. fleet-looking little horse
and rode to the postoffce, where his
pouches had already been filled.
and. after his picture was taken, he
rapidly rode to the ferry boat, cheered
throngs Of people, most of them
following him to the boat, where the
river bank was lined with spectators.
Ihus departed the first pony ex-
press rider from the eastern terminus
OF the long mail route. The first
to reach St. Joseph from the
west was also Johnnie Fry. He was
at seneca. sixty miles away. waiting
Tor the courier to arrive with the
precious mail. and when he did come
ne was an hour late. which Fry had
make up on his ride to st. Joseph.
He had six thoroughbred horses to do
1t with. ~
John Fry was a school boy 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
q rlder with no superior. He was
kiiieo during the war while a member
OF Gen. Blunt's body guard. It was
MS duty to ride the last sixty miles
OF his long race. and nobly did he
his task. AS the hour drew
for Fry's arrival in st. Joseph
of people lined the river
gazing with feverish expectancy
the direction of the Kansas woods
from which the horse and rider should
emerge into the open n one
mile from the finish.
seven minutes more and the wager
De lost! Just then a BRIGHT
eyed youngster caught sight of the
anxiously looked for courier. and the
yell that went w from the crowd