Norwich bulletin., 1921-09-02
ODD TNCTnENTs sN AMERICAS
 HISTORY
THE PONY EMPRESS


 For close to ten years following 1850 the overland mail was carried from the Middle West &o the Pacific coast by means of stage coaches in the win ter of 1859, while William H. Russell of the great prairie firm that operated mail coaches from St. Joseph Mo, to Salt Lake City, was in Washington, he was urged by Senator Gwin of California to open a pony express mail for the car riage of letters between St. Joseph and Sacramento.
 To persuade his partners to under take such a centure was no easy mat l ter; but they finally consented and in March, 1860, the newspapers announced | that Russell & Co were about to run an express between St. Joseph and Sac ramento, and that the first rider was ex- j pected to leave StA Joseph on April g. 1 Service was to be weekly in each di- rection and the run was to be made in l ten days, and nothing save letters and 1 telegraph messages would be carried The price charged was that from St Louis to any point in California the charge would be five dollars and thirty cents for ten words and ten cents for each additional word From New York and the Atlantic coast cities the charge was $6.90 for ten words and twenty cents for each word over ten. 1 Tuesday, April g. was a great day in St. Joseph. At half past seven the pouch containing dispatches for Sacramento and San Francisco papers was brought out and fastened to the saddle of the pony by the mayor of the city. and amid the shouts of the crowd the rider gal loped away to begin one of the most remarkable undertakings in the history of the country
 Along the route at distances of ten of fifteen miles were the stations At each of these the rider would find sad dled bridled and awaiting him a fresh Epony. To this the pouch was transferred as quickly as possible, and the rider was off again at a gallop. It was nee essary to reach San Francisco in two hundred and forty hours
 As the first Overland Pony Express Mail from the east drew near to the Pacific ctagt there were great rejoic- ings in the towns through which it pass. ed. At Sacramento the legislature ad- : journed in honor of the event and crowds blocked the streets along which thI rider must go From Sacramento pony and rider went by steamer to San Fran tcisco where they were escorted by thu militia, torchlight procession and joy ful crowd in the heart of the city. Bon fires burned and fireworks were set of till late in the night
 April the first Overland Pony. Ex +press Mail eastward left San Francisco went by steamer to Sacramento ant
 thence forward, and at 5 o'clock on th' afternoon of the 18th was in St. Joseph . The city was illuminated, citizens par
 aded the streets with bands and fireworks : were burned The last one hundred mile f it was said with pride, was made fl
 ai7 h0T1S
 That same Friday, April 1S, the sec e ond Overland Pony Express westwar, s left St. Joseph for the day of depart
 ure had been changed from Tuesday t Friday, that letters from New York migh |. reach St. Joseph without being detaine :. anywhere over Sunday.
 Later the Pony Express left St. Jo
 seph on Saturday. Letters deposited a the New York office of the Pony Ex l. afternoon could reach St Joseph in tim | to be taken by the rider who left at 1 o'clock on Saturday night.
 II The tariff was $5 for less than ha' an ounce. and s10 for letters weighfn .. from one-half to one ounce. Each le
 ter had to be enclosed in a Governner
 stamped envelope with postage to Sa Francisco prepaid Now and then no through mail a
 rived, Tor the lnd1anS Killed many 'e ttfder. rn such cases some one at u
 station which the murdered man faile
 to reach would take his place and ca 1- ry the news which went on from rid' nj to rider in place of the mail
 q Thus the Pony Express rider due
 St. Joseph on May .28 did not come uni
 the 3oth and brought no mail from Ss
 Francisco. On the way bill, the agel at Salt Lake City wrote: The rid or has just come in. The Indians ha- Ill chased all the men from the station
 between Diamond Springs anId Carst
 Valley The pouch in which the e ty press matter is carried is lost The I er dians had killed two riders on the la es trip.
 (Tomorrow- Scandal in Jackson's c
 Acial Family)
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