Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-07-26
ORIGIN of Pony Express
Was Wager of $2OO,OOO
WON by s. Minute Margin

hand and travelled 10 miles on foot to
reach the next relay. John Fry, a popu-
lar rider was to make the finish. he
had 60 miles to travel with six horses to
do it. When the last courier arrived at
the Goth mile post out from st. Louis he
was one hour behind time. A heavy
rain set in and the roads were slippery.
Two hundred thousand dollars might
turn ON a single minute. Fry had just
three hours and thirty minutes in which
to run. This was the finish OF the long
est race and for the largest purse ever
run in America.
5000 Await the Finish
when the time for his arrival was
nearly up, at least 5000 people stood
upon the river bank, with eyes turned
towards the woods from which the horse
and its rider should emerge into the
open country in the rear Of Elwoods one
mile from the finish. Tick, tick, went
thousands of watches. The time was
nearly up, only seven minutes remained.
Harkl A shout goes up from the assem-
bled multitude. He comesl He comesl
The sable little mare, Sylph, the daugh-
ter of Little Arthur, darts from the woods
like an arrow from the bow, and makes
the last mile in one minute and fifty
seconds, landing on the ferry boat with
five minutes and a fraction to spare"
All of the preceding seems to have been
taken from the News, the Major adding
the concluding sentences.
Many Bets Were Made
'"I remember well the great excitement
this great feat Of speed and endurance
created in the city of st. Louis, where
many thousands of dollars were lost and
won by the friends Of the two parties.
The great interest AIKEN seemed to be
sectional, and as Floyd, VIM. H. Russell
and A. B.. Miller were Virginians, SOUTH
ern people took interest on their side.
Many of them bet largely as also did
most of the western people, while New
York sent out agents to bet that the
ponies could not make the time.
All the riders who rode in this long
race received splendid presents from Rus
sell n Miller and a number Of the
riders are in Montana today. and scat
tered out over the far west. Some Of the
~1eetest horses used in this race were
loaned for the occasion, the owners bet
ting largely on the result. All the horses
and riders were put on their several sta
lions 10 days before the date of starting,
and each horse trained over the route he
had to run.
col. JEFF Thompson, a native of Vir-
ginia. and who was noted during the
war as the Swamp Fox of the southwest,
was mayor of the city Of st. Joseph at
the time of this great race, and 1t was
he who received the mail pouch from
the rider, John Fry"
Once established, the pony express en-
deavored to keep up its record for speed,
gained in that first wonderful race. In
these days of automobiles the time made
by the riders does not appear extraord-
mary, and 1T is difficult TO realize how
the country appeared through which
they raced.
Then it was a desert waste, the sta
lions arranged for the accommodation OF
rider and mount were dotted along the
route at 10-mile intervals. These sta
lions were not provided with means
OF adequate defense in case they were
attacked by Indians. Hard and precari-
GUS as was the life of the express rider,
that of the station keeper was not more
enviable. There was little to vary the
monotony of his existence; he never
knew when the Indians might appear in
force and wipe him and his fimsy hab-
itation off the face of the earth.
The express ponies, according to one
of the riders, did not carry an ounce of
weight that could be expensed with. The
saddle was of the lightest description
possible, md fitted with pouches at the
side for carrying the mail. When a rider
started out, he kept on until he met an
other. Sometimes 1t CHANGED that this
other was killed by Indians. Then the
rider was forced TO ride two stages.
1t was q trying life, M almost unen-
durable at the start, or until the riders
became wonted TO IT. III any hero de-
serves q memorial, one should be erected
In honor Of the brave rider OF the pony
express.