The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-02-20

October 9, 1853, the first stage from the East
reached San Francisco.
1S6o-The first Pony Express mail began run
ming from ST. Joseph, Mo-, to Sacramento, Calf.
The Pony Express continued for Is months until
the completion of the telegraph line to San Fran
cisco in October, 1861. Daring riders, travelling
day and night as fast their horses could run,
relayed bags of mail across the plains and noun
tains from the Missouri river the Pacific ocean.
Starting in 1860, the Express left st. Joseph twice
a week. making the trip to Sacramento in eleven
days. later in nine days. The record run was in
March, 1861, when President Lncons inaugural
address carried from st. Joseph to Sacra-
mente, 1880 miles, in seven days and seventeen
hours.
1S61-Edward Creighton was commissioned by
the Pacific Telegraph company (Which in 1864
merged with Western Union) to make survey
for telegraph route between the Missouri river
and the Pacific coast At Salt Lake he enlisted
the support of Brigham Young. Congress APP
proved this enterprise On October IT, 1861 the
first message telegraphed from San Francisco
to Omaha The western division Of the telegraph,
Sacramento to Salt Lake City, was constructed by
the Overland Telegraph company, which likewise
was merged with Western Union in 1866.
1S65-July 10-Political and military reasons
dictated that there should be safer and surer
method of transportation between California and
the Middle West than the wagon train and stage
coach. Four routes were surveyed by the govern
ment, but the central route seemed to offer the
best advantages for railroad construction includ-
ing the most feasible passages over the noun
tains. Thus it was that the central route was
finally selected after a bitter fight between the
northern southern and central factions for the
first transcontinental railroad. Following con-
ference between President Lincoln and General
Granville NJ Dodge, Council Bluffs was selected
as the eastern terminus of the Pacific" railroad
of uh inf wore a ba m
the Chicago and North Western from Chicago
The first rail laid at Omaha, July 10, 1865
and by the close of the year 40 miles Of track had
been completed.
1S69-On May 10, 1862 in eight years less time
than had been allotted for the mighty project the
golden spike was driven at Promentsry, 5s miles
northwest Of Ogden Utah, joining the rails Of the
two roads and forming the first railroad line from
the Missouri river to the Pacific coast, spanning
some Ito miles.
For the next 40 years this railroad helped pour
its flood Of settlers into the Great West The
great buffalo herds were wiped cut Of existence
and with their passing the power Of the Indians
who had steadily resisted the encreachments of
the whites, ended. Then came the age OF the
automobile and the next important date in the
history of transportation this historic trail
was 1913 when the Lincoln highway was projected
as memorial to great President, and was later
completed as the first continuous improved road
to be laid out from the Atlantic to the Pacific
But it remained for the coming of the arplane to
draw the eastern and western boundaries OF the
nation more closely together and man began span
ming the continent in hours where before it had
taken days and weeks The Inauguration of day
light air mail line from New York to Chicago by
the government in 1919 was the first step, to be
followed so swiftly by others that the idea OF
transcsntinental air travel accomplished
fact almost as soon as it was projected.
r. A.. II ro,,fa axfo Cd frnrn
Chicago to Omaha, then extended for daylight
flight to San Francisco On September Z. 1920, the
first transcontnental air mail trip, requiring SO
hours and 81 minutes, was made between San
Francisco and New York This was the first time
in history that air mail carried at night on
a regular night schedule. In the next five years
air mail service developed rapidly and in 1927 the
government retired from operation of air mail
planes the transportation of mail by planes being
taken under contract by private companies
From New York to Chicago the mails were car
ried by the National Air Transport and from Chi
cago to San Francisco, over the historic Over
land route, they were carried by the Boeing Air
Transport. These companies alse contracted to
carry air express and from this 1t was but
step to carrying passengers.
The final step was taken last year when regu-
lar passenger service was inaugurated for both
day and night flying. Today the traveller can
step In an airplane in New York and AZ hours
later (for this schedule includes overnight stop
in Chicago he Is In San Francisco. The actual
flying time between the Atlantic coast and the
Pacific is 261s hours. The story of century Of
transportation over the Overland Trail Is an Alad
din fairy tale come true
&C, by Western Newspaper Union.)