The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-10-11


riders, at the tender age of eleven years! Know
Ing what we do Of the history Of the Pony Elk
press, what was required of It's riders and the
| conditions under which they operated-it doesn't
seem likely that eleven-y ear-old boy was one
OF them.
And yet this particular news Item is not
unique. For the last two decades such Items
have been appearing regularly In our newspapers
and almost invariably check-up on the dates
In them would reveal the fact that this sup
posed Pony Express RIDER had been engaged
fn his dangerous task while still mere child.
Indeed, one Of them who was characterized as a
PONY Express rider would have been only six
years old at the time
The explanation OF this inconsistency lies In
the fact that there is much confusion as to
exactly what is meant by the term PONY Elk
press rider" Strictly speaking, that title can
be applied only to men who were engaged BY
the Central Overland California and Pixies Peak
Express company for Its Pony Express service,
founded by William FL. Russell OF the famous
firm OF Russell Majors and Wadde In 1850
started In April OF that year and discontinued
In October, 1861. That was the original PONY
Express whose brief career Of IS months forms
one OF the most romantic chapters In the his
tory OF the old frontier
In later years throughout the West the mails
were carried over long stretches OF territory by
horsemen until their work was taken over bv
stage coach lines which, in turn, were succeeded
by the railroads. During these years 1t became
somewhat the fashion to refer to these horsemen
as Pony Express riders characterization
which persisted after the passing OF the from
tier without any special Inquiry into the appro-
priateness of the title.
So In these modern days, when an old-tiner
dies and 1t becomes known that he had once
carried the mails on horseback out West he Is
Immediately set down as PONY Express rider
which accounts for some of the news tems
spoken OF at the beginning of this article
Mounted mail carriers they may have been but
they were not real Pony Express riders-at least
not all of them.
Who. then, were the real Pony Express riders7
1t ls doubtful II complete roster of their
names can ever be compiled. When operation OF
the PONY Express service began there were so
Of them but this number varied during the next
Is months and 1t Is probable that at least 100
different men at one time or another were riders
In the service.
To connection with the celebration held In 1923
the Union Pacific Magazine issued a special
Pony Express number In which Miss Mary Pack.
writing on 1.-THE Romance of the Pony Express
listed the following as known riders for the
original organization:
Baughn, Melville tMeD Kelly, Jay G.
beatey, James (Jim) King Thomas Owen
Becker, Charles Little Yank"
Boston Macaulas
Brink, James w. Martin Bob
Bucklin, Jimmy Mccall, j. G.
Burnett, John Mcdonald James
Campbell, william McNaughton, Jim
Carlisle, Alex. c. McEneany
Carr, William Moore James fJim,
Gates. Bill Perkins Josh
Clark, Jimmy Pridham, Williams
Clin Charles Ranahan, Tom.
Cody, William r. Rand, Theodore
Joe Richardson, Johnson
Egan Howard Ransom Rifles Bart
Egan Richard Erastus Rising Den C.
Ellis, J. K Ron. Harry
Fisher John Sangiovanni, G. @.
Fisher William (BilD Seebeck, john
Frey. Johnnie Spur George
Gentry, Jim Streeper W. H.
ellison, Jim Strickland. Robert c.
Hamilton, Sam Thacher, George
Haslam, Robert Towne. George
Hogan. Martin Wallace. Henry
Huntington. Let Westcott, Dan
Irish Tom Whelan. Michael III.
James, William tBInD "WhIpsaw"
Jenkins, VIII ID. Zowgauz, Jose
Xeetey. Jack