The Coolidge examiner., 1934-10-12

thrilling story o. The Battle % Bcechers Island
fought lu eastern Colorado Ga September 1855.
that name IS familiar For Tom Ennahnn was
one of The party % - scouts commanded by
Col. George \. t"Saudy-l Forsyth % the regu-
lar army who wrote their names high In the
history of the West By their desperate defense
of The little Island in the Arlcsaree river against
the hosts ~ Cheyenne warriors led hy Chief
Roman Nose who was killed there Banahan
was siill living In Idaho a few years aso-one
OF the three last survivors Of the Forsyth
scouts and one ~ the few real surviving Pony
Express riders
one Of the best short accounts Of the Pony
Express. dealing with is organization operation
and rs historic importance. Is the chapter de-
voted 20 Il in the book The Overland Mail.
iSi9lsG9r by nr lie Roy Ilafen, Colorado state
historian which was published by the Arthur II.
Clark company of Cleveland In 1896
In II Doctor Hafen points out that The Pony
Express Was not end In Itself. but a means TO
an end. There had been previous suggestions
for the establishment of fast overland express
and an attempt made In congress In 1855
10 provide such a service bur these hrst efforts
did not succeed. With the establishment OF the
overland stage lines a rivalry had arisen between
the Butterfed (the Southern) and Central
routes and with the assembling Of the thirty
sixth congress In December. 1859. everything
pointed In the direction Of a general revision
OF the overland service. Partisans OF the Central
route were active but they met with consider.
able opposition. IL with the idea OF demon
strailng the practIcabllity OF the Central route
for year-round travel and to secure an enlarged
mail contract that the Pony Express scheme was
conceived.
During the winter OF 1SJ9-C0 while William
H. Russell was in Washington, he discussed the
overland mail question with Senator Gwin Of
California The senator eontended that IL was
necessary to demonstrate the feasibility Of the
Central route before he would be able 10 get
from congress the desired contract He appealed
to Russell 10 launch a swift overland express
and agreed 10 obtain from congress a subsidy
TO reimburse the firm for the undertaking The
plan appealed TO Russell and he agreed TO put
through the enterprise
Put IL through he did and on April s. 1860.
the historic Pony Express went into operation
with riders starting simultaneously from the
Eastern and Western termlni-St. Joseph. Mo-.
and San Francisco. Calf. II continued until the
through telegraph line was in operation. Then,
says Hafen. when the telegraph line was com
pleted on October "a 1861. the Pony Express
came TO a close. The pony was fast but he
could not compete with the lightning"
Unfortunately for its founders II was far from
being financial success II cost Russell and
his partners 100000 TO operate it during its
brief existence and their receipts were only $780,
| 600 leaving them with net loss OF 100000
/ But "from the standpoint of the nation the Pony
/ Express was eminently successful II demon
straed the practicabIlIty OF the Central and
marked the path for the first trans-continental
railroad By shortening the distance between the
\ Atlantic and Pacific coasts il helped unite the
Pacific coast and the Rocky mountain region
TO the Union during the first ominous year OF
the Civil war. 1t showed the conquest of the West
4 in one of its most spectacular phases and 1t is
| an act in the great western drama that win al
/ ways be recalled and re-enacted as one Of our
/ precious heritages."
/ by Western Newspaper Union.