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

sThose marked with an are living at the
present time
During the same year Howard r. briggs, presl-
dent of the Oregon Trail Memorial association
and well-known historian OF pioneer DAYS In
the West, said In an article In the New York
Tribune magazine
Ihey can be counted on the fingers of one
hand. the few that remain of the hundred or
more daring boys who helped put Americas first
mail across from old Saint Joe to Sacramento
during those stirring days of the early COS
Right now only a bare handful Of the orig
ina riders are left to take part. And they can
participate only as onlookers; for every one of
them is over eighty years of age.
These survivors. according to last reports
are John Seebeck OF Alameda, Calf; Charles
CliH OF st. Joseph, Mo-, and Elijah Maxfield OF
Loa, Utah. Two or three others have been named
with some uncertainty. Several station keepers
and substitute riders have also been reported
alive More may be discovered through the cele-
bration In progress but the three Pony Express
men just named seem to be the only regular
riders that linger to give frst-hand experience
OF that thrilling epoch In Americas story"
1t will be noticed that Mr.. briggs list OF sur
vivors checks with Miss Packs list only In re-
gard to Charles Cliff and John Seebeck. He does
not mention four In her list-Chares Becker
William Pridham, Tom Ranahan and w a.
Streeper-and she does not mention one Of his
three-Elijah Maxwell. And neither OF them
mentions another survivor Henry Avis who was
a resident OF Kansas City until his death In
1927.
In Root and Connelley's Overland Stage to
California appears "a partial list so far as Is
KNOWN OF the men who rode the Pony Express
and contributed to the lasting fame OF the enter
prise" IT cnnfatnc
Miss Packs list, but 1t names three which she
does not have. They are William Boulton, VIII
liam Carrigan and III. ]. Faust Al
One OF Miss Packs list Just missed being
marked with an as survivor. He was Joseph
Donovan (Joe Donovan) who died In Denver,
July 26 1923, just month before the Pony
Express celebration began Besides being Pony
express rider, Donovan had stirring career
as government scout and Indian fighter ac-
cordlng to the accounts OF his death In the Den
yer newspapers. He was said to have held the
distinction of being the only Denver citizen, at
the time Of his death who had visited the sIre
OF that city prior to 1850
Even more famous as a scout was another
Pony Express rider who now lies buried on
Lookout mountain near Denver His name an
pears on the Pony Express roll as William r.
Cody but the whole world was to know him in
the future as Buffalo BILL" Most accounts of
the Pony Express give prominent mention to
Cody as one OF the youngest of Its riders (he
was only fourteen at the time) and the rider
VINO made 'one OF the longest and probably
the longest continuous performance without a
formal rest period In the history OF this or any
other courier service"-322 miles In 81 hours.
Unfortunately for Cody's fame as a Pony Elk
press rider, just as is the case In some of the
Ytha rF hir .
enough to be accepted unquestionIngly One OF
his most trustworthy blographers, Richard ].
Walsh In his book, 1.-THE Making of Buffalo Bllr
says: His Pony Express record is accepted by
historians but all of the testimony is hearsay
and the accounts OF that period are highly CON
fused. Alexander Majors vouched for Codvs
service on the Overland trails but Majors when
he told the story, was an old man in sore straits
and grateful to Buffalo Bill for financial assist
ance and Majors book was written for him by
none other than Prentss Ingraham. the dime
novelist"
Elsewhere In his book Walsh says: AT first
he (the fourteen-y ear-old Cody was given an
easy route. forty-fye miles, which he had to
make In three hours with three changes OF
mounts. This easy route was probably the
regular road between LeavenWorth and st. Jo
seph, over which Cody rode as the Office boy on
Ia term by which Majors once char.
acterized him), carrying mail to be placed 10 the
Pony Express bags at St Joseph Connellev
civilian f. Connelley, late secretary OF the
Kansas Historical society and one of the most
careful investigators and reliable historians If
that part OF the Wesp believes that this ia the
only Pony Express riding ever done by Codvv
Perhaps the name OF Tom Ranahan on tho
Pony Express rolls means little to the AVERAGE
person but to anyone who has ever read the