Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1890-05-16
source date: 1890
availability: public-domain

The First Pony Express How Wm. H. Russell Won a Wager of $200,000 In the winter of 1860 there was a Wall street lobby at Washington exerting a strong influence on the government to get a subsidy of $50,000,000 for carrying the mails overland for one year between New York and San Fran- cisco. In those early times this seemed an enor- mous sum of money to ask Congress to appro- priate for such a purpose, and the lobby did not meet with much encouragement. The discussion attracted universal atten- tion, and finally Wm. H. Russell, a well known western character, offered to bet $200,000 that he could put on a mail line between San Fran- cisco and St. Joseph that would make the dis- tance, 1950 miles, in ten days. He was given encouragement by Secretary of War Floyd and set to work making arrangements to carry his wager to a successful issue. The bet was taken, and April 3, 1860, was the fixed date for start-

o and St. Joseph that would make the dis- tance, 1950 miles, in ten days. He was given encouragement by Secretary of War Floyd and set to work making arrangements to carry his wager to a successful issue. The bet was taken, and April 3, 1860, was the fixed date for start- ing. Mr. Russell called in his partner and gen- eral manager of business on the plains, Mr. A. B. Miller, now a prominent citizen of Denver, Color., for a conference. After informing Miller of what he had done, Miller concurred in his opinion that the feat could be performed by pony express. In order to accomplish this Miller purchased 300 of the fleetest horses he could find in the West, and employed 125 men, eighty of these men were to be post riders, and they were selected with reference to their light weight and their known bravery and courage. Indians would sometimes give chase to the ex- press riders, but their common ponies were by no means matched for the chase after Miller’s thoroughbreds, any of which could run a single mile in 1 :52.

d with reference to their light weight and their known bravery and courage. Indians would sometimes give chase to the ex- press riders, but their common ponies were by no means matched for the chase after Miller’s thoroughbreds, any of which could run a single mile in 1 :52. The 3d of April, 1960, came, and arrange- ments had been made for the starting of the pony express. Several thousand people congre- gated in front of the Pike’s Peak stables, where the start was to be made, and all being anxious to secure a memento of the flying messenger, the little pony was almost robbed of her tail. Jack Keltley and John Fry were selected as the riders to alternate between St. Joseph and Kennekuk, Kan., which was the first station west. Keltley was to make the start, so mount- ing his pony at a signal given by firing a cannon a mile away he dashed off to the river. There he found the ferry-boat Gen. Guines, with steam up and bell ringing, awaiting his arrival. In a few moments he was landed on the Kansas shore, and was soon speeding away to Kenne- kuk, a distance of forty-five miles, which he made in four hours and fifteen minutes.

. There he found the ferry-boat Gen. Guines, with steam up and bell ringing, awaiting his arrival. In a few moments he was landed on the Kansas shore, and was soon speeding away to Kenne- kuk, a distance of forty-five miles, which he made in four hours and fifteen minutes. An express rider was started from San Francisco with east-bound dispatches at exactly the same time the messenger left St. Joseph. He made his ride of twenty miles in forty-nine minutes. The snows were deep in the moun- tains, and one rider was lost for several hours in a snow storm. From Salt Lake valley all went well until the Platte river was reached, at Julesburg, Neb. The river was very high and running rapidly, but the rider plunged his horse into the flood, only to mire, however, in the quicksand and drown. The courier succeeded in reaching the shore, with his mail bag in hand, and traveled ten miles on foot to the reach the next relay. When the last courier arrived at the sixty mile post, out from St. Joseph, he was one hour ( 16 )

e, however, in the quicksand and drown. The courier succeeded in reaching the shore, with his mail bag in hand, and traveled ten miles on foot to the reach the next relay. When the last courier arrived at the sixty mile post, out from St. Joseph, he was one hour ( 16 ) behind time. John Fry was to make the finish of sixty miles, and he had six horses with which to do it. A heavy rain had to set in, and the roads were very slippery. Two hundred thous- and dollars might turn upon a single minute, and Fry had just three hours and thirty minutes in which to win. This was the finish of the larg- est race and stake ever run in America. When the time for his arrival was nearly up at least 5000 people stood upon the river bank at St. Joseph and watched the Kansas shore with eager eyes. The time was nearly up. Only seven minutes remained. At that moment John Fry’s horse dashed from the thicket and ran on the ferry boat, winning the wager of $200,000, and having five minutes to spare.