Show FAMOVS PONY EXPRESS RIDERS The worlds record for organized and schedule riding was made by the Pony express says C F Lummls In McClures Magazine Never before nor since has mall been carried so fast so far and so long merely by horse power and If I am not In error never elsewhere have horses been so steadfastly spurred in any regular service Tho Pony express carried mall between the east and California at 5 per half ounce for about two years It ran from Independence to San Francisco 1950 miles Its time was ten days and It never needed eleven It employed 500 of the fastest fast-est horses that could be found of couse all western horses 200 station keepers ind 80 riders It had 190 stations sta-tions crowded down the throat of the wilderness 05 to 100 miles or even more apart according as water chanced The rider was allowed two minutes to change horses und malls at a station William F Cody Buffalo Bill was the most famous of the Pony express riders and as a 14 year ald kid got his first job from tho man who Invented In-vented the Pony express Cody made the record herea round trip ride necessitated ne-cessitated by the killing of his relief of 384 miles without stops except to change horses and to swallow one hasty meal Another of the Pony express riders Jack Kectley made a run of 340 miles In thirtyone hours and another Jim Moore rode 280 miles In fourteen hours and fortysix minutes Such men got 100 to 125 per month and found Their mall was limited to fifteen pounds Postage was 5 per half ounce for some time then the government ordered It cut down to 1 per half ounce at which figure it staid till tho completion of the overland telegraph tel-egraph to San Francisco Oct 22 1801 ended the life of this gallant enterprise |