The Pony Express History Page
THE FORMATION---The Pony Express was the experimental brainchild of William H. Russell, Alexander Majors,and William Bradford Waddell, thus the name Russell, Majors, and Waddell. It was formed in the hopes of getting a 1 million dollar contract for the parent company of Central Overland California, and Pikes Peak Express Company.It all started on January 27,1860 when William Russell wired his Fort Leavenworth office to say that the Pony Express would start. the time from St. Joeseph, MO to Sacremento, CA was ten days. Thus the call went out and The Pony Express was concieved.
THE CALL---The call went out. Signs were posted from that day forward. Many different variations of the original help sign have been made. so we do not know what exactly the original sign said, but it went a little something like this.
"Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred."
THE OATH---Every rider was required to say an oath.
"While I am the employ of A. Majors, I agree not use profane language, not to get drunk, not to gamble, not to treat animals cruelly and not to do anything else that is incompatible with the conduct of a gentleman. And I agree, if I violate any of the above conditions, to accept my discharge without any pay for my services."
Alexander Majors was a very religious man, and he believed that a business could not operate properly without these rules. Because of this, every rider was provided with a bible courtesy of Mr. Majors.
THE PAY---The average rider recieved only $25 a week. Resulting in $100 a month salary. This was pretty good pay for 1860, plus as an added bonus their housing and food was taken care of by the station.
THE TRIP---Riders usually covered 75-100 miles a day. They rode 10 mph and switched horses every 10-15 miles. They covered rough rugged terrain, and encountered many dangers.
THE MOCHILA---The mochila or saddle sack was the pouch that riders carried the cargo in. It had four pockets, each with their own padlock. The mochila had a hole cut on the center to fit around the saddle horn. This allowed it to be securely attached to the saddle, but was also easy to remove from the saddle when a rider switched horses. The mochila weighed somewhere around 13 pounds.
THE STATIONS---There were any where between 150 -170 weigh stations that covered the 2,000 miles between St. Joe and Sacremento. These stations were placed 5-20 miles apart. The stations were often raided by indians and or drovers.
THE BEGINNING---The Pony Express oficially began on April 3, 1860. Bonfires and parades were organized to celebrate the start of what was to be the link between the east and the west. This is where we find another mystery: Who was the first rider? it could be any of seven people: Alex Carlisle, Charles Cliff, Gus Cliff, Johnny Frye, Jack H. Keetley, William Richardson and Henry Wallace. We may never know which of these men were the first.
THE RIDERS---There were over 200 riders for the pony express. SOme of the more famous ones were:
William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok
Martha Jane "Calamity Jane"
Canary(Cannary)
THE END---The Pony Express lasted approximately 18 months. It was a finacial failure. After all was said and done it cost $700,000 to operate and was approximately $200,000 in debt when it collapsed. Russell, Majors, and Waddell did not receive the million dollar contract due to the telegraph, political pressures, and the on coming civil war. The telegraph lines went up on October 24,1861. This shut down some but not all weigh stations. The Pony Express lasted for a month after the telegraph lines were completed. The last official ride was on November 21,1861. Even in it's short existince The Pony Express made a huge dent in American History and westward expansion. It still mystifies and intrigues today.
