Through much research and time at the library I was able to find this older article on the Pony Express. I asked the librarian if there were some books on the Pony Express (because I couldn't find any in their computer) and she handed me an old manuscript that was falling apart and deteriorating. Apparently it was something that had never been published, so this is the only copy that exists. She was gracious enough to let me xerox part of it, and I thought I'd share it with you. I should also note that I am copying this exactly as it was written. I'm not sure how accurate it is, and the grammar is terrible....but it's still very interesting!!
By William H. McNeal The demand for continued mail service to California, despite the Civil War and its closing of the Sante Fe Trail, resulted in the establishment of the world famous St. Joseph, MO. to Sacramento, Cal. Pony Express run of 1859-1861.
Russel, Majors, and Waddell were the operators of that daring and never-to-be duplicated, 2000 miles wonder run of the ages! They, like John Butterfield, were already operating stagecoach, mail and freight service, with a fine government record, on a line from St. Joseph by way of Fort Kearney, Neb., Julesberg, Colo., Fort Laramie, Wyoming, South Pass, Fort Bridger and Salt Lake City, over the Old Oregon Trail; with supply stations about every 10 or 12 miles, over an 1100 mile route.
They also operated a stage and freight line from Omaha to Denver, a distance of about 600 miles. These two freight and passenger lines required 1000 horses and miles and about half that number of men.
To establish the Pony Express "all they had to do," was to get 500 more Indian Ponies, and 300 men to ride them, and to maintain their 60 stations, to be established west of Salt Lake City on the California Trail. Some of those stations were later known as Camp Floyd, Utah, Ruby, Nevada, Cold Springs, Nevada, Carson City, Nevada, Placerville, and Sacramento California.
The Pony Express cut John Butterfield's 25 day stage service time, between St. Joe and San Francisco, down to 8 days! Lincoln's Proclamation address was delivered in a record 7 days in 1861. A letter could reach New York from San Francisco in 11 days. The boat time was from a month to six weeks. It cost $5 to for a letter from Sacramento to St. Joseph.
That 8 day schedule meant that the mail had to keep moving, day and night, for a distance of 250 miles each 24 hours, in each direction! A distance of 500 miles for BOTH directions each 24 hours. The AVERAGE speed, (with time out for meals and rest INCLUDED in that average), was 10 miles an hour, day and night! That was double the speed made by the best stage lines, and that marvelous record has no known equal in all the recorded history of the world, for Pony Express Service.
The next section will be posted soon!!
