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April 3 1860 First ride of the Pony Express


Valin

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When the Pony Express was in Vogue

 

The early coaches of Wells Fargo consumed twenty days to cross from St. Joseph, Missouri, long considered a great outpost of civilization, to Sacramento. But twenty days to the merchants and bankers of the West Coast seemed an eternity, and so a short time before the beginning of the Civil War, the Pony Express came into existence. Having received assurances that fast communication from the Missouri River to California would be well patronized, three early stagecoach men, Senator W.M. Gwin, Alexander Majors and Daniel E. Phelps, made preparations for the inauguration of the new service. Six hundred broncos, especially chosen for fleetness, toughness and endurance, were purchased. Seventy-five men, none of them weighing over one hundred and ten pounds, were engaged as riders, being selected on account of their bravery, their capacity for deprivation and their horsemanship, as well as for their shooting abilities and their knowledge of the craft and the manner of attack of the Indians. One of these, Henry Wallace, was selected for the signal honor of inaugurating the Pony Express on April 3, 1860. In one of the laced pockets of his mochilla (Mexican saddlebags) he carried a message of congratulation from President Buchanan to the Governor of California, the words having been telegraphed that very morning from Washington to St. Joseph.

 

The packet which Wallace had taken out from St. Joseph reached Sacramento, the capital of California, just ten days later -- almost to the very hour. Night and day it had been carried forward unceasingly. A rider would pick it from his predecessor and ride forth sixty miles at top speed to the point where his "relief" awaited him, to pick up the mochilla and start off in turn upon his sixty mile stretch. Six hour were given each of these riders for his sixty mile stint, and in this time he rode six different ponies.

 

This express was a tremendous hit. Bankers and merchants found a ten day service between the western end of rail and telegraph communication at St. Joseph and Sacramento, where there was overnight boat transit to San Francisco, a tremendous help.

 

(Snip)

 

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logicnreason

Hard to believe that on November 21, 1861, the last ride of the Pony Express took place. Lots of history made in less than a year and a half!

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Hard to believe that on November 21, 1861, the last ride of the Pony Express took place. Lots of history made in less than a year and a half!

 

Remember what we call today, "The Old West" didn't really last that long. And wasn't that long ago, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (at the end of the era was 1881 and Wyatt Earp didn't die until 1929.

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logicnreason

Wyatt Earp dies in 1929....and the stock market crashes in 1929.

 

Coincidence???

 

I think not!

 

biggrin.png

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