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Joe Cole, age 9, of Utica, N.Y., for his question:

HOW FAST WAS PONY EXPRESS?

Young pony express horseback riders carried United states mail between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, covering the distance of 1,966 miles in eight or nine days. This was 12 to 14 days shorter than the time required by the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoaches.

But in the long range, pony express as not a success. The entire operation only lasted one year and six months. The first run was made on April 3, 1860 and the final delivery was made on October 24, 1861.

Because a coast to coast telegraph was put into operation, there became no need for the pony express. The promoters of the system were ruined financially.

While it was in operation, the pony express was an ambitious operation. There were 190 stations built on the route. A total of 400 keepers and assistants were hired, as well as 80 riders. Most of the riders were 18 years old or younger. It wasn't a job for oldsters.

A young rider rode at top speed from one station to the next, carrying mail in leather, rainproof pouches strapped to the front and back of his saddle. He carried two revolvers and a knife as defense against attacks by Indians and bandits.

The rider usually covered about 75 miles. Relay stations stood 10 to 15 miles apart. As he approached a station, he either jumped to a fresh horse, taking only two minutes to transfer the mail pouches and down a quick meal, or he would be relieved by another rider. The mail continued to move acorss the continent night and day and in all kinds of weather.

Pony express riders followed the well known Oregon California Trail, along the Platte River in Nebraska and through South Pass in Wyoming. At Fort Bridger the riders traveled to the south of the Great Salt Lake and then headed due west across the salt desert to the Sierra Nevada mountains at Carson City, Nevada. This route was 100 miles shorter than the stagecoach trail.

A pony express rider earned between $100 and $150 per month.

Senator William Gwinn of California was the chief promoter of the pony express. A freight firm, called Russell, Majors and Waddell, backed the operation.

When the pony express rider reached Sacramento, the mail was then taken by river streamers to San Francisco.

The company had 400 horses that were used in the project.

How much did it cost to send a pony express message? At first the postage rate was $5 for each half ounce. Later the rate dropped to $1. Mail pouches never weighed over 10 pounds on each run.

The first pony express trip took 10 days to cover the distance, but this dropped to between eight and nine days as the drivers became more skilled.

Once the mail was carried the full distance in a record six days. On this particular trip, the rider carried the news of Abraham Lincoln's election as President of the United in November, 1860.

 

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