Two thousand miles of waste land lay between the western frontier and
California and the long wagon trains sent out by the various companies
did very well for carrying freight. But as the settlements grew in
number there came a demand for a speedier method of communication by
which letters and money might be sent to the Pacific Coast and other
points. The long journey of the slowly moving wagons did not interfere
very much in matters of freight, but the settlers soon realized that
business arrangements and papers needed better and quicker means of
transportation.
[Illustration: INDIANS LYING IN WAIT FOR THE “PONY EXPRESS”]
The great freight transporters, therefore, conceived the idea of a
scheme for carrying letters at a much faster rate to San Francisco by
means of a single horseman riding a pony at full speed. Their idea was
that a man should mount a swift pony, capable of great endurance, and
ride straight out into the open desert, where, at the end of fifteen
miles, there would be a station with several men in it, who would have
ready another fresh pony. This horseman was to slow up at this shanty,
jump to the ground with his bag of letters, immediately jump on the
fresh pony and ride fast and furiously for another fifteen miles to the
next similar station. It happened that some of these stations were in
towns and settlements, but more often they were on the bleak prairies
or in the hills of the Rocky Mountains. This pony express followed
the same trail as that used by the wagon trains, but since the wagon
train stations were usually forty-five miles apart of course many more
stations had to be built. A man who rode one of these divisions rode
fifteen miles on one pony, fifteen miles on the second, and fifteen
miles on the third. Then he began his return trip of forty-five miles.
Sometimes it would be easy riding over open country, then again it
might be up rocky gulches or through forests difficult to traverse. Men
of the hardest sort of physique and endurance were required, and the
ponies had to be sure-footed and swift. The wages paid for this work
were liberal, so the companies owning the route were able to procure
the best men on the frontier.
[Illustration]
Over the saddle hung mail pouches that weighed about twenty pounds.
This was really a very small part of the amount of mail to be sent, but
the ponies could not carry a heavier load, so to increase the number
of letters and lessen the weight, people later wrote on tissue paper.
Paper money was carried because gold and silver were too heavy and
bulky. One of the enterprising eastern newspapers printed a special
edition of their news on tissue paper for transportation only on this
famous pony express.
It was an exciting time when the fast mail left St. Joseph, the
starting place. At the moment of leaving a frontiersman came hurriedly
out of the post-office, threw the mail bags over the saddle, leaped on
the pony and started off at full speed, leaving a curious crowd to gaze
wonderingly after his dusty trail. The average distance covered in a
day by this queer express was two hundred miles, a speed of about eight
miles an hour.
It took great endurance for these men to be in the saddle for seventy
or more miles a day. But, endurance was not the only quality the rider
needed. Over the whole route there was constant danger of being held
up, either by Indians or by outlaws, who were eager to get the money
that was often carried. So the rider had to be a courageous and skilled
frontiersman who had keen knowledge of Indian warfare.
Often reports would come to the stations that Indians were in the
vicinity. The express rider departing was advised to keep a sharp
eye on the trail. Behind a pile of rocks a bright spot might show
which, to the trained vision of the frontiersman, immediately meant
possible danger. The little speck of color was perhaps the feather
of an Indian’s head dress. There was no chance or time to turn, the
rider kept on at his furious pace until he was within shot. A puff
of smoke suddenly came from behind the rock and out would jump the
Indian warriors. But quick as a bullet speeds the express rider would
be quicker, and ducking behind his pony turned him instantly off the
trail and thus avoided being shot then and there. Now, however, came
a ride for life, for just ahead more Indians would appear and try to
block the way. Luckily few of the Indians had guns in these days and
the frontiersman, watching his chance, could usually kill one or two
Indians before they succeeded in shooting their arrows. This would act
as a sudden check to the red men, and fast and furious the express
rider would spur his pony on toward the station and escape.
Once in a great while, however, because of the many hostile Indians
who laid in wait all along the trails to capture the riders, the pony
express had to be stopped for a time.
The next step in western travel was the famous overland stage which ran
from St. Joseph to Sacramento, a distance of one thousand miles. This
was a most difficult enterprise. For the stage carried at times large
sums of money and was therefore frequently held up by highwaymen or
Indians.
The coaches were strange, heavy vehicles with very large wheels, made
unusually strong, since they traveled the roughest roads imaginable.
Passengers could ride either inside or out, but no one ever thought of
going without being fully armed, for day or night the coach was likely
to be attacked.
One of the most famous trips was made by Buffalo Bill from Fort Kearney
to Plum Creek. It was a difficult task to manage six horses and at the
same time keep a keen eye open for Indians. Owing to Buffalo Bill’s
skill the stage usually got through, but in the hands of other less
competent drivers the tale was often a sad one, with heavy loss of
money and good men killed or wounded.
[Illustration: THE WAY MAIL SOMETIMES CAME IN]