A New Venture - The Pony Express

Of Russell, Majors and Waddell, only William Russell was in favor of starting the Pony Express. His partners felt that since they had no mail contract or even a guarantee of one, it could never be profitable.  But opportunistic Russell, who was always willing to take a risk and always self-confident, finally convinced Majors and Waddell to go along with his idea.

Russell then directed Benjamin Ficklin to oversee the building of 100 relay stations - 25 home stations where riders were changed and 165 swing stations for changes in horses.  Purchase agents for the mail service were ordered to buy 500 select horses, paying $200 or more for each horse. 

From April 1860 to October 1861, the Pony Express covered
650,000 miles, carried 34,755 pieces of mail and lost just one mail sack.  Changing horses ever 10-15 miles and switching riders around every 75 miles, the Pony Express carried the mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California in 10 days.  The record was 7 days, 17 hours set in March 1861 to bring Lincoln's inaugural address to California.

Letters written on thin paper originally cost $5 a half ounce.  In July 1861 it was reduced to $1.  Riders earned room and board plus $100-$150 a month depending on the length and hazards of their ride.  Not bad pay back then - but...the demanding nature of the job was captured in a newspaper ad seeking riders, "small, daring young men, preferably orphans." 

Next time...Tough and Courageous


____________________________
Today in Pioneer History:  "On September 4, 1886, Apache chief Geronimo surrenders to the U.S. government troops.  For 30 years, the mighty Native American had battled to protect his tribe's homeland  By 1886, the Apaches were exhausted and outnumbered.  General Nelson Miles accepted Geronimo's surrender.  He was the last Indian warrior to give in to U.S. forces.