Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1888 — A LONG RACE FOR A BIG STAKE. [ARTICLE]

A LONG RACE FOR A BIG STAKE.

On© of lII© Most Famous Between Horses on Record. Virginia (Nev.) Chronicle. ■ Twenty-nine years ago St. Joseph,Mo., was the Western terminus of the railway systems of the country. Beyond Bt. Joseph the stage coach, ox cart and kindred methods of transportion were resorted to for the purpose of maintaining communication with the Pacific Slqpe. This coast-was by that time pretty well settled,, and business men began to wish for a rapid mail service. In the winter of 1860 Wall street was at work jp Washington endeavoring to get a subsidy of $10,000,000 for carrying the mails overland one year between New York and San Francisco. William H. Russell, backqd up by Secretary of War Floyd, looked upon the scheme as a very extravagant proposition and said that he could put onftt mail line from San Francisco to St. Joseph that would cover the distance—l,9so miles—in ten days. So confident was he that he professed himself willing to wager $200,000 on the proposition. The schemers for the big mail contract felt bound to meet the bluff, and took up the wager, the eighth day of April, 186 \ being fixed as the date for starting. A. B. Miller, Russell’s partner, was postive that a pony express could be established which would enable Russell to win hie prodigous wager. There was no time to be lost, and Miller set about his task with energy. He purchased 300 of the fleetest horses he could procure and secured the services of 125 men. Eighty of these men were selected as post-riders, and of course, were especially chosen for their light weight —the lighter the man the better for the horse, as some of the route had to be covered at the rate of twenty-five miles per hour. In establishing the relays the distance in each instance was determined by the character of the country. As a rule the horses were stationed from ten to twenty miles apart, and each, rider had to make sixty miles. Two minutes were allowed for changing the animals and shifting the mails. If the the stage stations were not at proper intervals a tent was put up sufficient to accommodate one man and two horses. By the day set for the starting everything was in readiness, and before the sfiioke cleared away from the muzzle of the signal gun on the steamer Sacremento at the hour of noon. April 8, 1860, Billy Baker, mounted on Border Ruffian, Miller’s famous saddle-horse, dashed away, towards the Sierras, covering his twenty miles in forty-nine minutes. " > Deep snow lay in the mountain passes, and to Salt Lake Valley slow time was made, so that from the valley on it was necessary to make extra fast speed to win the huge wager. All went well until the crossing at Julesburg was reached. To liis dismay the courier found the Platt river high up in its banks and a strong current running. Fearlessly horse and rider plunged into the turbid stream, hut only the man reached the opposite bank. His gallant steed mired in the quicksands and was drowned. The courier saved liis precious mail-pouch and had to walk ten miles to the next relay station. Johnny Fry was one of the most famous men of his day on the border. Tough aud wiry, he was as light as a cat, and as a rider he never knew an equal. To him fell the duty of riding the last sixty miles of the long race. He had six.thorough-bred horses to do it with. .When the courier arrived at the sixtymile post out of St. Joseph, he was one hour behind time. Jolmny had to make up that logt hour or the wager was lost. Miller considered all this when Ire selected Johnny Fry to make the final dash. As the hour drew near for Fry’s arrival at St. Soseph thousands of people lined the river bank, gazing with feverish expectancy in the (Erection oT the woods from which the horse and rider should emerge into the open country one paile from the finish. Seven minutes more and the w'ager would be lost, when'spddenly a brighteyed youngster caught sight of the anxiously looked-for courier, and the yell that went up from the crowd reach, ed the ears of the rider a mile away. Horse and rider fairly flew on the wings of the wind. Feathery flecks of foam streaked the panting flanks of the noble steed, as she, with wide-dis-tended and blood-red nostrils, bore the courier to his journey’s/*eiid, covering the last mile in one minute and fifty seconds. The little mare SVlph had won the wager, and there were five minutes and a fraction to spare. . ~