A Bold Stroke
It isn’t clear who came up with the idea that would put the northern plains route on the map as it were. Senator Gwin of California may have put Russell up to it; but Russell embraced the plan and convinced his partners to go along. The idea was simple: cut the time it took for a letter to reach California by half. That astonishing challenge gave birth to The Pony Express.
That Russell convinced his partners to pursue the venture is little short of amazing. The company already faced bankruptcy. By his own memoire, Russell’s partner Alexander Majors declared a pony express, “Could not possibly be made to pay expenses.” Russell must have been a promoter worthy of P.T. Barnum himself. The partners cobbled together the monies and credit they needed to launch mail service between Missouri and California April 3, 1860.
The Pony Express employed eighty riders give or take at various times; and four to five hundred horses. Riders of ‘Modest stature and weight’ were preferred along with ‘A determination to see the mail through even in the face of mortal danger’. Riders were paid twenty five dollars a week, a handsome sum for such skills at the time, the premium justified by serious risk to life and limb. Relay stations were placed at intervals generally following the stage route.
The Pony Express dramatically improved mail service and communications between California and the eastern United States. Mail times were reduced from twenty days to between ten and thirteen days. The Pony Express was not a consumer service. The express carried letter correspondence, usually of a business or legal nature due to the expense. Riders also carried telegrams from one end of a telegraph line to the beginning of another. Rates for a letter were $5.00 (nineteenth century dollars) for the first half ounce, $10.00 for a full ounce. Telegrams cost $7.00 for the first ten words and thirty cents a word thereafter. Brevity in that being the soul of thrift. Despite these rates the Pony Express operated at a loss throughout its brief existence.
In March 1861 following southern succession, Congress passed legislation transferring the Butterfield mail line to the northern route. Butterfield, then known as Wells Fargo subcontracted a part of the route to Russell’s Central Overland, California & Pikes Peak Express. In June of 1860 Congress authorized bidding for construction of a transcontinental telegraph line. Western Union Telegraph Company was awarded the contract. Western Union completed the line October 24, 1861, the date The Pony Express ceased operations.
The Pony Express solidified selection of the northern route for the Transcontinental Railroad. It came too late for Russell Wadell & Majors. The Central Overland, California & Pikes Peak Express ended in bankruptcy. It was subsequently taken over by its former rival Wells Fargo.
https://www.amazon.com/author/paulcolt
Ride easy,
Paul
That Russell convinced his partners to pursue the venture is little short of amazing. The company already faced bankruptcy. By his own memoire, Russell’s partner Alexander Majors declared a pony express, “Could not possibly be made to pay expenses.” Russell must have been a promoter worthy of P.T. Barnum himself. The partners cobbled together the monies and credit they needed to launch mail service between Missouri and California April 3, 1860.
The Pony Express employed eighty riders give or take at various times; and four to five hundred horses. Riders of ‘Modest stature and weight’ were preferred along with ‘A determination to see the mail through even in the face of mortal danger’. Riders were paid twenty five dollars a week, a handsome sum for such skills at the time, the premium justified by serious risk to life and limb. Relay stations were placed at intervals generally following the stage route.
The Pony Express dramatically improved mail service and communications between California and the eastern United States. Mail times were reduced from twenty days to between ten and thirteen days. The Pony Express was not a consumer service. The express carried letter correspondence, usually of a business or legal nature due to the expense. Riders also carried telegrams from one end of a telegraph line to the beginning of another. Rates for a letter were $5.00 (nineteenth century dollars) for the first half ounce, $10.00 for a full ounce. Telegrams cost $7.00 for the first ten words and thirty cents a word thereafter. Brevity in that being the soul of thrift. Despite these rates the Pony Express operated at a loss throughout its brief existence.
In March 1861 following southern succession, Congress passed legislation transferring the Butterfield mail line to the northern route. Butterfield, then known as Wells Fargo subcontracted a part of the route to Russell’s Central Overland, California & Pikes Peak Express. In June of 1860 Congress authorized bidding for construction of a transcontinental telegraph line. Western Union Telegraph Company was awarded the contract. Western Union completed the line October 24, 1861, the date The Pony Express ceased operations.
The Pony Express solidified selection of the northern route for the Transcontinental Railroad. It came too late for Russell Wadell & Majors. The Central Overland, California & Pikes Peak Express ended in bankruptcy. It was subsequently taken over by its former rival Wells Fargo.
https://www.amazon.com/author/paulcolt
Ride easy,
Paul
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