ad The
Charles Cliff and W.F Cody
Express Monument, StJaseph, 1912
news
Kelly, Jay GQ.
King, Thomas Owen
“Little Yank"
Macaulas
Martin, Bob
McCall, J. G.
McDonald, James
McNaughton, Jim
McEneany
Moore, James (Jim)
Perkins, Josh
Pridham, William®
Ranahan, Tom*
Rand, Theodore
Richardson, Johnson
Riles, Bart
Rising, Don ©.
Roff, Harry
Sanglovanni, GQ. G,
Seebeck, John®
Spurr, George
Streeper, W. H.*
Strickland, Robert
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
Map HE other day press dispatches carried
A. the news that “one of the last of the
pf old-time Pony Express riders” had
“8% died in the West at the age of eighty.
{ five, The only trouble with that news
4 item was this: {f his age at the time
Bole of his death was given correctly, then
or he must have been braving the perils,
eh which constantly threatened members
of that famous corps of daredevil
riders, at the tender age of eleven years! Know-
ing what we do of the bistory of the Pony Ex-
press, what was required of its riders and the
conditions under which they operated, it doesn’t
seem likely that an eleven-year-old boy was one
of them.
And yet this particular item Is not
unique. For the last two decades such items
have been appearing regularly in our newspapers
and almost invariably a check-up oh the dates
In them would reveal the fact that this sup-
posed “Pony Express rider” had been engaged
fn his dangerous task while still a mere child.
Indeed, one of them who was characterized as a
“Pony Express rider” would have been only six
years old at the time!
The explanation of this inconsistency lies in
the fact that there is much confusion as to
exactly what Is meant by the term “Pony Ex-
press rider." Strictly speaking, that title can
be applied only to men who were engaged by
the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak
Express company for its Pony Express service,
founded by William H. Russell of the famous
firm of Russell, Majors and Waddell in 1860,
started in April of that year and discontinued
in October, 1861. That was the original Pony
Express whose brief career of 18 months forms
one of the most romantic chapters in the his
tory of the old frontier,
In later years throughout the West the mails
were carried over long stretches of territory by
horsemen until their work was taken over by
stage coach lines which, In turn, were succeeded
by the railroads. During these years it became
somewhat the fashion to refer to these horsemen
as “Pony Express riders,” a characterization
which persisted after the passing of the fron-
tier without any special inquiry into the appro-
priateness of the title,
So in these modern days, when an old-timer
dies and it becomes known that he had once
carried the malls on horseback out West, he is
immediately set down as a “Pony Express rider”
which accounts for some of the news items
spoken of at the beginning of this article
Mounted mall carriers they may have been but
they were not real Pony Express riders—at least
not all of them.
Who, then, were the real Pony Express riders?
It Is doubtful If a complete roster of their
names can ever be compiled. When operation of
the Pony Express service began, there were 80
of them but this number varied during the next
18 months and It is probable that at least 100
different men at one time or another were riders
in the service.
In connection with the celebration held In 1023,
the Union Pacific Magazine issued a special
Pony Express number in which Miss Mary Pack,
writing on “The Romance of the Pony Express”
listed the following as known riders for the
original organization:
Baughn, Melville (Mel)
Beatley, James (Jim)
Becker, Charles
“Boston™
Brink, James W,
Bucklin, Jimmy
Burnett, John
Campbell, William
Carlisle, Alex, C,
Carr, William
Ontes, Bill
Clark, Jimmy
Cliff, Charles*
Cody, William F.
Donovan, Joe
Egan, Howard Ransom
Egan, Richard Erastus
Elis, J. K.
Fisher, John
Fisher, William (Bill)
Frey, Johnnie
Gentry, Jim
Gllson, Jim
Hamilton, 8am
Haslam, Robert
Hogan, Martin
Huntington, Let
“Irish Tom"
James, William (Bill)
Jenkins, Will D,
Keetley, Jack
Pn,
William H. Russell, Founder
of the Fony Express
REPORTER, C
An Historic Letter
a a re Eas PREC
* Those marked with an * are living at the
present time.
During the same year Howard IL Driggs, presi-
dent of the Oregon Trall Memorial association
and a well-known historian of pioneer days in
Vest, sald In an article In the New York
RAOUL Inagnzine
“They can be counted on the fingers of
hand, the few that remain of the hundred or
more daring boys who helped put America’s first
mail across from old Saint Joe to Sacramento
during those stirring arly
tight now . . . only a bare handful of the orig
inal riders are left to take part. And they can
participate only as onlookers: for every one of
them Is over eighty years of age.
“These survivors, according to last reports,
are John Seebeck of Alameda, Calif: Charles
CI of St. Joseph, Mo.; and Elijah Maxfield of
Loa, Utah. Two or three others have been named
with some uncertainty. station keepers
and substitute riders have also been reported
alive.” More may be discovered through the cele
bration in progress; but the three Pony Express
men just named seem to be the only regular
riders that linger to give first-hand experience
of that thrilling epoch in America's story.”
It will be noticed that Mr. Driggs’ list of sur
vivors checks with Miss Pack's list only in re.
gard to Charles Cliff and John Seebeck. He does
not mention four in her lst—Charles Becker,
William Pridbam, Tom Rapahan and W. I.
Streeper—and she does not mention one of his
three—Elijah Maxwell. And neither of them
mentions another survivor, Henry Avis, who was
a resident of Kansas City until his death In
1027.
In Root and Connpelley’s “Overland Stage to
California” appears “a partial list, so far as Is
known, of the men who rode the Pony Express
and contributed to the lasting fame of the enter.
prise.” It contains 47 names, 24 fewer than
Miss Pack's list, but it names three which she
does not have. They ure Willlam Boulton, Wilk
liam Carrigan and H. J. Faust
One of Miss Pack's list just missed being
marked with an * as a survivor. He was Joseph
Donovan (Joe Donovan) who dled in Denver,
July 26, 1923, just a month before the Pony
Express celebration began. Besides being a Pony
Express rider, Donovan had a stirring career
as a government scout and Indian fighter, ac.
cording to the accounts of his death in the Den.
ver newspapers. He was sald to have held the
distinction of being the only Denver citizen, at
the time of his death, who had visited the site
of that city prior to 1850,
Even more famous as a scout was another
Pony Express rider who now lies buried on
Lookout mountain near Denver, His name ap-
pears on the Pony Express roll as William ¥.
Oody but the whole world was to know him in
the future as “Buffalo BIL" Most accounts of
the Pony Express give prominent mention to
Cody as one of the youngest of its riders (he
was only fourteen at the time) and the rider
who made “one of the longest” and “probably
the longest continuous performance without a
formal rest period in the history of this or any
other courier service”—322 miles in 21 hours,
Unfortunately for Cody's fdme as a Pony Ex-
press rider, Just as is the case in some of the
other phases of his career, the record Is not clear
enough to be accepted unquestioningly. One of
his most trustworthy blographers, Richard J.
Walsh in his book, “The Making of Buffalo Bil"
says: “His Pony Express record is accepted by
historians but all of the testimony is hearsay
and the accounts of that period are highly con
fused. . . . Alexander Majors vouched for Cody's
service on the Overland trails but Majors, when
he told the story, was an old man In sore straits
and grateful to Buffalo Bill for financial assist
ance and Majors’ book was written for him by
none other than Prentiss Ingraham, the dime
novelist.”
Elsewhere in his book, Walsh says: "At first,
he (the fourteen-year-old Cody) was given an
easy route, forty-five miles, which he had to
make in three hours with three changes of
one
days of the ‘Bs
Several
ys
dom Reonahan
thrilling story of the Battle of Beecher's Island
fought in eastern Colorado in September, 1868,
that name Is familiar. For Tom Ranahan was
one of the party of U0 scouts, commanded by
Col. George A. (“Sandy™) Forsyth of the regu-
lar army, who wrote thelr names high In the
history of the West by their desperate defense
of the little isiagd In the Arickaree river against
the hosts of Cheyenne warriors led by Chief
Roman Nose, who was killed there. Ranaban
was still living in Idaho a few years ago-—one
of the three last survivors of the “Forsyth
Beouts” and one of the few re surviving Pony
Express riders
One of the best short accounts of the Pony
Express, dealing with its organization, operation
and its historic importance, is the chapter de-
voted to it in the book “The Overland Mail,
1540-1869" by Dr. Le Roy Hafen, Colorado state
historian, which was published by the Arthur IH.
Clark company of Cleveland in 1920 .
In it Doctor Hafen points out that “The Pony
Express” was not an end in itself, but 8 means to
an end. There had been previous suggestions
for the establishment of a fast overland express
and an attempt was made In congress in 1855
to provide such a service but these first efforts
did not succeed, With the establishment of the
overiand stage lines a rivalry had arisen between
the Butterfield (the Southern) and ‘Central’
routes and with the assembling of the thirty.
sixth congress In December,
pointed In the direction of a general revision
route were active but they met with consider.
able opposition. It was with the idea of demon.
for year-round travel and to secure an enlarged
conceived,
“During the winter of 1850-60, while William
H. Russell was In Washington, he discussed the
Central route before he would be able to get
to reimburse the firm for the undertaking. The
through the enterprise.”
Put it through he did and on April 8, 1880,
the historic Pony Express went into operation
with riders starting simultaneously from the
Eastern and Western termini—=8t, Joseph, Mo.,
Lud Ban Francisco, Calif, It continued until the
through telegraph line was in operation, Then,
says Hafen, “When the telegraph line was com.
pleted on October 24, 1861, the Pony Express
came te a close. The pony was fast but he
could not compete with the lightning.”
Unfortunately for its founders it was far from
being a financial success, It cost Russell and
his partners $700,000 to operate It during its
brief existence and their receipts were only $500,
000 leaving them with a net loss of $200,000,
But “from the standpoint of the nation the Pony
Express was eminently successful, It demon
strated the practicability of the Central route and
marked the path for the first transcontinental
ralirond. By shortening the distance between the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts it helped unite the
Pacific coast and the Rocky mountain region
What Has Been
By DR. J. M. WISAN, Chairman,
Counell on Mouth Hyglene, New
Jersey Btate Dental Society.
A report emanating from the White
House conference on child health
held last year, Includes the following
statement: “Dental disease Is pre
ventable. It is our duty to prevent
it" A broad statement but never-
theless one that Is consistent wirh
the facts,
As Individuals, we can eat the
proper foods, keep our mouths clean,
and obtaln necessary dental care. In
not only prevent
dental defects, but also pre
whatever defects do present
from developing into
diseased conditions,
Information that will help our chil
adults how to care
and their children's
the communities ean
treatment for’ Indi. |
can teach
Also,
provide dental
gents,
ease cannot be prevented. Most
dental authorities, however, take the |
position that at least 90 per cent of |
our dental troubles can be prevented, |
Giving children adequate dietaries, |
which should Include a quart of milk |
a day per child, vegetables, unsweet
ened fruits, will help to provide the |
elements to bulld sound teeth, At- |
tention to teeth every three |
months Is necessary if we are to pro- |
tect the child's teeth. All irregular)
ties Childs
should be tanght
ing their mo
may say that this is pu
the
should be remedied.
the
value of
HE Ci¢an
whenever these pra
made a habit with
th i
children
Fins
ship,
sive
followed for the las
Ing the first ves:
was
manent teeth
DOeCOREa TY
dren In attendand
This year
extract four permanent teeth among
these ohilidres 5 at Is
nific
ed, with the exception of
for children who had
ed who had not
the pro
more sig
Alt—the teeth L were extract
one, were
done recentis
mot
had
into town
benefit of the dental
Makes Powerful Light
Adding a minute part of
rubidium
A rare
etal, usually
used in
to mercurs
mercury lamps has resulted
in the development of a la
Hight
metal
rays. In
spectrum
a life ten long
dinary incandescent lamp
costs £7 a dram, but
hundredths part of the metal is used
in each lamp to change the light hue |
from green to light red Previously
physicists had improved the mercury |
mp whose
The
Lo |
mercury |
is sald to have i
i
as an or |
Rubidium
one five
4 ¥ * pas iio}
approximates sunlight
causes the lamp
addition to
The lamp
times
fo give
the
as |
Oniy
lamp by adding potassium to
mercury, but the
to disintegrate the glass bulb or tube
of the lamp-—Popular Mechanics
Magazine,
potassium is sald |
Quick, Safe Relief
For Eyes Irritated
By Exposure To
Sun, Wind and Dust
At All Drug Stores
Write Marine Co, Dot. W, Chicago, for Pree Book
.
Always a Supply
“Fools rush in" but there are
Accomplished.
gram carried on in that community.
This community is not one of high
economic status, 20 we ean eliminate
the thought that it is an exceptional
group,
What was done In Clark township
can be done anywhere, iy giving
children proper foods, by inculeating
proper dental habits, and by provid.
ing them with scientific dental care
we can save thelr teeth,
Medal Portrays Christ
A medal struck from what is be-
lieved to be the oldest representation
of Christ has discovered In
Trieste, according to a message from
that town. Up to the present only
five of these medals, were
struck the reign of the Em-
peror Tiberius (42 B. C. to A. D. an
were known and bear on the one side
of the Messiah and on the
“The has
the Light has shone
been
which
during
the head
other
come In peace:
the words Messiah
Why
Liquid Laxatives
are Back in Favor
pT
The public is fast returning to the use
of liquid laxatives. People have
learned that the right dose of a
propesty prepared liquid laxative will
bring a more natural movement with-
oul any dizcomfort at the time, or
alter
The dose of a liquid L.
varied to suit the recds of the in-
dividual. The action can thus be
regulated. A child is easily given the
right dose. And mild liquid laxatives
do not irritate the kidneys.
Doctors are generally agreed that
senna is a nafural laxative. It does
not drain the system like the eathar-
tics that leave you so thirsty. Dr.
Caldwell’s Syrup Pepsin is a liquid
laxative which relies on senna for its
laxative action. It gently helps the
average person's constipated bowels
until nature restores their regularity.
You can always get Dr. Caldwell's
Syrup Pepsin at any drug store, ready
for use.
INGRAHAM
WATCHES
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Write
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