1861 Mail Appropriation
Despite all the sound and fury, however, the Post Route Bill enjoyed surprisingly good progress and early in February reached the upper house. In it was a provision for daily mail between California…
1860 Mail Appropriation
In the next try during the spring of 1860 Russell nearly squeaked through with his gamble on the Pony Express. While applause for the equine mail was still ringing in the nation's press,…
Russell Escapes Conviction
Within a week Russell's case was called in the Criminal Court of the District of Columbia. There his attorney must have been no less enterprising than himself, for the lawyer boldly argued that…
Secretary Floyd’s Acceptances
Typically, the form of the acceptances was: Washington City, September 13, 1860 $15,000 Eight months after date pay to our own order, at the Bank of the Republic, New York City, fifteen…
Pony’s Assets Attached in Utah
Out in Ruby Valley, William H. Shearman, an associate of Major Egan, began to hear grumbles from unpaid riders and other employees, and a number of them presented him with "certificates" attesting that…
Pony Express Finances
Theoretically, the combined assets of the partners exceeded liabilities by about $419,000. But unreported was a catastrophic loss of $150,000 in a herd of freight oxen, caught in a howling blizzard at Ruby…
Pony Express Rider Character
Despite occasional refuge in hyperbole, it is easily discerned that even routine life in the saddle was poorly calculated to attract applicants from the skittish or faint-hearted, or from the pampered sons of…
Holladay & Russell
Obviously, he [William Finney] was a man of resourceful initiative. How much easier it would have been, in the face of the frightful Pah-Ute attacks, to close up shop and await the…
Ficklin and Russell
Shortly after Ficklin departed, Russell penned some derogatory statements about him to Joseph Roberson of the firm's St. Joseph office. Ficklin chanced to read them and fired a telegram to Russell: "Send a…
Description of Slade and Maria Virginia
Alternately a man of courteous manner and a merciless killer, he seemingly escaped the notice of Majors' principled eye when he was taken on by the company as a carry-over from the stumbling…
Russell and Majors Competing in 1853
Having had a taste of government hauling, he [Majors] wanted more. In December he entered a bid at Fort Leavenworth with Major E. A. Ogden, quartermaster for the military posts west of…
Gwin’s Politics
By now Russell's gamble had failed, the Hale bill having run aground in the House. Senator Gwin had fought the proposal—a Republican measure—at every tum. He had what was termed the "most…
Pony Delay Due to Paiute War
But there proved to be more in the doing than the saying . After Bolivar Roberts checked in at Carson City with his soldier escort, one more Pony trip came through, arriving…
Pony Goes Semi-Weekly
They arrived safely on June 22nd and the delayed mail was sent on to San Francisco, where it was received June 25th—the first Pony mail in three weeks. Now, a strange thing…
Killing Shoshone Indians in Nevada
One of the earliest contacts between whites and Indians of Nevada occurred in August, 1832. The greeting was a rifle ball. Milton Sublette, with a company of trappers, had reached the headwaters of…