-Pony Express-
The Pony Express was a very useful mail service during the Civil War when people needed faster communication to the West and California. It was founded by three men: William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors. It opened on April 3, 1860, and was 1,966-miles long. In this system, riders on horseback delivered mail to the West for $5 for a half an ounce at the beginning, but by the end dropped down to about $1 per half ounce. One rider died. They traveled from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, stopping at about 165 stations. About every ten to fifteen miles, the riders changed horses. Also, the rider switched about every 75 miles and handed the mail pack to the new rider to continue the delivery. Young, smaller riders, often orphans, were used for the job. Buffalo Bill Cody was among the most famous of the riders. The Pony Express only lasted from April 3, 1860 to October 24, 1861. This was only a nineteen month period. 183 men were known to ride the Pony Express, and were only paid $100 a month to ride at only 10 mph. The Express ended when the telegraph made its way across the country.
http://www.42explore2.com/pony.htm
http://www.americanwest.com/trails/pages/ponyexp1.htm
http://www.usckickball.com/pony/PonyExpressMap.jpg
