THE PONY EXPRESS

1
THE PONY EXPRESS

• Founders
• Russell, Majors, Waddell
• Central Overland California Pikes Peak Express
  Company
• (C.O.C. P.P.)

2
HOW
DATE

• April 3, 1860 to late October 1861.

• Relay of mail by horses and riders. The Pony
  Express ran day and night, summer and winter.

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RIDER
4
AD
5
QUALIFICATIONS

• Young, skinny, expert rider, daring
• Most riders were around 20. Youngest was 11.
  Oldest was mid-40s. Not many were orphans.
  Usually weighed around 120 pounds.

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OATH TAKE BY RIDERS

• "I do hereby swear before the great and living
  God that during my engagement with Russell,
  Majors and Waddell, I will under no circumstances
  use profane language, that I will drink no
  intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or
  fight with other employees of the firm, and that
  in every respect I will conduct myself honestly,
  be faithful in my duties, and so direct all my
  acts as to win the confidence of my employers. So
  help me God."

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RIDERS PAY

• 25 per week
• 100 per month.

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Distance

• 2,000 miles from St. Joseph, Missouri to
  Sacramento, California.

Travel Time

• Summer 10 days
• Winter 12-16 days

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RIDER RELAY

• New riders took over every 75 to 100 miles.

HORSE RELAY

• 400 horses were used in the Pony Express. Riders
  got a fresh horse every 10 to 20 miles. Horses
  traveled an average of 10 miles per hour.

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STATIONS - TRAIL LENGTH

• Approximately 165 stations.
• Home stations 60 miles apart
• Swing Stations average 12 mi. apart
• Distance 1,900 miles

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STATIONS

• Personnel
• 2 agents
• 1 station keeper
• 1 assistant

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COST OF MAIL

• At first, 5 per 1/2 ounce
• Later, 1 per 1/2 ounce

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RELAY STATIONS IN UTAH
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WHY DID THE PONY EXPRESS END?

• Transcontinental telegraph connected the East and
  West
• Was completed on October 24, 1861
• Two days later the Pony express ceased operation

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TELEGRAPH

• The telegraph was a communication system that
  sent electric signals over wires from location to
  location that translated into a message.

DATES

• October 24, 1861 January 27, 2006

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DISTANCE

• 1,400 miles. Omaha, Nebraska to Carson City,
  Nevada.

TRAVEL TIME

• A matter of minutes
• A telegraph operator would be able to send 40-50
  words per minute.

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MORSE CODE

• Invented by Samuel Morse
• The dots and dashes were used to represent
  letters and numbers.

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THE TELEGRAPH OPERATOR
A trained operator could translate 40 50
words per minute.
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MORSE CODE TELEGRAPH
SENDER
RECIEVER
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COST OF MESSAGES

• 75 Cents per word

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THE FIRST TELEGRAPH MESSAGE
What Hath God wrought?
May 24, 1844- Annie Ellsworth chose the phrase.