The morning Astorian., December 27, 1908, Page 3, Image 3

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1908.
THE MOUSING ASTOKI AN, ASTORIA, OREGON.
WW
MIL
BY BUFFALO
1 i 1 ( J 1 . ' ' i, i. :;. '
fliOM TEUE TALES 'oyTtXSPIAIKS'
fWAS fourteen when 1 became
pony esprtws rider. I bad on
or two adventure in that pur
I tult which may prove Intonating
to read, They were certainly Inter
esting enough to ma at tht Unit. Tba
Job was worth 1133 a month and
meant ceatelww danirer.
Tbt Importance of tba pooy express
baa to certain tstmt been Joat sltfut
of, but tt mlKbt b welt to imprest on
tba reader tba fact of Ita value at tbat
tlui In connection with tbt (Teat trou
lit occurring shortly after Ita Incep
tion between tba sections of our coun-try-tht
clrU war of I wit. Tba dim
cnltlaa of communication- wltb tbt
newly ajntrrd tropin on tbt raclflc
through tbo rvma via Panama or tbt
passage around Capa Horn would
havt left emtlvt Information U1,
fiat and unprofitault on account of tbt
time, and tbt act ttat tba southwest
section waa not open for communica
tion to tbt Union authority at Wash
button tmpuaalaed Ka necessity.
The pony txpreea, by giving tba for
trnnient faeltltiet for Quick comniunl-tttin)Ul-k
for tbona days-was an
afeled to keep In toucb with avtry
movement and rounttracted In an ef
fective manner what might baTt re
sulted In a separation from na of our
grand Paclrtu possessions.
, Ita service bad been repeatedly tog
tested to congr, but after several
years of aeliutlon It failed of govern
ment assJutawo through tbt tbtn dis
united alma of many congressional
leaders, and eventually tt waa under
taken by Mr. Bunnell, Majort, Wad
dall It Co. at their own rink and re
sponsibility, a public aplrlted, patri
otic action fur wblcb they never re
ceived prir Bnanclnl recogultton.
Tbla waa the groat government
freighting (Irm under whom I bad
aerred aa courier, between, Ira over
land wagon tralus.' Ita objort waa to
cover tbt vest telegraphic gap be
tween New York and Ban Franclaco,
wblcb organ at 8t Jot, Mo., and ended
at Sacramento, CaL, with greater
speed, a dlatanct of tuort than 2.000
mllea through a country totally unin
habited, bar savage Indiana, At tbat
. Unit It took month for congreesmen
and government officials to roach tbt
Golden data or to arrive at Washing
ton, and It took from twtuty-two to
twenty-five days' to tend a message
from New York to San Francisco
serosa tbt continent It bad taken!
etageeoncbet thret weeks or mora to
go from tbt Missouri river to Sacra
uento. Hy meant of relay aUittona, 8H)
In number, employing 000 hardy po
nlet and from eighty to hundred ex
pert HiVm. my tmployera mud a It
"The hnrm'i plunon knockot tfta man f
- MtfttW
alble for dlKpntchea and misnga writ
ton on tlBnue pnier ao aa to avoid all
unnecessary weight to be carried that
dlatnnct on the backa of awlft ponloa
in from olgbt to ten daya. Tbo routt
chosen la now traversed by tbt Union
Pacific rnilroftd, In those daya an al
most trackless wilder nous, swarming
with Indiana and highwaymen.
, On the 3d of April, 1850, two rldera
atartcd, ono from pt. Joe, Mo and ono
from Sacramento, Cal. At tbt ntnrt
the dispatch bng would bo thrown
over a pony'a attddle. Tti'o rider would
mount and ride at top speed to the
first relay atntlon. There a freBh .pony
would be waiting, on whoso back tht
dispatch bna would be hastily thrown,
then off again, nhd ao on till the "re
lief" rider would snatch the bnga and
dash off with them for the noxt lap of
the long race. The relays averaged
fifteen mllea apart. Forty-flvt to 105
miles semlweeUly each way at full
speed over rough country waa a rider's
daily stunt. Riders started at forty
Jlvt mile trips aud aa they became
y W(W
'V i,
yTt n
raw?:
BILL
hardened took tbt longer trips, which
naturally brought, tbm larger pay.
Tbla waa not an way Job for a four-Uen-yaarold
boy. But I stuck to It In
pltt of aching bone and a tired bead.
For tht first thret months I hud no
oilabapa I began to tblnk tbt talk of
danger waa all bosh. Then aa I waa
galloping around a curve on a hillside
trail one day I rods flush up to a lev
led I'lsW. Tht man boblnd It told me
to throw up my bands. ; I obeyed.
Tbert la no uat arguing with a loaded
platoL Frontiersmen in those daya
shot to kill. Tht road agent dismount
ed and walked up to ma to take my
taddlebflga. I trU-d to look acared
and banuleaa. lit lowered bit re
volver at he reached for tbt bags.
Just then J whirled my pony around.
Tht little hnrat't plungt knocked tbt
man off bla feet, and a at ray kick from
out of tht Iron shod hoofs graced tba
fetlow'a bend, knocking him aoDselraa.
Having no further interest in blm, I
waa glad enough to mnko my ttenpa.
Ilert la a further adrenturt of Im
port: .4- ;;;', i.-,:-;,- r -j
Out day I galloped up to relay
station aud found no relief potty wait
ing for me. Not a soul waa in tight
But 1 beard men yelling and shooting
down by tho corral back of tbt station.
I Juiniwd off, rifle In out band and my
twenty pound pouches In the other,
nd mnda for tht trees that hid tbt
corral from the trail. I thought from
tbo noint that thrt must bt an Indian
raid there at least
I, reached the llttia clearing above
tht corral In time to aet k gigantic
buffalo bull charge through a bunch of
cattle and rush on toward tbt door
yard of tht station. Four or fivt men
wert yelling at tbt top of their Innga
and biasing away at blm with guna
and revolvers. But if any of tht ahota
reached the brute tbey only served to
madden blm all tht mora. It waa do
business of mtna, to I stood tbert
laughing at their excitement But all
at onct I stopped laughing and turned
tick at what 1 aaw,
Tbert, near tbt door of tht cabin,
playing with a big wooden dolt, aat a
little girl perhaps three yea re old. Sbt
wort little red cloak, and tbt bright
bit of color had caught tba mad buf
falo's attention, Down at tba uncon
scious p laying baby charged tbt great,
furious brute. Tbt men aaw ber peril
Just Vben I did, and tbey Bred wildly
and cama forward at a dead run. But
tbey wert too far away.
A woman ran screaming out of tho
house and rnshed toward tbt child.
Sbt bad no weapon of any kind and
probably couldn't bavt used one U she
had bad. But. I eupposo mother lovt
made ber forget the horrible peril and
aba wanted to die with ber Httlt girl.
Women art sometimes braver, I think,
than men, especially where their chil
dren art concerued.
The buffalo waa not fifteen yards
away from the child when I brought
my rifle instinctively to my shoulder.
I wouldn't give myself time to think
what must huppen if I should njlse.
It waa ono of those timet when a man
must not fall in hla aim.
Just then tho baby looked up and
aaw the munlormisjirute. She clapped
both bands and gave a squeal of de
light She probably thought the beast
waa aome new sort of playmate.
As alio called out I fired! The buf
falo's logs seemed to tuck themselves
up under him. The lmpetun of his
rush carried him along the ground full
ten feet and he came to a atop with
hta bead not six Inches from the little
girl's knee, atone dead.
Then after tho men had pounded me
on the back till I waa aore the child'
mothor Insisted on kissing me. Howt
healthy fourtoenyeniM)ld boy does
loathe to bt kissed!
Although among the youngest of tht
couriers, I teemed to have Oiled tho
bill and waa promoted, aa waa Johnny
Fry, to $130 per month, but to a more
dangeroua route.
My age at tbo time of riding the
pony exttress will naturally create at
tention and possibly surprise from tht
readera of -the present day, aa tht
youth at that age in tht weet-from
fourteen to sixteen waa In many re
flects a man from the time he could
shoulder a rifle or fire a pistol, with
all a wan'a responsibility, bar voting.
Of course I supiwse in the centert of
manufacturo, Indoor work or in mines
It Is necessary to protect children un
der the child labor law. 1 But the con'
dltlona were such on the frontier that
the boy acquired an early experience,
and both the Indian boya and the
white boya nt the age of fourteen or
fifteen were ranked in every way as
factors to be accounted for on any oc
casions that jirose demanding energy
ntnmlna and pluck.
Hundreds of other boya at that time
were In the same class as myself,
ready, willing and able to do and dare
-little men.
The Importance to tho white man Vf
lulck communication soon dawned on
he Indians and u roused them to sro
Inl pndenvcrs to hnrnss. Intercept and
sill off the meseuera In charge of
his work. Consequently 'nfter the first
few weeks pony express riding been me
probably one of the most dmij,'on:us
occupations known In the worlds inn
lory, and my new route was the llcilt
The render can Imagine tbat It wis
lonely. It demanded endurance above
the ordinary to defy the summer's
hent and winter's tuowaturiut and
bIi,..ii!'dH, skill lu crossing temporary
hririKe iimt dungorous Mlrcnma with
shifting fords and treacherous iiulck
sands, which had to be often got over
t night sometime swollen torrents,
and horses and riders bad to swim,
momentarily liable to ambush by the
ever alert savages, then the monarchs
of the prairies. The reader will under
stand Uiut tht Indian was master of
all tbo country outside the rifle range
of a Station or fort This gnvt to the
very atmosphere a sense of continual
peril, making possible a death jo hor
rible that Ita possibility was at trying
to tbe Imagination as capture made lu
decree a certainty, with all tho horrors
of torture. , t .
Tbat many riders met this fateful
end hi history, while other escapes
wert simply miraculous. Those who
came out alivt on tbt arrival at a sta
tion often found tbat one of tbe rldera
bad fallen a victim to the savage foe
and had to take up bla burden, and in
such caaea be bad to pound tbe saddle
over the stiff country for another hun
dred miles. Tbe fact that tbe dead
body was often somewhere along the
trail, of coMrao. did not add pleasant
thoughts to the Journey. Nothing but a
quick perception and rapidity of action
"Tht bufulo U'i ahnott upon th child
uften find.
and seemingly intuitive knowledge
when danger threatened and tbe nngel
of good luck assisted me to escape
many a close call Several times I
had bullets through my buckskins,
twice through my saddle, and on one
occasion my sturdy mount received a
bad flesh wound. On two occasions
my good marksmanship saved me at
the expense of the roster of the Sioux
braves by sending two at different
times to tbclr bnppy buutlng grounds
On several occasions I bad to resume
the route of slaughtered couriers, nota
bly on one occasion which stands as
possibly a record In tbe story of this
dangerous duty.
Yblle rldlug between the Red
Buttes of tbe Platte aud tbe Three
Crossings of the Sweetwater I had
what was considered a most difficult
and lonely route. On reaching Three
Crossings' I found the rldor of the
next division bad been killed tbe night
before, which necessitate! my cover
lng bis route, and on arrival there tbe
rider who should have been on band
had not turned up, having been killed,
as waa afterward ascertained, ao I
waa compelled to ride' the two routes
without atop, except for . meals and
chango of horses, successfully making
the Jourucy (or round trip) without
steep, only stopping to change horses
and snatch a hasty meat This ride
created a sensation, so I will quote
from an authority best able to place
it on record as a historical fact name
ly, Alexander' Majora himself In hla
book of "Seventy Years on tht Fron
tier:" .,; v
"Among the most noted and. daring
rldera of the pony express was Hon.
William F. Cody, better known as
'Buffalo Bill,' whose reputation Is now
established the world over. While en
gaged In the express service his routt
lay bet ween Red Buttes , and . Three
Crossings. It waa a most dangerous,
long and lonely trail, Including peril
ous crossings of swollen and turbulent
streams. An average of fifteen mllea
an bour had to be made, Including
change of horses, detours for safety
and time for meals. Once upon reach
ing Three Crossings he found that the
rider on the next division bad been
killed during the night before, and he
was called on to make the extra trip
until another rider coOld be procured.
Thla was a request the compliance
with which would Involve the most
taxing labors and an endurance few
persons are capable of. Nevertheless
young Cody was promptly on hand for
the additional Journey, and reached
Rocky Rldgo. the limit of tbe aeoona
route, on time. This ronnd trip of
321 miles was made without a stop,
except for meals and to change horses,
aud every station on the route was
entered on time. This Is one of the
longest and best ridden pony express
Journeys ever made, the enure dis
tance, 821 miles, being covered In VI
hours and 30 minutes."
p-frtrfr
TA T
New-
ear
ITHI3X that up la the ikies, most dear,
it the ihrine of the rote hned east,
A mm it long; for the dying year.
With the mooa for the veitured pricit,
And every star it as altar light, .
And the churc'j itself ia the big-, fcif night,
While yon u) tlie littlest acolyte.
(Sleep.-my baby one, sleep.)
I THIHK, most dear, that the prayer yon say
Ii the incense holy and sweet -Ton
waft to God on the wisp of day
When the night and the twilight meet,
And the sorrowful long that the north winds ring
When the winding' sheet of the mow they bring;
It the dirge for the dear year's burying,
(Sleep, my baby one, sleep.)
I THINK, most dear, that those eloudi yon tee
On the edge of the passing day
Are not the mist that they teem to be,
But friart aid moaks in gray,
Aad I think they're telling their rosaries, too,
And every bead it a drop of dew :
That falls to the earth when its prayer it through.
(Sleep, my baby oae, sleep.)
I THINK, most dear, ia the world to me
That Just as you are tonight
Somehow I wish yon could always be
God's littlest acolyte. .
But slumber low for the dark it here,
Aad soon you'll open your eyes, most dear,
To greet the dawn of a different year.
(Sleep, my baby oae, sleep.)
Kew Orleans Times-Democrat
TESTED AND PROVEN. j
There la a Heap of Solace in Being
Able to Depend Upon a Weil
Earned Reputation.
For months Astoria readers have
seen the constant expression of praise
for Doan's Kidney Pills, and - read
about the good work they have done
in this locality. Not another remedy
ever produced such convincing proof
of merit.
T. Pederson, 613 Commercial street,
Astoria, Ore., saysr "For two years
I suffered more or less from kidney
complaint. At night there was such
a steady aching through the small of
my back that I would be unable t
sleep and would arise in the morntng
tired and worn out. I was languid
and nervous, had severe headaches
and dizzy spells and at times would
see spots floating before my eyes. At
last I procured Doan's Kidney Pilh,
used them according to directions and
received a complete cure." (From
statement given January 19, 1906).
The Curt Proved Permanent
On September 3, 1907, Mr. Peder
son said: "I can still recommend
Doan's Kidney Pills and it gives me
great pleasure to state that I have not
Cradli
Soilg
suffered from kidney trouble since
1906."
For sale by all dealers. Price 50
cents. Foster-Milburn Co., New
York, sole agents for the. United
States.;, .. , .
Remember the name Doan's and
take no other. '
v "Femdale" Butter is made only
from selected cream hence it's deli
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it to day. mi
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The House of Welcome"
Comer Park and Alder,
PORTLAND, OREGON
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M. WALKER, Pres. O. A. BOSSFF"Mtf,
Parker HouseUnderllGVf.'anagciiicn!
On January 1st the Parker House will be re-opened under
Management of John Dunhan
As a first class hotel
We invite your patronage. Dining room guaranteed to be
the best conducted in the city. Call and get our rates.
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- HENRY SHERMAN, Manager.
Hacka, Carriages -Baggage Checked and Transferred Tracke asi F :
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433 Commercial Street - - - ' .-liia Vius
Subscribo to Thellorainjj Azi'
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