The Pony Express Had A Short Run

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On April 3,1860 the Pony Express began running to deliver mail across the country. The riders could ride from Missouri to California in 10 days when it took a stagecoach 24 days to cover the same territory. They used young boys and those weighing 100 to 120 pounds so they could cover more ground in a shorter amount of time. Some riders were as old as 14. "Bronco" Charlie Miller was only 11 years old when he started. Due to the remote locations many stock keepers lost their lives. During an Indian war 16 stock hands died while only six riders during the history of the mail service. The Pony Express ran from April 3,1860 to October 26,1861, which was only 18 months and closed just two days after the new telegraph line from the East Coast to California was completed.