pony express

pony express
a former system in the American West of carrying mail and express by relays of riders mounted on ponies, esp. the system operating (1860-61) between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California.
[1840-50, Amer.]

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(1860–61) U.S. system of mail delivery by horse and rider relays.

The 1,800-mi (2,900-km) route between St. Joseph, Mo., and Sacramento, Calif., included 157 stations. Riders changed horses every 10 to 15 miles, and it took about 10 days to complete the route. The sponsoring company of Russell, Majors, Wadell employed riders such as William F. Cody and Pony Bob Haslam. The system provided an important mail link with the West, but it was a financial failure and became obsolete after 18 months with the completion of the transcontinental telegraph system.

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▪ United States history
 in U.S. history, system of mail delivery by continuous horse and rider relays between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California (April 1860–October 1861). Although a financially disastrous, brief enterprise for the sponsoring firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, the Pony Express and its most famous riders, William (“Buffalo Bill”) Cody (Cody, William F.) and “Pony Bob” Haslam, captured the national imagination as one of the most colourful episodes in the history of the American West.

      The route was approximately 1,800 miles (2,900 km) long, had 157 stations, and required about 10 days to cover. Each rider generally rode 75 to 100 miles (120 to 160 km) and changed horses every 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km). The service ceased with the completion of the transcontinental telegraph system.

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Universalium. 2010.

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