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The Pony Express
 The Pony Express service ran between St. Joseph,
Missouri, and Sacramento, California.- It was first offered April 3, 1860.
- There were 183 riders and 400 horses, and they
covered 1,966 miles with 190 stops along the way.
- The trip took 10 days in summer and 12 to 16
days in winter. The rate was five dollars per 1/2-ounce
letter. By the end of the Pony Express, the price
had dropped to $1.00 per 1/2 ounce.
- An ad for riders in a California newspaper read: "Wanted.
Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must
be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily.
Orphans preferred."
- Most riders were around 20 years old. The youngest
was 11. The oldest were in their mid-40s. Not
many were orphans. They usually weighed around
120 pounds.
- Riders were paid $100 per month.
- New riders took over every 75 to 100 miles.
- Riders got a fresh horse every 10 to 15 miles.
Horses traveled an average of 10 miles per hour.
- The Pony Express was put out of business when
the Transcontinental Telegraph was made available
to the public on October 24, 1861.
- The Pony Express's final haul reached Sacramento
two days later, on October 26, 1861.
 History of the Pony Express
Source: The Book of Lasts by Stavros Cosmopulos
and Pony Express Information.
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