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Blog Entries
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 Communication Through The Pony Express The Pony Express was extremely helpful to anyone trying to get information across the country. California was in the western United States, but the government was on the east. Before the Pony Express, communication was very slow. The Pony Express allowed information to get from Sacramento, California, to St. Joseph, Missouri, in about ten days. The Pony Express worked in an interesting way. One man would ride on a horse. This man would have at most twenty pounds of mail that needed to get to a different place in the country. This horse would be ridden ten miles. After these ten miles the man would get onto a different horse. After seventy-five miles, a different person would ride the horse giving the previous person a break. In this manner information could get around the country. Although the Pony Express was very helpful, it was made clear that the horse rider would be at risk. The rider would be at risk because he would be going through Native American territory. These Natives did not appreciate the riders going through their land. This is why orphans were preferred. They did not have parent who might have to mourn their deaths. In fact, a young rider called Pony Bob Haslam carrying vital information was shot by Native Americans, but still continued on with his seventy-five miles. The Pony Express was very useful, but it did end after eighteen months. The Pony Express took about 10-14 days to get information across the country. The Pony Express was very expensive and actually lost money for every letter it sent. Telegraphs were much faster and less expensive in getting information around the country almost instantaneously. Telegraphs put the Pony Express out of business the day after telegraphs started. The Pony Express was eventually reopened during a time that a mudslide closed the freeway blocking mail trucks. This was in the 1980’s. During this time it was extremely famous. People sent their friends mail just to get the Pony Express’s famous stamp. People even sent themselves mail to get the stamp. The Pony Express did not stay open. The Pony Express was huge a long time ago. There is even a statue dedicated to the Pony Express in Old Sacramento. This method of communication was a big technological advancement. From that time, technology continued to improve. Even though there are things today that are faster than the Pony Express, it is still remembered by many people who admire the riders, bravery. Article posted May 2, 2012 at 10:11 AM • comment (1) • Reads 143 • see all articles |
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