United States 1154

     In 1860 the freight firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddel promised to deliver the mail in ten days between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. One hundred and ninety relay stations were established and riders traveled about 75 miles a day exchanging horses at every relay station. Although the time was half that of the Overland Mail, which followed a longer route through the Southwest, the Pony Express was not financially successful. Russell, Majors, and Waddell went bankrupt, and the service stopped after eighteen months when the telegraph was completed. The route is shown on the background map.

      It has been suggested that a galloping horse never moves its legs like the horse on the stamp. However, I have examined many pictures of galloping horses, and many of them show the same position of the horse's legs as on the stamp, so I am not sure that the statement is correct.