. The Argonaut . adies in the audi-ences formed parties among themselves andreturned home unescorted, while the wholemale population crowded Montgomery came the overland stage, the PonyExpress, the telegraph, and finally the rail-way across the continent. The first overlandPony Express left San Francisco for April 3, i860, expecting to reach , Mo., in nine days! Apropos of theoverland stage, a funny experience in thatmode of traveling during its pioneer exist-ence was related by the late Senator MiltonS. Latham on one of his returns from Wash-ington city. He said
. The Argonaut . adies in the audi-ences formed parties among themselves andreturned home unescorted, while the wholemale population crowded Montgomery came the overland stage, the PonyExpress, the telegraph, and finally the rail-way across the continent. The first overlandPony Express left San Francisco for April 3, i860, expecting to reach , Mo., in nine days! Apropos of theoverland stage, a funny experience in thatmode of traveling during its pioneer exist-ence was related by the late Senator MiltonS. Latham on one of his returns from Wash-ington city. He said that when they arrivedat one of the stations for changing horses,away out on the plains, the regular relayteam had not yet turned up, so, time beingprecious, the hind wheels of the coach—a sortof mud wagon—were chained to posts, a quar-tet of totally unbroken mustangs were securedfrom the corral, and with the assistance of adozen men or more were attached to the vehi-cle. Then the whole thing was cast loose,. How the post-oiHcc was besieged subsequent to arrival of a steameraround the Horn in 1849. their way to the post-office to get a good placein the line—which sometimes extended forseveral blocks—so eagerly did the pioneersawait letters from home, and five dollars wasfrequently paid by the most impatient to get further ahead. The first post-office in San Francisco in 49,was in the building erected and occupied asa dwelling by W. D. M. Howard, on thenorth-east corner of Washington and Stock-ton Streets, where Colonel J. W. Geary wasthe first postmaster. There is a story to theeffect that prior to his arrival and takingcharge of the office, one of San Franciscoscitizens, who had acted in that capacity, hadbeen in the habit of carrying letters aroundin his hat. and delivering them to their ad-dressees as he met them in his walks. How-ever, the place was too small for the business,and the post-office was removed to the cornerof Clay Street and Waverly Place, thenknown a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectjournal, bookyear1877
