The Pony Express

A few years ago, while visiting the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri, I thought it would be a great project to research the riders, find out which ones were Masons and write a little piece on each of them. Without going into great detail let's just say that history is lost, not to mention the fact that most of the riders were too young to be Masons in the first place. I gave up on the article until I found out the two major founders of the Pony Express, William Russell and Alexander Majors, were, in fact, Freemasons.

A third founder, William Waddell served mainly as the financier while Brothers Russell and Majors were the hands-on forces driving the company. As such they demanded high standards of conduct from the riders which reflected their Masonic values.

Prior to joining the company, each rider had to repeat the following obligation with its obvious Masonic undertones:

"You will raise your arm to a level square and repeat after me. I... do hereby swear, before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement... I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will drink no intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers, so help me God."

Beginning April 3, 1860, the riders relayed mail on horseback from St. Joseph to Sacramento. The trip took about ten days and, at the time, it was the fastest way to communicate with settlers on the west coast. The Pony Express has become an iconic part of American history, even though it only operated less than 19 months until October 24, 1861, when the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line put it out of business.

Although many of the riders' histories have been lost, there was one who, after riding for the Pony Express at age 14, became world famous later in life. His name was William Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, who, a decade later became a member of Platte Valley Lodge #32 in Nebraska. His legendary exploits began as a rider, where he was said to have completed the longest ride ever, going over 300 miles in a single day.

Living in an age of traveling entertainment, Cody assembled his own entourage, commonly known as "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show. The production staged reenactments of Custer's Last Stand, robberies and, of course, Pony Express rides. Over time, the show made Cody famous and wealthy by the standards of his day.

After the collapse of the Pony Express, the founders lost their fortunes and never really recovered. Brother Majors was especially hard-hit, winding up penniless and living in a shack. It was in that condition that Brother Cody found him twenty years after the organization had folded.

Cody not only furnished the assistance necessary for Majors to get back on his feet, but also provided him with a contact to help finish his memoirs. Employing those Masonic tenets of Brotherly love and relief, Buffalo Bill repaid his former employer, a Brother, who had given him his start many years prior. As Freemasons, that's the kind of thing we do.