Stats Saturday, Aug 7 – Fallon to Middlegate; day distance 48.9; ride time 3 h 10 m (3 h 20 m); ave speed 15.43; total climb 1,312; total distance 381.4.
We left Fallon a little before 5:00 pm and arrived at 8:20 pm. We took in awesome Nevada desert scenery as the sun went down. Middlegate is an old Pony Express stop. Middlegate was so named in 1850 by James Simpson who was commissioned by the government to define the route west. He identified cuts in the mountains as “gates.” The gold rush increased traffic across the great desert and in 1859 the Overland Stage built Middlegate to service the stage and freight lines.
The Pony Express was in existence a mere 18 months. The legacy it left behind challenges the imagination of the most daring. The job description read as follows: Wanted: young skinny wiry fellows no over 19 years of age. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages - $25 per week. Apply Central Overland Express. Desired applicants were not to be over 120 pounds. They were issued a Bible to help maintain their faith and composure. Hired riders were required to take the following oath: I hereby swear before the great and living god that during my engagement and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors & Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language; that I will not drink intoxicating liquors; that I will not fight or quarrel with any other employee of the firm; and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, faithful to my duties, and so direct my acts as to win the confidence of my employers. So help me God.
Impressive! The Pony Express sought to be a service and enterprise of integrity.
At Middlegate, just after dark we observed a couple of guys with gun belts and pistols. Old horse drawn buggies are positioned out front. We slept in a “camp shack,” a small clapboard building with a bed. Quite the experience! We will not soon forget our evening at Middlegate.
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