Pony Express Riders Approximately 80 young riders were in use at any one time. In addition, some 400 other employees included station keepers, stock tenders and route superintendents. Riders were paid $100 to $125 per month. Dozens of applicants vied for jobs, eager to accept the death defying rigors they would soon experience. Mark Twain, who saw the Pony Express in action first hand, described the riders as: "... usually a little bit of a man". Though small in stature, their untarnished record proved them to possess the hearts of lions. History would record that they were among the most durable horsemen to ever straddle a saddle. One of the most frequently asked questions is "Why isn't my great-great-great relative found on the list of Pony Express riders?" To date, none of the Central Overland and California Pony Express company records containing an authentic list dating back to the days when it was in operation have ever been found. The following list of riders has been compiled by the staffs of the St. Joseph Museum and Pony Express National Memorial, St. Joseph, Missouri, from various sources, including accounts from people who knew riders, relatives of riders and newspapers. Additional names marked with an asterisk (*) are from lists found in Saddles and Spurs by Settle and Settle. This list is not considered to be complete nor have all of the names been confirmed. (In fact a number of the names may be the same person with a different spelling.) However, if a name does not appear on this list, the rider in question may well have ridden for one of the numerous "other pony expresses" that carried the mail throughout the west. Jack Alcott* John Anson Anton Henry Avis Rodney Babbit L. W. Ball Lafayette Ball James Banks James Barnell Jim Baughn Melville Baughn Marve Beardsley James Beatley Charles Becker Thomas Bedford Charles Billman G. R. Bills "Black Sam" "Black Tom" Thomas Black* Lafayette Bolwinkle Bond "Boston" William Boulton John Brandenburger* Charles H. ("Doc") Brink Hugh Brown James Brown James Bucklin John Burnett Ed Bush William Campbell Alexander Carlyle William Carr William Carrigan James Carter William A. Cates James Clark John Clark Richard W. Clark* Richard Cleve Charles Cliff Gustavas Cliff William F. Cody Buck Cole Bill Corbett Edward Covington James Cowan Jack Crawford James Cumbo Louis Dean William Dennis Frank Derrick Alex Diffenbacher Thomas Dobson J. Dodge Joseph Donovan Tom Donvan W. E. Dorrington Calvin Downs Daniel Drumheller James E. Dunlap William Eckles Major Howard Egan Howard Ransom Egan Richard E Egan Thomas J. Elliot J. K. Ellis Charles Enos George Fair H. J. Faust Josiah Faylor Johnny Fischer John Fisher William F. Fisher G. Packard Thomas Flynn Jimmie Foreman Johnny Fry Abram Fuller George Gardner James Gentry James Gilson Samuel Gilson James Gleason* "Irish Tom" Grady Frank Gould* Sam Hall Samuel Hamilton* William Hamilton George Harder* Pony Bob Haslam Theodore Hawkins Sam Haws Frank Helvey Levi Hensel William Hickman Chas. Higgenbotham Martin Hogan Clark Huntington Lester Huntington William James David R. Jay William D. Jenkins Jennings Samuel Jobe William Jones Jack Keetley Hi Kelley Jay G. Kelley Mike Kelly Thomas O. King John P. Koerner Harry La Mont William Lawson George Leonard George E. Little Elias Littleton "Tough" Littleton* N. N. Lytle Sye Macaulas Robert Martin Elijah Maxfield Montgomery Maze Emmet McCain J. G. (Jay) McCall Charlie McCarty James McDonald Pat McEarney David McLaughlin James McNaughton William McNaughton Lorenzo Meacona J. P. Mellen Howard Mifflen Charlie(Bronco) Miller James Moore Jeramiah H. Murphy Newton Myrick Matthew Orr Robert Orr G. Packard William Page John Paul "Mochila Joe" Paxton George W. Perkins William Prindham Thomas J. Ranahan Theodore (Yank) Rand James Randall Charles Reynolds Thomas J. Reynolds William Minor Richards H. Richardson* Johnson W. Richardson Bartholomew Riles Jonathan Rinehart Don C. Rising Harry Roff Edward Rush Robert Sanders G. G. Sangiovanni George Scovell John Seerbeck* Jack Selmen Joseph Serish John Sinclair George Spurr William H. Streeper Robert Stricklen William Strohm John W. Suggett Billy Tate Josiah Taylor George Thatcher J. J. Thomas Bill Thompson Charles F. Thompson "Cyclone" Thompson James M. Thompson Alexander Topence W. S. Tough George Towne Henry Tuckett Warren (Boston) Upson W. E. Van Blaricon* John B. Wade Henry Wallace Daniel Westcott Michael M. Whalen George Orson Wheat "Whipsaw" H. C. Wills Elijah Nicholas Wilson Slim Wilson Joseph Barney Wintle Henry Worley James Worthington George Wright Mose Wright Jose Zowgaltz