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I don't think the Pony Express ever thought Western Union could build their telegraph line so fast. Even Abraham Lincoln was aware of the difficulty of the proposal, saying, “I think it is a wild scheme. It will be next to impossible to get your poles and materials distributed on the plains, and as fast as you complete the line, the Indians will cut it down.” So much for expert opinion.

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"Western Union erected the first telegraph poles on July 4, 1861 and took 112 days to complete the first electronic transcontinental communication system on Oct. 24, 1861. Two days later the Pony Express was discontinued."

If only we could all know just when to stop.

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