Before 1860 there was no quick way of getting mail [?] the east and the west of the United States. There were no railways at that time and and most mail was sent by coach. It usually [?] at least 25 days for coaches [?] the coast. So in 1860 it [?] decided to send mail by 'Pony Express', which was much faster. Riders with very fast horses were placed [?] the route. They were at [?] distances from each other and the mail was handed from one rider to the next. Riders were all [?] to travel between twenty and thirty kilometres [?] day on very bad roads . At each stop two minutes were [?] for exchanging the mail bags, but riders were often held up by awful weather [?] closed the roads. With the invention of the telegraph in 1861 the deamand for Pony Express disappeared.