March 5, 1908:
An Army automobile carrying a message from New York City to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, arrived after 18 days. The Leavenworth Automobile Club escorted the car to the fort.
Fort Leavenworth is 1,228 miles from New York City. The auto averaged a little over 68 miles per day.
Almost fifty years earlier......
April 3, 1860:
The Pony Express ran from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, taking ten days to cover 1,900 miles, or 190 miles per day.