The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-04-22
miscellaneous.
Inventor Of Railroads.

inventor Oh ssa1lfO:tSaS.
Strange as il may now seem, not farther
back than 1870. there was not a railroad in
existence. Now they form the iron network
over this country and Europe and have already
annhilated space, in like manner as the mag
nellie telegraph has almost pppihlatcd TIME.
Doubtless most people, in these times of uni
vcrsal travel are well acquainted with the
progress OF railroads; but how many there are
who gan tell us Of the author and inventor of
that wonder OF the nineteenth ccntury-1hs
Railway system. 1t is so, too, with the .r.at
and useful inventions Of the age. How little
is generally known Of Whitney, the inventor
Of the cotton gin, Of Watt, Of Fulton. and
hunlrcd of other ingenious men. whose inrcn-
| lions have made the age what il is; their works
l.y. after them, and are likely to live for cen
! turtles; but their names by seeming migrate
| fulncss of the age, are suffered to sink almost
into oblivion. Neither Whitney nor Fulton
have even u sta,uo among US to pcrpctuatc
| thci. ncmoriesand as to the author Off loads
| there may not be twenty persons in the L.
| States who have ever l.cull his name, although
lie is sti.l living.
About half Il century ago, the exact year is
| not known, there was b, ri at Leeds. in En-
| gland, man II; n, ID Thomas Gray; scarcely
ANYTHING more is known OF his early history
! than this. lie was, We believe, Il poor collier
AMI being very ins"c nous. he cOnc,i ed an
| idea Of facilitating the transportation of coal
! from Middlctown colitry to Leeds, a Gis' incc
# three miles, hy means Of Il shcr. railway
whicl he constructed ofwood. Upon this the
cars moved along at the rate Of three and a
hl'r miles an hour, to the great mel ri ncnt Of
IL wise and discriminating public, who laughed
at the idea of railway us sCmc hing very
Visionary. and az Me mere suggestion Of lAzi-
ness. Poor Gray thought otherwise. Mag
niliccnt visions Of future railroads, such as
are now stupcndous realities, loomcd ny lc-
fore him, and, he began to talk in public of Il
general system iron railroads. He was. Of
course, laughed at and declared visionary
moonstr,lck fool. But the more Gray con
mp.atcd his LITTLE railway for Goals the more
firmly did he believe the prdcticibility and
! immense usefulness OF his scheme. lie saw in
| it all that is now realized, and he resolved in
| spite of the ridicui" the SnccrS and the rchui!s
that We're hcaped upon him, 10 prosecute his
great undertaking. He pctitiuncd the British
| parliament, and sought interviews with all
the great men Of the Kingdom but all this
had no effect, except to bring down upon him.
wherever he went, the ioud snecrs and ridi
culc of all classes. Still lie pcrscvcrcd, and
| NJ l.ngIh La, ~: rod tln ~ .ptiDn nj Dt
| Intelligence and influence, who finally en-
braccd his views, urged his plans, and the
grand rasuts are now before the world. Thos
Gray, the inventor Of railroads, whono longer
ago than 1920, was laughed at for even men
tioning the idea Of them, still lives in Exeter
England, in full realization OF all his grand and
noble schemes, for which he was declared
insane. How much has the world been ben
Gifted 10y his ins nifty!
But the world is that same ungratctnl, soul
l.ss thing it always was. What "a it done
for Thomas Grayl An English writer speaks
thus Of him: Cup TO 1916 he had been ne
elected. While thousands had been cnricht d
upon the contamination fhis brilliant schemes
he became forgotcn-forccd by poverty to
sell glass ON commission for living" How
| it, few years ago. gave somewhat lengthy
sketch Of his career, thus bringing him into
public notice. We have seen nothing in print
in relation to him lately. Elliott wrote Il great
truth in these words:
GLOW many have lived TO bless mankind,
Have died unthankcd.'
! ntf i1-r,- IN
tors, stockholders, &C., have ever heard f
| the subject Of this sketch!
S-ppoPT Worm Ocn pApEp local