Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-12-27
A RIDE ON A RAILROAD.

N''V'' " Wv PNOHNO 70 ""S
mermaid. or his woody horse; and when the train
made lite first trip, and the iron horse, instinct with
life, came laundering oyer the track, thousands
were there to witness the Inauguration OF n new
era in the history of lucomotion.
In those days, the record of a railroad trip pos,
sessed as much attraction for the people. as nov
does q description of the ascent Of Mont Blanc.
But We have lived fast since then; railroads have
become common property, and he who has never
travelled upon one is regarded with feelings OF
commiseration The Locomotive has grown into
nm American institution, and the very wolves and
bears of the far West are getting accustomed to
its sErill whistle and hoarse voice. Yet tits of n
railroad, and of railroad travelling | am about to
sneak, but not, / assure you, of an ordinary rail
road.
Not many miles south Of one of tho great thor.
oughfares from east TO west. is a railway some ten
miles in length, connecting the city of Carrollton'
Carroll county, Ohio, with a branch of the Pitts
burgh and Cleveland railway, which IL intersects
at Oneida. How much wire.pulling was done by
the projectors of the railroad; how many meet
ings we're held by the citizens of Carroll county
before public sentiment was brought TO q white
heat; how lavish was the expenditure Of eloquence
on tHe pdTb Vi IL tTlehNSj ~" many uhEFO"S"
hopes were entertained that Carrollton would be
the great central railroad depot, where on the one
hand, California would bring the riches of her
mineral wealth, and on the other, New England
send her importatiCns and her manufactures. 1t is
not for me to declare. Suffice it to say, the road
was built, and cars have been running upon it for
some four years.
Having occasion to travel in that part of the
country, l found myself and baggage landed at
the Oneida station, where, with several other pas
sengors, l took the train for Carrollton. Before
starting, however. I examined cur travelling ar-
pointments, and as l have a good deal of the anti
auarian about me, felt II thrill of delight on be-
holding the blessings which fate had in store. To
begin as near the foundation as possible; there was
a railway built after the good old fashioned pat
tern, with strap rails. How pleasant was their
look of meek humility How different from the
bold. and upstart attitude Of the modern I! They
brought me back to the almost forgotten days of
snakchedd accidents, as wore teimed the Efforts
sometimes made by the looseDed end of a strap
rail to startle travellers by passing throu..n the
bottom of u car. But the Locomotive was whit
delighted me most, for | was assured, by good au-
thority, that it vas the first one brought to this
country-the English sire of all our iron horses.
@ WAitey'' was never approached with more
reverence by the admirers of General Taylor, than
/ felt, when l approached 'OLD BLAcKEY." Its
voice indicated an asthmatic affection, its limbs
we're feeble with excessive toll, age had traced its
impress upon its form; and the poor old slave Of
man will ere long, drag its last load. But it was
in it's fitting place; no modernized railroad would
have suited it; its first experience was upon strap
rails. it is well its last should be.
/ am informed that the Carrollton Railroad Com.
pany has a passenger car, but however that may
be, there was none used on this trip. Our train
consisted of a house car laden with barrels Of salt
and a platform car laden with the same. We took
our places upon the latter, and off started the en-
CINE, putting and wheeling. and attaining With
great effort a speed of about four miles an hour.
The day was cool-as is apt to be the case with
days in DecemLer-and though the passengers felt
rather chilly, all appeared to be in y good humor.
There were seven or eight Of us in all; the only
woman in company was n Temperance lecturer,
and as We also had two anti-slavery lecturers on
board, it would be safe to say that the reform sen
timent was fully represented on the Carrollton
train. The ~wooding station of the company CON
sists of an unprete lding wood. pile in tho woods.
Their watering tank has been prepared 10y nature,
and although to dip up with a bucket all the
water the Locomotive needs is doubtless incon-
venient, on the ground Of primitive simplicity the
plan is IN attractive one.
The conductor Of the train was as jovial and
ge~ntlemanly n conductor as ever l met Withholding
ing and communicative. | conversed with him
upon the dangers OF Cnrrollton railroad travelling,
and be informed me that not unfrequently the cars
ran off the track, though fortunately their speed
of travel was not so great as to endanger the lives
of passengers, or produce any other had result ex-
cept detention, which of course would be much
less annoying. and a less positive loss of time
when travelling four miles an hour, than in going
forty. us there no danger from collisions on this
road ?" / quericd Of the conductor. "Nerer ~ was
the emphatic reply, "unless we unexpectedly meet
cow. If we see one on the track we always
switch off until she passes"
The engineer impressed mt as a man Of skill.
agility and decision. 1t required not only all the
ordinary talent of an engine driver to manage
Old Biackey, hut there needed tn be super added to
this, an eye quick to detect, and Il hand prompt to
adjust all Disbursements in the machinery. l saw
that the office of engineer on the Carrollton rail
road was no sinecure. About half the timo he
was engaged in feats of agility that Y ould have
delighted a circus manager. The upper part of
his body would suddenly disappear throngh the
window Immediately in front of his stand, and
while his hands were engaged in tightening a burr,
his feet would be making wonderful gy%rations in
the air. Sometimes he would stop the engine,
leap upon the ground. and mmen mysterious
ly %screwing. or unserewing. or hammering as the
necessities of the case required. My reverence
for antiquities being greater than my fear of steam,
by permission of the engineer, ] rode for a time
upon Old Btackey, and was delighted with tho ex.
pertinent.
Before we had accomplished half the distance
to Carrollron, | had thought of proposing to the
other passengers that We hold q meeting, and adopt