The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-11-26
RAILROAD Prog,ss. III the t"i,sd states.

The magnitude anil importance Of the rail.
road interest in the United States. now re-.
presenting II capital OF not less than about
seven hundred millions Of dollars, has induced
IN intelligent writer IN the Charleston Cour-
nr to glance al their origin. The first rail
roads 10 the United States were, Of course,
hut very small enterprises, aDd were the
Quincy railroad IN Massachusetts,. AMI the
Munich Chunk railroad in Pennsylvania. -
The Quincy railroad wins constructed Ia con
vsy stone from the quarry to navigatle wa
ter. saA was three miles IN length. IL was
Q horse track. with railways consisting OF I'll
sak scmntling, two inches thick and four
inches wide, fastened 10 WOODEN sleepcrs.-
On this scanting liar Of rolled iron. five
sixteenths VI a. inch thick and two and y
half inches wide, WAS tastrnei and the car
PLACED on that The precise date whea the
road wss put 10 motion 10 not known. In
N,hs Rsg,an Of "a Of June 1927, II Is re-
ierred 10 ~ being "in full tide Of successful
operation prior to that date. Tho Munich
Chunk railroad was completed on the Sat
urciay before tho 9Th Of May, 1927. ltis
nine miles long, and WA constructed In two
months aad three days from It's commence
nent. IT, rails were Of wood, fastened upon
Shoppers plated with rolled iron II was
used In part by the cars descending an in-
cline,l plane by their owa gravity, drawing
M an empty train on . second track. II
was intended to transport Goals from the
mines to the Iehigh River. These roads
were, both Of them. local and private in
their character. and were constructed and
used by their proprietors simply A. labor
saving coutrivauccs. The first railroad OF
any considerable Importance incorporated 10
this country was the baltimore and Ohio
road, the net for tho incorporation Of which
bears date Of February, 1929, aud the next
tho South Carolina Canal AMI Railroad
Company, incorporated Deccnber -, 1927.
The work on the first Of these WAS com
nenced on the ith Of July, ls2s, and on the
other In January, ls3o
About the ist Of March. 1880. the direc.
tons Of the South Car DINA road made
contract with r.. l.. Miller for locomotive
engine for the road, which was built ander
his direction a. the West Point Foundery
10 New York. and reached Charleston that
summer or fall. and WAS put upon the road
on the lath Of December. 1880. The co.
gipe was called the Bes Fr,sHd. and IL 10 be
lievei 90 bs the first locomotive built this
side Of the Atlantic. II was certainly the first
steam. engine ,hs, ever run regularly on =
railroad in America. 10 ls3l nearly the
whole road Vas put 10 contract, and In Feb
ruary. 1882, eight miles werc completed aud
the s,ean'esgine regularly plying upoa it.
Ahou, this time the company undertook 10
convey the mails for the United States Gov.
crnment by steam to the 'crMinas Of their
road. and continued a. convey them in that
way until the road MAS finished. % the
I'd Of October. 1888, the road Was opeu
coupletc To Hamburg. y distance Of i36
miles. The baltimore and Ohio read wHs
opsprd 10 Harper fvrry. In Dc,rmber
1854. and In the saine month successful At.
tempt WAS made 70 pass . locomotive
steaincsgiue ever the inclined plane at
Parrs Ridge. WHERE the grs.se vas two
huadrrd and aXty-fve feet 10 the nile. The
engine. BY il own power. ascsnded the plane
With moderate load attacked. This estAb
lished ths ssapletc ascendency Of steam %
the Raltimers and Ohio rosd. On the 9th
Of Eoveuber. 1888. meeting Of citizens
st Baltimore. held a Ellicots Mills. resolved
Tat il . sxped,eut 70 costume Tie Bslti-
norr and Ohis Railroad to whesling and
Pittsbsrg. On tAs ?2d Of October, the
psop,e Of CAsrlestoa hed public meeting,
ssd resolved to adopt neassrcs to extend
their railroad comousieatisu 10 the Ohio
clio, q Cincinnati.
n Candes 81 Amboy Railresd vas
o. ~ Oh October 1880. asd
- Daib carried thrsseA ftoo New fssk
m PAilaAelphia bv steun, % TIE lst Of jan