Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-12-17
Tie First Railway in New England.

The First Railway in New England.
correspondent Of the Boston AdUertiSer
writes
''In Drake's valuable work. Old Landmarks
aud Historic PerAonages of Bosom, published
the present year, it is stated that in reducing
West Hill between Beacon aud Cambridge
streets, the Mount Vernon proprietors employ
ed the first railway used in Now England, by an
inclined plane over which box cars conveyed
their loads to the water at the foot Of the hill.
1t may perhaps be interesting to your readers to
know that this same railway and cars, or others
OF similar construction, were used on Beacon
Hill several years previous. This information |
received two yesrsago from Edward Hove, Esq,
a retired merchant of Portland, Maine, now
ninety years old, who yet walks the streets and
reads the papers every day when in ordinary
health He was born IN Dorchester, Mass, Jn-
ly II, 1878. His father, Abraham Howe, was
brickmaker in that ancient town-his brickyard
aud dwelling (still standing) were where Adams
street now is.
SIN 1885 at the age OF twelve, young Howe,
with his fathers team, hauled one huudred
thousand bricks from the kiins to the top of
Beacon Hill, for the building of the State
House, the corner stone OF which was laid by ex-
Governor Samuel Adams, July 4th, OF that year.
Mr Howe says that the hill was lowered about
twenty feet before the foundation was laid ; and
in this work railway of wood, of about two
feet guage conveyed loaded cars to the foot of
Beacon street, drawing up at the same time
The Mount Vernon proprietors railway was not
in use until the first five years of this century,
and undoubtedly the same track and were
transferred from Beacon to West HILL some
eight or nine years after they were employed on
the sight OF State House. and doubtless by the
same contractor. Mr. Howe probably is the oniy
Que living who assisted in the construction OF
that building.
''In history of the Banker Hill monument,
published in the third volume of the collections
OF the Maine Historical Society, the statement
is made, that the Quincy railway. CONSTRUCTED in
1926 to convey tine stone for the monument
from the quarry to tho wharf for shipment, was
the first railway in the United States. This
might have been the first one in which iron was
used on the track, yet Mr.. Howe has tine impress
sion that there was a thin plate of iron on the
track of the Beacon Hill railway. although he
is not certain. The Quincy railway track was
simply narrow plank set on edge three feet
apart and covered with thin IRON. This mode
Of conveyance was soon abandoned, and the
stone was drawn by teams direct from the quar-
ry to the site Of the monument.
"The first solid iron rails laid and passed over
by a locomotive eng ne drawing train of pas
aud Worcester road in April, 1884 tho engine
and its driver were brought from England The
writer has a vivid recollection OF a rlio to New
ton soon after on this road, and returning in a
hrakeman's seat as an epecial favor, to see the
country. This seat was on tho top of the car,
and the smoke and cinders were perfectly blind
ing, as the engine mad no spark catcher like
these now in use.