Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-03-10


been made on a down grade. In June OF
stituted. and in December the legisla-
ture authorized loan by the state to
the company Of 100000.
PREJUDICE OF THE PEOPLE.
There was at the time great preJu-
dice against the scheme, and to save
themselves from satire and ridicnle, the
Directors stole quietly out on the night
of the 9th of January, 1880, and turned
the first sod of what is known as the
South Carolina railroad. In April car
propelled by sail was used. In N0vem-
Der, steam power was introduced. The
first locomotive constructed in
America, under contract, for actual
service on a railroad was for this line;it
was built at the West Point Foundry in
New York in 1880, and was called the
BEST Friend" There Is story told
that when this road was completed to
Cheraw, thirteen miles from Charleston,
a traveller arrived at the former place
and inquired of a negro man working
in field what distance it was to
Charleston, he replied: "Massa, il yer's
gwyne horseback, it's bout 'leven
miles; if yer's gwyne to walk, it's up
mountain all the way; but if yer's gwyne
by the railroad, you're thar now" On
Oct 2, 1888, the entire road to Hamburg
was completed, and was at that time the
longest road in the world, In 1864 its
earnings were $4,000 a mile in Con-,
federate scrip.
The Lake POntchartrain Railroad,
from the city of New Orleans to the lake
was opened April 16, 1919 miles
long.
THE FIRST RAILROADEsO
On April "a, 1882, the act Incorporate
ing the New York and Erie railway was
passed. There was considerable OppOsi-
tiOn to the construction of railroads in
that state, and to this road in particular,
coming more particularly from those
who who looked upon the railroad as the
great enemy of the canal, at that time
the pride of the state.
1t is claimed that the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company was the first
chartered and fully organized company
in the United States for the construction
of an extended line of railway, though
it was not originally designed for the
use of steam power. Admitting this.
Maryland has the honor of having been
| the first i'm the Union to incorporate a
company for the construction of rail-
road, and she claims also to have been
the first Ito devote the public resources
| to the support of the system @
The construction of this line was the
result of frequent conferences held in
Baltimore in the fall of 1926, in rela-
! ton to the loss that city had sustained
| in consequence of large portion OF its
trade with the west having been drawn
to the cities Of Philadelphia and New
York by The public works OF Pennsylva-
MIA and the Erie Canal.
THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO.
An act of incorporation was granted
| (ten months before the South Carolina
| read was Incorporated and the company
organized on the Gath of April of that
year. 1t Is a singular fact that although
Baltimore was at this early day looking
to the West for sustaining traffic, yet
its system was not extended to Chicago
nntil Nov, 1874, nearly fifty years after.
The beginning Of the work was in
augurated with becoming ceremonies;
the 4th of July, 1928, was chosen as the
most fitting day, and Charles Carroll, of
CarrOlltOn (then in his Goth year,, was
selected to begin work regarding
which he remarked: IL consider this
among the most important acts Of my
life, second only to my signing the Dec
laratiOn Of Independence" a.l b,r
The first division of the road, from
Baltimore TO Eilicett Mills, fourteen
miles, was open for the transportation
of passengers by horsepower on the 24th
of May, 1880. The Relay House eight
miles from the city, was, as lis name
indicat ties, the point for changing horses.
| Steam power was introduced on the Both
of August in the same year. The first
locomotive used, an experimental ma
chine, was built by Peter Cooper, the
now venerable philanthrOpist, who cele-
brated his 92d birthday few days since.
1t made its first trip Aug. %. 1880, and
Out-ran horse Car in trialsOf speed.
1t was the first built in America, and
the first used in tive transportation of
passengers on this side of the Atlantic.
| IL did not weigh over ton, and was ap-
propriately named the tom Thumb"
| In many of the communications which
appeared in the columns of the Balti-
more papers in 1881, for and against the
extension of the road through the city
to tide-water. an effort was made TO ex-
cite the prejudices of the draymen on
the ground that id would ruin their
business and deprive them of means
of livelihood. During the early days of CO u
structiOn the enterprise met with very
bitter opposition from the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal Company, and the old
battle between rail and water transpOr-
tation still RACES as fercely as ever.
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
In advertising for proposals for loco
motives in January, 1881, the notice
| specified that the engines were to be OF
sufficient power to haul fifteen tons, aud
that the engine itself should not weigh