The National tribune., 1886-10-07
THE FIRST RAILROAD.
A Thrilling Picture OF Ride Upon IL,
rRU A.. 4, ,g,s,,,,o ~,

Perhaps there is nothing in the line of dis
covery and Improvement that has shown more
marked progress in the last century than the
railway and its auxiiaries When we remem-
Der that much less than a century has passed
since the FIRST patent for a locomotive 10 move
upon track was issued, where now We have
everything that heart can WISH and, in fact,
live better on the road than we do at home
with but SO hours between New York and Min
neapolis, and gorgeous parlor, bedroom and
dining-room between Maine and Oregon, with
nothing missing that may go 10 make life
rich blessing, we are compelled TO express our
wonder and admiration.
To Peter Cooper is largely due the boom
given TO railway business, he having con-
structed the FIRST locomotive ever made in this
country, and put il on the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad.
The first train ever operated must have been
grand sight. First came the locomotive a
large Babcock fre-extinguisher on trucks
with a sm0kestack like a full-blown speaking
tube with a frill around the top; the Engineer
at has post in a plug hat, with an umbrella
over his head and his hand on the throttle
borrowing a chew Of tobacco now and then Of
the farmers who passed him on their way 10
town. Near him stood the Fireman, now and
then bringing an armful Of wood from the
fields through which they passed, and turning
the damper in the smokcstack every little
while so that il would draw. Now and then
he would 60 forward and put pork rind on a
hot box or pound on the cylinder-hea 10 warn
people Off the track.
Next comes the tender loaded with nice,
whitebirch wood an economical style of fuel,
because the bark may be easily burned off
while the wood itself will remain uninjured
Besides the frewood we find on the tender a
barrel Of rainwater and a tall. blonde jar with
wicker-work around IT, which contains small
sprig Of tansy immersed in four gallons of New
England rum. This the Engineer has brought
with him for use in case of accident. He is
now engaged in preparing for the accident in
advance.
Next comes the front Brakeman in a plug
hat about two sizes TOO large for him. He also
wears a long wasted frock-coat with hustle
TO IL and tall shirt-collar with table-spread
tie, the ends of which 1utter gayly in the
morning breeze As the train pauses at the
first station he takes a hammer out of the tool
box and nails on the tire Of the fore wheel Of
has coach. The Engineer gets down with
long oil-can and puts a little sewing machine
oil on the pitman. lie then wipes it of with
his sleeve.
Ii is now discovered that the rear coach,
containing a number of Directors and the Di-
! vision Superintendent is missing. The Con-
ductor goes 10 the rear OF the last coach and
! finds that the string by which the Directors
car was attached is broken, and that the grade
being pretty steep the Directors and one Brake
man have no doubt gone back to the starting
! place.
But the Conductor is cool. lie removes his
/ bell crowned plug hat, and taking out his or
dcrs aud time-card he finds that the track is
clear, aud looking at a large, valuable Water
bury watch presented 10 him by a widow
whose husband was run over and killed by the
4 train, lac secs lac can still make the next sta
4 ton IN Time for dinner He hires livery
team 10 20 back after the Directors coach, and
calling al aboard" he swings lightly upon
the moving train.
il is now 10 o'clock, and IS weary miles
stretch out between him and the dinner sta
ton. To add 30 the horrors Of the situation
the front Brakeman discovers that a very
/ thirsty boy in the emigrant car has been drink
4 ing from the water-supply tank on the tender,
and there Is not enough left 20 carry the train
4 through. Much time is consumed in filling
The barrel again at a spring near the track, but
! the Conductor finds "spOtter" on the train
4 and gets him 10 do Ii. lie also induces him
10 cut some moro wood and clean out the ashes
The Engineer then pulls out drawhead and
| begins 10 make up time. IN 20 minutes he has
/ made up al hours time, though two miles Of
ho0piron are torn from the track behind him.
10 sails into tpc eating station on time, and,
"aile tae Master Mechanic takes several Of the
coach wheels over TO the Machine shop 10 soak
be cats hurried lunch.
ready Tor tAe night run aud fills two Of them
with red or 30 bc used on the rear coach. The
Fireman pa.s a fresh bacon rind on the eccen-
trlc, stuus some more cotton hating around the
a1les, puts new lynch-pin in the hind wheels,
sweeps the apple -pcciings out Of the smoking
car, aud he b. ready
Ihon comes the Conductor with his plug hat
full Of excursion tickets orders, passes and
time checks; be looks at his Waterbury watch,
waves his hand and calls "All aboard again.
il b. upgrade, however, and for two miles the
"spolicr" has 20 push behind with all his might
before the Conductor viii allow him 10 get on
! and ride.
Thus began the history of gigantic enter
Prise which has grown I'LL 10 is a comfort, a
convenience, luxury, and yet a necessity. IL
has Dui.t ~ aud beautled the desert. Ii has
crepi beneath the broad river, scaled the snowy
mountain, and hung by iron arms from the
canyon aud the precipiee, carrying the young
10 new lands and reunting those long scpa.
rated. Ii has taken the hopeless TO lands OF
new hope. III has invaded the solitue Of the
wilderness spiked down valuable land grants
killed cheap cattle and then paid high price
! ior them, Rhooped through valleys, snorted