Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-10-28
BILL NYE ON RAILROADS.
The Humorist's Graphic Ac-
count of the First Train.
The Initial Trip Was Rather Slow
for These Times. and Had Some
Drawbacks.

tIlldpS IHClc 10 IsOIlllHP III IllC iiuO
of discovery and Improvement that has
shown more marked progress in the
last century than the railway and its
different auXiliarieS. When we remem-
Der that much less than century has
passed since the first patent for loco
motive to move upon track was issu-
ed. where now we have everything that
heart can wish, and, in fact, live better
on the road than we do at home, with
but thirty-six hours between New York
and Minneapolis, and gorgeous par
lor, bedroom and dining room, be.
tween Maine and Oregon, with nothing
missing that may 60 to make life a rich
blessing, we are compelled to express
our wonder ard admiration.
To Peter Cooper is largely due the
boom given to railway business, he hav-
ing constructed the first locomotive ey-
er made in this country, and put it on
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The first train ever operated must
have been grand sight. First came
the locomotive, large Babcock tireeX-
tinguisher on trucks, with smoke
stack like a full-blown speaking-tube
with frill around the top; the engineer
at his post in plug nat, with an um-
brella over his head and his hand OH the
throttle, borrowing a chew Of tobacco
now and then Of the farmers who pass
ed him on their way to town. Near
him stood the fireman, now and then
bringing in an armful of wood from the
fields through which they passed. and
turning the damper in the smoke-stack
every little while so that it would draw.
Now and then he would go forward
and put a pork-rind on hot box or
pound on the cylinder head to warn
people off the track.
Next comes the tender loaded with
nice, white birch wood, an economical
style of fuel because its bark may be
easily burned off while the wood itself
will remain uninjurcd. Beside the fire.
wood we find on the tender barrel of
rainwater and tall, blonde jar with a
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 ad-
vance.
Next comes the front brakeman in
plug hat about two sizes too large for
him. He also wears long-waSted
frock coat with hustle to it and a tall
shirt-collar with table-spread tie, the
ends of which flutter gayly in the morn
ing breeze. AS the train pauses at the
first station he takes hammer out of
the tool-box and nairs on the tire of the
fore wheel Of his coach. The engineer
gets down with long oil can and puts
a little sewing machine oil on the pit
man. He then wipes it off with his
sleeve.
1t is now discovered that the rear
and the division superintendent, is
missing. The conductor goes to 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 brakeman have no doubt gone
back to the starting place.
But the conductor is cool. He re-
moves his bell-crowned plug hat, and
taking out his orders and time card, he
finds that the track is clear, and louk-
ing at large, valuable Waterbury
watch, presented to him by a widow
whose husband was run over and killed
by the train, he sees he can still make
the next station in time for dinner. He
hires livery team to 60 back after the
directors coach, and calling "All a
board = he swings lightly upon the
moving train.
It is now 10 o'clock, and nineteen
weary miles still stretch oat between
him and the dinner station. To add to
the horrors of the situation, the tlont
brakeman discovers that very thirsty
boy in the emigrant Car has been drink
ing from the water-supply tank on the
tender, and there is not enough left to
carry the train through. Much time is
consumed in filling the barrel again at
a spring near the track, but the con-
ductor finds a "spotter" on the train
and gets him to do it. He also induces
him to cut some more wood and clean
out the ashes.
The engineer then pulls out the draw
head and begins to make up time. In
twenty minutes he has made up an
hours time, though two miles of hoop
iron are torn from the track behind
him. He sails into the eating station
on time, land while the master mechanic
| takes several of the cOach-wheels over
to the machine shop to soak, he eats a
hurried lunch.
The brakeman here gets his tin Ian
terms ready for the night run and fills
two of them with red .oil to be used on
the rear coach.
The fireman puts fresh bacou-rind
on the eccentric, stuffs some more cot
ton batting around the axles, puts a