Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-10-22
BILL NYE ON RAILROADS.
THE HUMORIST'S GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF
THE FIRST TRAIN.

InL nUmUnloI OnhI HiV HVVV""i W
THE FIRST TRAIN.
THE INITIAL TRIP WAS RATHER
SLOW FOR THESE TIMES, AND
HAD SOME DRAWBACKS.
Perhaps there is nothing in the
line of discovery and improvement
that has shown more marked pro-
gress in the last century than the
railway and its different auxllia-
ries. When we remember that much
less than n century has passed
since the first patent for a locomo-
tive to move upon track was is
sued, where now VIC have every
thing that heart can wish, and in
fact. live better on the road than
we do at home, with but thirty.slx
hours between New York and Min.
neapois, and a gorgeous parlor,
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
and admiration.
To Peter Cooper is largely due
the boom given torailway business,
he having constructed the first To-
comOtive ever made in this country,
and put it on the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad.
The first tram ever operated must
have been a grand sight. First
came the locomotive, large Bah
cock Gre.extinguisher on trucks,
with smoke. stack like tull-blown
speaking.tube with a frill around
the top; the engineer at his post in
a plug hat, with an umbrella over
his head and his hand on the throt-
tie, borrowing a chew OF tobacco
now and then OF the farmers who
passed 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
he passed, and turning the damp
er in the smOke.stack every little
while so that it would draw. Now
and then he would 60 forward and
put pork-rind on a hot box or
pound on the cylinder head to warn
people of the track.
Next comes the tender loaded
with nice, white birch wood, an
economical style of fuel because its
bark may he easily burned off while
the wood itself will remain unin-
iured. Beside the fire.wood we
find on the tender a barrel of rain
water and a tall, blonde jar with a
wicker.work around it, which con-
tains a small sprig Of tansy immers-
cd in fonr gallons of New England
rum. This the engineer has brought
with him for use in case Of accident.
lie is now engaged IN preparing
for the accident in advance.
Next comes the front brakeman
IN n plug hat about two sizes too
large for him. lie also wears a
long. wasted frock coat with bus
tie to it and a tall shrt.collar with
table spread tie, the ends of which
hutter gayly in the morning breeze.
As the train pauses at the first sta.
tion he takes n hammer out Of the
tool.box and nails on the tire of the
force wheel Of his coach. The en-
gineer gets down with long oil
can and puts a little sewing-ma'
chine oil on the pitman. He then
wipes it of with his sleeve.
II is now discovered that the
rear coach, containing number of
directors and the division superln-
tendent, ismissing. 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
removes his bell.crowned plug hat,
and taking out his orders apd time
card, he finds that the track is
clear, and looking at a large, val
liable Waterbury watch, presented
to him by "a widow whose husband
was run over and killed by the
train, he sees he can still mako the
next station in time for dinner. lilo
hires a livery team to 90 back after
the directors coach, and calling
"All aboard ~ he swings lightly
upon the moving train.
It's now 10 o'clock, and nine.
teen weary miles still stretch out
between him and the dinnerstation.
TO add to the horrors Of the situa-
ton, the front brakeman discovert
that a very thirsty boy In the emi'
grant car has been drinking from
the water.supply tank on the ten
der, and there is not enough left to
carry the train through. Much
time is consumed in filling the bar.
rel again at a spring near the track,
but the conductor finds a "spotterp
on the train and gets him to do it.
lie 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