Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-03-01
AMERICAS FIRSFRAILWAY.
The Mechanical Curiosity ont Of Which Grew
the Modern Locomotive.


The Mechanical Curiosity ont of Which Grew
the Modern Locomotive.
Charles Ii. Roberts, in the February
number of the American Magazine writes
of the beginning of railroads in this
country:
Penrose and Bennett, at this date 1881,
had been pioneers of that manual train
ing school in America which was estab-
lished few years prsviouIly by Robert
Dale ven, az New Harmony, Indiana.
Bennett, absent from the school on some
trading or peddling excursion into Ken
lucky, had discovered the plant at Louis
vile, and, returning to New Harmony,
told Penrose of it. This plant was a
steam locomotive, passenger car and
track-sn aggeration of machinery of
most striking and captivating features.
They had information of two tram roads
existing IN the United States, one in New
England an the other in the south but no
knowledge of any steam railway.
The two students, Penrose about 26 and
Bennett 20 years of age, determined TO
purchase the steam novelty and exhibit it
about tho country as a speculation the
latter accordingly returned to Louisville
to secure it. This he did, pay ing its
owner, who was probably its constructor,
5000; and thereupon these predessators
of Vanderbilt and Gould, entered upon
the ownership of if no. the first, at least
one of the earliest of the steam railways
of their country.
Their property included shares, rolling <
stock, right of way and franchises. 1t
seems unnecessary to suggest that the
latter appendages of the railway were
then nonexistant, even in dreams. The
pride and pomp of the modern system
the pass, the porter, and the Pullman
coach; the circumstance of long and shor
haul, mortgage and receiver were then
unknown.
Bennett without embarrassment, trans
ported his acquisition to New Harmony.
/ The locomotive, car and track com plete,
weighed somewhere from one thousand
to fifteen hundred pounds. The engine
is described as having highly polished
copper boiler.
| A description of StephensOn's English
! engine of the previous year, in a letter
from the bright pen of Mrs, Frances
K emble Butler, may be taken as aptiy i'll
ustrating the state of the art respecting
steam land locomotion at this time /;
| though the letter perhaps describes a
! ruder machine than that OF Penrose and
/ Bennett. Ueder date of August &c, 1880,
/ she writes:
| 1--WE were introduced to the little en-
/ CINE that was TO drag us along the rails.
| She, (for they make these curious little
! fire horses all mares) consisted of a boil
! er, q stove, platform, bench, and be-
1 hind the bench q barrel containing
water enough TO prevent her being thirs-
| ty for fifteen miles-the whole machine
not bigger than q common fire engine
/ she goes upon two wheels, which are her
| feet, and are moved by bright steel legs
called plstons' These are propelled by
/ steam, and IN proportion as more steam
/ Is applied TO the upper extremitiss, (the
hip joints, IsupPose) of these pistoss,
the faster they move the wheels. The
coal which are its oats, were under the
bsnch, and there was a small glass tube
affixed to the boiler which indicated by
Its fullness or emptiness when the crea-
ture wanted water"
The American effort was less preten-
tious. The circuiar or eliipacal track
upon which Penrose and Bennett ran
| their machine was movable and adjustable,
or was subsequently made so, in order TO
allow OF its being set up in large hall or
upon open grounds. nall as long as
possible and at least twenty feet in width
was required for that methed of adjust
ment; but when set up out of doors the
space Of exhibition was usually still more
ample.
This was certainly the quaintsst train
run since Stephenson attached his first
locomotive to the old stage coach, "the
Queen Charlotte and dragged it as a
passenger coach. The coach of eur eI
perimenters, holding two persons. was
evidently an adoption Of the old fashion
ed sleigh; with high straight back, but
with its dashboard much exaggerated -
probably needed defense for the pas
sengers from cinders and smoke.
They started in tbs fail of 1881. about
September, upon their projected journey
which after circuit, naturally TOOK in
New Orleans then the important center
OF western traffic.
OF this machine and the journey to eI-
hibit it, Marx Penrose, now IS years of
sge, member of the society of Friends,
residing at Sterling Illinois, says under
date of sd month seth, 1857:
Il believe this 70 be the first locomo-
tive ever run on rails in the United
States
WIN. p. Bennett srss found i, in