The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-08
AN OLD-TIMER.
One of the First Engineers Who Ever
Pulled a Train of Cars in the United
States Lives in Edsetield.
| From the Charleston World. I

222.-Joseph Haddon is one of the oldest
railway engineers in America, and
hears the distinction of having been
one of the first men to pull a throttle
on the South Carolina railroad, the
Oldest road IN the United States. Mr..
Haddon has long since left the rail for
the less exciting occupation of directing
the energy of a mill engine; but he is
full of the incidents of the days when
railroading was in its infancy in
America-now the foremost country in
the world in this line. Haddon now
makes his home with the Rev. James
Carson, near Richardsonville, in this
county, whose mill engine he attends.
He is getting pretty well on ia years,
but is still vigorous.
The Worlds correspondent rode over
to Mr.. Carson's few days ago to have
a talk with Mr.. Haddon, feeling sure
that his story of the past would pos
sess peculiar interest in this day of
railroad building and general progress
and improvement Of everything that
goes on wheels. The old gentleman
was found not in very talkative hu-
NOR; but what he did say is we'll worth
repeating.
Joseph Haddon is an Englishman.
He came over from Newcastle-on-Tyne
-"the Durham side,n he heemphasized-
in the year 1888. He was sent over by
George Stevenson, the father Of the
| locomotive engine, as an expert in
charge of four locomotives for the South
Carolina railroad. These engines were
the Sumter" "Orangeburg" "Ohio,"
and Tennessee" which will probably
be remembered by some Of the older
Carolinians.
These engines which would be con-
sidered more in the light Of useless Gu
riosities now, were giants then, and
marvels of mans ingenuity and invent
i've skill. They were four-wheeled.
The cylinders were on top and running
half way into the boiler, with con-
Meeting rod extending down on either
side and fastening to the periphery of
the driving wheels.
Haddon was valuable man on the
road. He understood the machines
better than anyone else, and as he rem
dered very efficient service he remained
with the company number of years.
His engine pulled freight trains, with
alleged passenger accommodations, and
when leaving on trip among his most
important instructions was "to keep
out of the way of the passengers, but
to get there as soon as possible"
Half way between stations was a
post-the first train to reach this point
had the right of way. Another train
meeting it would have to back to the
next station.
An everlasting GOODNESS existed be-
tween him and passenger conductor
Jim Meredith; altogether on the part
of the latter however. 1t happened in
this way: 1t was the rule of the road
for freight trains to halt at stations IS
minutes after passenger trains were
due; then go ahead. On a certain oc-
casion, observing this rule and meeting
Meredith's train, loaded with passen-
gers, after he had lost his right of way,
the latter begged for the road. Had
don would not give way and Meredith
| had to back to the station and hence
the trouble.
Trains making only twelve and four
teen miles per hour then, and some
times meeting with hindrances, would
occasionally be caught by night. Then
it was expected for them to "tie up"
or if the engineer had unusual conf
dence in his own ability, ito go ahead
and get there if possible"
Haddon would not say why he finally
left the South Carolina road; but it is
supposed that his bibulous habits had
something to do with it. Leaving
! Charleston he became rather nomadic.
He worked in New York with TIE
Novelty Machine Co., while; then
with the Baldwins in Philadelphia,
and finally drifted around until in 1880
he was in the cab of Wilmington and
Weldon railroad engine. That year
impressed itself indellibly on his mind,
from the fact that he was engineer of
the train on which the body of John C..
Calhoun was brought down to Will
mington, from which place he says he
remembers its being shipped to Char
lesion aboard the steamboat Mamie.
The old man must he much more
than 50 years Of age. From his gaunt
massive frame one would judge that he
had been splendidly endowed physi-
cally, in early life; and, from his own
statement, none but Il magnificent con-
stitution could have stood what his has
been subjected to. He has never been
sick, he says-never even had a head
ache. When asked what his post-bac-
chanalian experiences were like, his
reply was that after a spree he always
thought "a hair from the same dog
that did the biting the very best rem-
edy."
The Monitor in writing him up some
time ago, caused inquiry to be started
| by well.to relatives in the West,
whom he has not known for fifty years,
which no doubt will be a source OF
much satisfaction, but from the atten-
ton shown him by the family of the
reverend gentleman who employs him,
one would not think that he lacked
| f,,r friaD6S