Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-10-30

The Fir,t Passenger Trains Run in England
mud tho United States.
Slxty-hve years ago the first steam
railway In the world for the carriage Of
passengers was formally opened In En-
gland There are many men still living
who remember that day. The road was
called the stockton a Darlington rail-
road. The speed was not a thing 70
brag about A stand ng reward OF $3.50
was offered for an engine that would
travel ten miles an hour drawing three
times its own weight The first road
for carrying freight in tho United States
was opened at Quincy Mass, in tho fol-
lowing year, but it was not until two
years after that 1S2s) that the Balti-
more A. Ohio ran the first passenger
train in the United States and Peter
Cooper designed the locomotive. The
first steam railway in New York State
began running from Albany to Shenect-
ady In 1880
The Rensselaer, & Saratoga railroad
was originally incorporated April IA,
lS33 The construction OF the road was
commenced the next year. The purpose
oil constructing this road was to prevent
the diversion OF the trade OF North
ern New York to Albany via
the roads from Saratoga TO
Schenectady and from the latter place
to Albany The Troy terminus Of the
Rensselaer, & Saratoga was on First
street, the depot occupying part OF
the present site OF the Young Mems AS
sociatlon building The road was opened
from Troy to Ballston October 9, 1885.
The Schenectady & Saratoga Railroad
Company, which was controlled by AL
bany people, refused to carry the Rens-
selaer & Saratoga railroads freight from
Ballston to Saratoga A number of
Troy capitalists then purchased the
majority Of the stock of the Schenectady
& Saratoga Railroad Company and for n
time Albanys freight was under an en-
barge on the railroad.
The utilization of the railroad idea
may be traced much further back than
September %, 1925 when the Stockton
& Darlington railroad was opened for
passenger traffic In the coal districts
of the north OF England, early in the
last century rails of wood were laid for
the purpose OF reducing the friction
caused by pulling coal carts from the
workings to pit mouths. About 1867
cast-iron rails were introduced. Be |
tween 1884 and 1890 Murdock, Treve-
thick and Gray, all Englishmen, made
experiments with steam engines. The |
success Of the modern railway, by gen
eral consent is due to George Stephen |
son, who constructed the first locomo-
tive for the Stockton & Darlington rail- |
way and who was its engineer for sew
eral months
Stephenson's engines were adopted |
by other railways but they were not in
troduced without opposition. The stage
coach owners and the canal projectors
were opposed to railway competition.
were frightened at the /
of going iron monsters, belch-
ing forth fire and smoke, flying over
their property The English spirit of
too, was aroused, and ii |
was voiced by the British Quarterly Re-
view in these words:
We should as Don expect the people of
Woolw ich to suffer themselves to be fired on
upon one of Congrcye's rockets as to trust
themselves TO the mercy of such a machine
going at such a rate
. 2he machines thats Eciteds such for
we're very insignificant in comparison
with the smallest locomotive now in
use. Troy IN. Y. Press