Milford chronicle., 1891-06-12
RAILROADS.


I Among the inventions of this remarkable
age, none have produced such important
; results as the railroad. Compare the SLOW
and difficult modes of travel during the last
. century, when everything had TO be trans
ported by wagons or horseback, with the
iron horse flashing over the shining rows Of
steel, since man has chained steam to the
flying car. it has no muscles to weary
or sinews to tire, no bones to be laid on
the shelf" When Lord Campbell made the
trip from London to Edingboro in three days
his friends cautioned him against repeating
the dangerous experiment as people, they
said had died from the very rapidity OF
motion. How incredulous would they have
been If told that in the next century a Nellie
Bly, would fit around the world in less than
seventy. three days and live to tell the story
Eighty or ninety years ago 1t took several
weeks to 90 even as far as Ohio longer than
It now takes TO cross the continent by rail
| There was but little travel done in those
! days aud the fortunate one who had been
| even one hundred miles from home was
accounted a great traveller The first rail
road constructed in the United States was at
/ Quincy Massachusetts II was used TO
transport granite from the quarries Of that
| place, and was completed in 1896, during
John Quincy Adams administration. On
this road only three miles in length, the
AaA9 NAlN az III 81 WI " NV aNas Al All1Vr
Peter Cooper made the first locomotive
built in America for railroad purposes. III
drew a car for passengers upon the Balu-
more and Ohio Railroad. During that year
tweutv-three miles of railroad were built ia
the United States The rapid construction
OF railroads in every part Of the country
since that time presents very striking evil
dence of the activity and enterprise of the
people and the civil progress of the nation
- Tae1 since ha frcf
through train crossed the great state of New |
York which now has a perfect net work Of
railroad connections, IN 1857 the only great |
railway Of the world was the line connecting
St. Petersburg and Moscow Now the steam |
engine takes its irresistible way across the
broad -esHsinent needless Of Natures obsta
Giles, over hill, over vale spanning the rivers
and tunneliug the mountains Meanwhile,
the inventors have not been idle and the
cars used to-day differ as widely from the
original models as q palace from cabin
Owing 10 the genius Of Pullman aEd Wag
ner one can now have in travelling, most
OF the conveuieuces and comforts of a home.
Means are being used TO reduce the danger
Of these modes of travel; though statistics
show, notwithstanding the popular belief to 7
he contrary, the risk of life in travelling is
no greater than under ordinary circumstau.
yes As rates Of speed are increased, i'm !
demand for greater strength One of the y
attest wonders is a bicycle railway at Couey 7
Stand which has only one rail beneath ana 4
guide rail overhead. It is expected to Z
ttaiu a speed Of 90 or 100 miles per hour U
BESIDES being superior in lightness and con- T
'euience. It is predicted that the railway
q the future will be run by electricity which =
viii do away with the heavy locomotive and d
make nigh degree Of speed possible By .
hese iron roads all parts Of the country are 4
rrought into very close communication and o.
d a marvellouslY short time fruit or grain q
an be sent to the most distant parts Of the j
and Were II not for these means Of rapid p
-ausit few of the people of our large cities ;,
'ould taste our Delaware peaches. The N
'atering places would not be crowded every es
1mmer bv througs from all over the United III
tates; thousands who 90 10 country homes az
uring warm months would have 10 remain W
the close cities. Not more than twenty nj
We years ago the people Of our state had to re
avel from Harrington down the remainder W
I the peninsula in stages which were as y
lpensive as the train, and oh so tire ~,
me. But now, even our old Sussex has I'M
ilrOad facilities. All great inventions have tr
eir mental and moral as we'll as their mate re
al advantages II is not an exaggeratioH to lls
y that the railroad has been the greatest IN
in civlizing, refining. aud ele- al
ting the mental and moral condition of tn
e people The strong steel bands unite w
e country, bringing all parts into closest de-
mpathy. And in this golden age which DIV
e inherit, probably no fundamentally has pc
,eeu so powerful in fastening the recog- an
lion of the universal fatherhood of God 10Y
d the brotherhood of man" 10