The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-12-04
Written For the SIFTER.l
RAILROADS-PAsT AND PRESENT.
No. T.,

John Ruskin, the English art critic,
, is credited with having delivered HIM
self of the following in regard to rail
roads:
Railroads are, to me, the loathsom-
est form of devilry now extant, anima-
ted and deliberate earthquakes, des-
, tructive of all wise social habit and pos
sible natural beauty, carriages of dam
med souls on the ridges of their own
graves"
Despite the elegant(Dprotest of Mr..
Ruskin, railroads have continued to
flourish ever since their inception, until
today every civilized land in the world
is possessed of them. Railroads have
become necessity-they have come to
stay, too. The time is past tor ridicu-
ling them as being impracticable This
is an age of progress-the world is 90
ing forward, not backward-and any,
thing that tends to hasten the same
should be gladly welcomed by all
mankind.
A cursory glance at the present or
modern railroad shows an amazing
change, compared with the railroad of
sixty years ago.
Modern railroad building has be-
come science The best engineers, the
best material, the best of everything, in
fact, are now employed in its construc-
ton. On all first-class railroads in this
country wooden bridges are being re-
placed by iron ones, and, in some in
stance, by stone, thus making what is
called a permanent roadway" Steel
rails have taken the place of iron, and
metallic ties, in few cases, have super
seded wood. Cast-iron switch frames
are now used instead of wooden ones.
ne oio i's'''oneu 'iol. 'n"h'' ioi i'oio-
ing the ends Of the rails together, are
succeeded by fsh-plates (iron straps
ooi'eu' ohe oll eaci sue u 'he raiis'
WHICH makes II one conlinuolis RAIL- thus
'oii's away WIN 'he Joi' ioriiiefiy eA-
Perienceo " ''" "lolhs
over them
some IT ie"'s
nave oeeil Pas1
o0 yea'S " 'o0.'
nave oeen oie III
'"'lio"u ~
oleoi vi hnss'
anu WHAT IL s'les'
wohder oi the hlheteehth century, was
the construction OF the onlon anu Nen-
'ral raclnc raiiroaos
Inc onion racine raliroao was
chartered IN 1907 Dut 'he ilrst grazing
was not oone untll loo4' Inc hrst
rail- was laid IN july looo' ana the
last lald May H. 1909 Inc total
NUMBER OF miles ouil1 was l'ooo' Az
that tlme there was gap Oh l4o miles
between omaha ana DesMolnes. HALL
ROAD tles cut In fenhsyiVanla ana MICH
lgan were smpped TO omaha at cost
OF SZ.oo tle' ooo'ooo tons OF IRON
rails, l''ooooo nsh-Plates o'ooo'ooo
polts, o'lzo'o'o cross-tes' anu Zo'ooo'-
ooo spikes were useo IN It's cols'ructloh'
some pretty raPio railroad ouiloihg
was ndulged IN then' as many as seven
ana nail miles oi raiis pelhs iaio III
one day.
At the tlme the road was cohPieleo'
sherman o'z4z 1eet ABOVE 'loe-wa'er'
was the highest railroad point IN the
world. Inc completloh OF u raiiroao
to the top OF flkes feak' last june
however, ecllpses everything eise' 'ne
point reached peihg lbs 4oo ieet'
In looz congress also passeo OIL
allowing the construction OF the ,ehtrai
faclhc railroad. ms too' was gi-
gantlc undertaking. For the hrst three
years the company averaged to build ~
miles year. All supplies OF every
description had to be transported by
water from New York, via Cape Horn,
to San Francisco. There were many
obstacles to overcome. Helpwas scarce
and provisions were high. Everything
brought double prices. Rails cost $50.
a1 L l. I