The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-12
JOHN BULL"
Pennsylvania Railroad Celebrates
lis Sixtieth Anniversary.
Special to the Jersey city Nerrs.


BoRDENTowN, Nov 10. 1S91.-There is
large and notable gathering of railroad
officials here this afternoon to attend the
dedication of the johnny Bull' railroad
monument about mile above this place.
1t is the sixtieth anniversary of the run
ming of the first train Of cars by locomo-
tive in New Jersey. The celebration is
being manas ed by the Pennsylvania Rail
road, and all the prominent men present
came with a steel plate card board, which
read:-
"The management of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company requests your presence
at Bordentown, N. j., upon the sixtieth
an niversary of the first movement by
steam upon a railway in the State of
New Jersey, on Thursday, November IL,
1891, at three p. m, to participate in the
ceremonies incident to the comp pletion OF
the first piece of track laid between
Philadelphia and New York by the Cam
den and Ampoy Railroad Company in
1S3l."
The committee is composed of j. T.
Richards, Chairman, Assistant Chief En-
gineer P. r. R.; F. Wolcott Jackson,
General Superintendent United Railroads
of New Jersey Division, and Frank Eli
maker, superintendent Amboy Division.
The occasion circles around pretty
granite monument five feet high. appro-
| priately inscribed, which was built by
| Coroner Enoch De Worth of Burlington
| county, who is railroad mason.
| Assistant Chief Engineer J. L. Rich
ards is the Master of Ceremonies, and
made the presentation speech, and f..
| Wolcott jackson in few words accepted
| the monument in behalf of the company
| and the general public which is benefit
| ted by its erection.
| The historical address was delivered
by j. Elfreth Watkins, now curator OF
| the section of Transportation and En- gi-
| neering, United States National Museu m,
| Smithsonian Institute. He is the fat her
| of the celebration. He was tor merly an
| official of the Camden and Amboy Rail
road, and before that was editor OF a
| Moorestown weekly newspaper.
1 The old John Bu.l" is the historical
| relic around which all the historical facts
| centre, and the little engine is perched OH
a pedestal close to the monument, stand
| ing on the original rail on which 1t ran
from the Smithsonian Institute in Bor-
dentown for this celebration.
HISTORICAL FACTS.
| Mr.. Watkins, in the course OF his ad
| dress gave number of important his
torical facts. The John Bull' was built
by Messrs. George and Robert Stephen.
son for the Camden and Amboy Railroad
and Transportation Company In 1881. II
arrived at Philadelphia August. 1881, and
was transported to Bordentown Septem-
Der 4. 1t is a curious specimen, having .
cylinder 9 inches in diameter and q
inches stroke. The driving wheels
had only a diamater of 4 feet
inches. The entire weight was only tel
tons.
When the "John Bull'' arrived here il
was placed on the original first three
quarters of mile of track. The bes
That could be secured for a tender was ,
whiskey hogshead. which was placed or
a small four wheeled platform car which
had been used as a construction car by
one of the contractors. The connection
between the pump of the locomotive ane
the tauk was made by means of a leather
hose fitted up by shoemaker in Borden.
town.
FIRST EXHIBITION.
November H. 1881, the great public ex
| hibitIon of the little steam locomotiv,
was made. The New Jersey Legislature
suspended business and came down in 4
body to see 1T. 1t was general gala da,
for the residents In the vicinity of Borden
town. Benjamin Higgins was the epgi
neer and r. L. Stevens the fireman. 1t wa
run up and down the three quarters 0
mile of track and pronounced by all
wonder. 1t was then housed for tw,
years, until the road, was completed Il
1888, when the Camden and Amboy Rail
road Company began running their car
by steam power, the road having beel
originally run by horses. The John Bull
was then put into regular service an
continued until 1866.
Mr.. Watkins continued his historical
treatise and gave an account of the evolu
ton of the American Railroad from tn
tramway to the Limited" express. IL
also told Of the many changes made i
: each decade of the mode of travel b,
tween Philadelphia and New York.