The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-12-01
FIRST MlLE-A-MINurE TRAIN.


FIRST MtIE-A-MtNOVe TNAIW.
IL Was Run Between Boston and Lawrsnss
rs Early is4s.
II say, boys, how many of you oar
tell where and when the first mile-s
minute train was run?"
They were trainmen, They had as-
sembled at popular downtown resor;
in honor Of the birthday of one of then
particular "chums," and so as they en-
joyed the fragrant ''domestics" they
had, in their free, jolly way, begun to
spin yarns and tell "reminiscences Of the
rail aud iron horses which have aided
50 materially in the upbuilding Of Chi
cago. The boys" all old men by the
way, were not going to spoil story II
they could help it, 50 each professed ig-
norance when thus questioned, and in
sisted upon hearing all about it The
story as told was as follows:
You would scarcely believe that
trains had performed the feat of going
q mile q minute long before the tele-
graph was discovered, but IL is q fact
The first event of the kind recorded
took place on the Boston and Maine
railroad away back in ls4s. Mr.. Minot,
the superintendent at that time, was
progressive man, always on the alert
for improvements that should make his
line stand among the first in the couu-
try. One day, in 1s4s, he conceived the
idea Of running Q mile n minute, and
when once the thought entered his mind
he bent every energy towards realizing
It
HE had n ten-ton engine built to
order Mt the Boston works Of Hinkley 4
Drury, and named IL the Antelope IL
had single drivers, six feet in diameter.
Mr.. Minot declared the engine should
run mile minute or 60 back TO the
shops.
Lawrence, n station twenty-six
miles from Boston, was chosen as the
terminus Of the trial trip Choosing .
day for the trip, men were sent over
the road to spike down all the switches
and see that everything was in perfect
order. 1t was before the introduction
of the Morse telegraph. and to run
mile a minute, a speed until then I'M
heard of, required tho utmost fore
thought All trains were either side
tracked or taken of the road for tho
trip Representatives OF the Boston
papers were invited to accompany the
superintendent, and when the day ar
rived they, with q few other guests,
were given possession of the only car
that was to make the run.
"A large crowd gathered at the sta
ton and. amid cheers and waving OF
hats, the engineer pulled open the
throttle, while Mr.. Minot stood by his
side. Boston was soon left behind, and
the Antelope plunged into the open
country with the fleetness of the wind.
Everything worked to a charm. On
they sped, dashing by stations filed
with a wondering crowd, whose cheers
could be heard but second by the pas
sengers Half way to Lawrence Mr..
Minot looked at his watch.
Fourteen minutes he said. That
won't do, Pemberton; we are O minute
behind The engineer threw the
throttle wide open and the Antelope
increased the speed.
las the train neared Lawrence Mr.
Minot stood with his watch in his hand,
and just as the engineer brought the
train to a standstill the timepiece
marked twenty-six minutes.
"A great crowd awaited the Ante
lope's arrival, eager to know whether
the much-talked-of decd had been ac-
complshed.
Ibid you make itT' cried an excited
on-looker
YES shouted Mr.. Minot in return,
and then cheer after cheer arose for
the men who had first driven an engine
Q mile q minute. Everybody congratu-
lated the superintendent and engineer,
and for long time crowds focked from
far and near to look at the engine that
had accomplished SO wonderful a rum"
CHICAGO Tribune