The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-18
rxRLYDlYs or RAILROADS.
Close Race Between a Pacing Horse and n
Locomotive.
RICHMOND. Va, Sept. u, 1892.
1,S;tor ~ ihs Times:

RICHMOND. Va, Sept. Il, 1892.
Editor OF the Times
The Chesapeake and Ohio train for New
mort News INSTRUCTED the passage across
Ninth street to-day IN order TO adjust the
air brakes There were two box cars oppo-
site me; one of them marked Santa Fe. the
other Mexico in the Spanish language. This
fact called up nv railroad "reminiscences for
sixtv wears More than sixty years since /
bought goods in Petersburg and Richmond
for my store in Brunswick county. | rode
horseback to Petersburg, thence by stage
10 Richmond, crossing James river on
Trent's bridge, and thence to the old Eagle
Hotel on Main street
A railroad was constructing from Bell
field NOW Hicksford) thrty-eight miles
TO the North Springs near Petersburg A
horse-car Of four wheels with canvas cur
tans was advertised TO leave Bellfield at 10
A. NJ. ! rode twenty miles that morning in
time for this car. which carried only twelve
passengers. There was light snow on the
newly made track and it was so bad for tho
lead horse that he shied the track 80 often
that the driver left him behind before we
had finished one-half of our journey. We
had no FIRE, meat or drink The novelty Of
such smooth riding and the entertaining
conversation of Alr. Harrison. my nelghbor,
and one of the best horsemon IN the
country, kept all OF US in high spirits. Our
journey ended in the woods. from whence
we walked two miles TO Morse's Tavern.
Luckily we found g WAGNER willing TO take
us to town. where We arrived with good APP
pettes and some brag about our novel
travel of forty miles in twelve hours.
The writer had travelled sixty miles, hsv-
ing left his home at 6 A. NJ. Steam loco
motives was then a problem, and am sure
such thing WAS not even mentioned dur
ing our journey.
The next autumn | rode my pacing horse
Flaxeu 10 Petersburg, forty-nine miles, to
buy my fall stock of goods as usual. Inc
railroad was finished to Morse's Tavern,
the depot being near it. On my start for
home q new fOur-ton engine was getting
ready for trial trip. My horse had made
his mile in three minutes pacing. so rode
| to the North Springs and waited for the en-
CINE to try my animal against the speed tor
seven miles to Billup's. Tavern, as the roads
| were parallel. | started ahead OF the engine
and prompted my horse when it had over
taken me. The engineer put on more steam
and screamed that my horse was making
good show for the race. The showers OF
sparks and smoke were trying to me and
more so 70 my horse, who broke his pace
and gave up the race; but arriving at jar
rats depot, thirty miles ahead, had my
revenge. The engine had broken down for
ROOu. L Whb hon Lulloo nuC"o VI -
TO my acquaintance at Bellheld tnat the
horse now held the way.
Hood" Wyatt. Virginian living at We'll
don, n. C., invented the first spark-catcher
and received $500 of this railroad for their
privilege 10 use it, When other railroads
were built they refused to pay for the spark
catcher He was crusty old bachelor, and
refused TO sue at law for his patent, and
like most inventors he died poor
rode on nearly the first train OF passen-
ger cars that went over the Fredericksburg
railroad and had many rough, muddy trips
to Aouia Creek, twelve miles off, to reach
the Potomac steamer for Washington.
! Thence l went by stage to the Relay House,
seven miles from Baltimore on the Bati-
more and Ohio railroad, at that time finish
ed to that point. They used high pres
sure steam motors with iron cog
wheels above the boilers. Theirs was a
sixteen-mile railroad built on the Delaware
canal beyond Baltimore. | went by steamer
| 10 Dover, thence to the Delaware river by
railroad, and boarded the steamer Robert
| Morris for Philadelphia; from thence up
| the Delaware TO BOrdentOwn; from thence
by railroad to the ocean; thence by steam
! boat around Staten Island TO New York;
| from there / went TO Jersey City. and went
| on board the Great Western, which was the
| fret trial passenger steamer across the At
lsntic ocean. The final success of ocean steam
locomotion was then more doubtful than
that of railroad, the coal to make steam be-
ing the chief trouble, the weight Of which
it was believed would make the ships
cargo. =. W.