New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-18
JOHN BULL OFFFOR THE FAIR
He MAKES HIS THIRTY MILES AN HOUR AS
IN DAYS OF OLD.
TWO OLD COACHES FORM THE TRAIN-ENGINE
AND CARS MANNED By CREW OF VET
ERANs-PUBL1C INTEREST ALONG THE
PENNsYLyANIA'S LINE.

PtNNSYLvANIA'S LINE.
Philadelphia. April Il speciap -Plungine along on
It's way to Chicago and the Fair IS the first locomotive
that ever pulled train OF across american SOIL
II Is relic. curiosity, thing OF the past, TO be
looked and wondered about, but it has lots Of
cet.upandgo IN 1t yet 1t does not snort as dc-
family Chicago motor nor whistle vangloriously.
clang its bell Ike a frcalarm, nor turn ones
heart to heating backward when it let's OIL steam IN
the old days, maybe. II was considered naughty and
bold. but age has lent dignity Without any irills
or fancy work. IT Is able TO make from twenty to
thirty miles an hour calmly and easily as IL ala
IN the days OF It's solitary emnence and at that rate
Of speed. which Is rapid enough anyhow for people
| who don't want TO rush through life like ball In
bowling alley, II Is going To Chicago Fearing II
company are two odfahioned passenger coaches such
It made its earliest appearances with. and all that
Is lacking TO make the picture 1t presents perfect
photograph Of the DAYS when our grandathers were
infants in arms, are few high stocked old gentlemen
with cone shaped hats. and coats that reach to their
ankles. and few sedae Old ladies in crinolne. for
passengers.
John Bull is the name Of this engine. 1t was named
after the genius that brought 1t into being 1t was
almost the first locomotive OF his hindicraft. He had
been at work the idea for years, ever since.
In fact, Robert Fulton padded his way by steam mp
| the Hudson River. But II was not until 1880 that
the idea to much. In that year the locomotive
Planet issued from the shops OF George stephenson.
the first example Of engine which could really pull
| cars IN commercial way. Just after the Planets
completion Robert L. stevens. who owned the Camden
and Amboy Railroad then operated by horses, was In
England and witnessed trial trip of the Planet He
| gave stephenson an order for duplicate machine.
and In August, 1881, It In Philadelphia. This was
| the John Bull.
As seen today IL looks crude and queer, and yet
there is very little about the most magrifccn; monster
that tears Its way across the continent which does
not find at least the suggestion of IN origin in the
| John Bull The big driving wheels. the smoies'ack
the cyriers. and the long levers te start ana
stop it are all there in much the places rs IN
| the modern engine. That which Is oldest to the
eye about the old John Bull Is Its msshapcn pilot
a contrivance that added after It reached this
country To enable II 10 take curves without tumbps
of the track. The pilot Is something in the nature
OF heavy cow-catcher. mounted on two wheels ana
| serviceable steering apparatus II Is doing us
| work faithfully to-day as when 1t was N regular
service on the old Camden and Anboy road The
John Bulls first Trip made with platform tender
| on which hogshcad stood loaded with water Tor
the boiler Piled high around the hogSheah was wood
for the furnace Arrangements better than these were
quickly made and precisely they were In the years
from 1881 10 le5O when the John Bull did active
| duty in a frst-class way. they remain to-day
| The engine and it. coaches 20 10 Chicago In form
as they went on their daily crrand nearly sixty years
| ago. a.
The coacfet are not old as the locomotive. but
the differently Is slight one Of them had fallen into
the lowly aetife Of chicken coop, until lately dis
covered BY = Pennsylvania Railroad official Jer-
coy farmer Ind got hold Of It at sale Of old railroad
relics lie took II from It's trucks and mounted II on
high posts driven into the ground. Here ior years
his fowl lived In comfort and security. "neh APP
proa he'd TO sell u with Jersey farmers sense oil me
appreciation Of real estate. he deinandcf something
like he price OF modern Pullman coach. He guessed
| for md
| from his original valuation. The sacadty which
led him To choose an old time railroad ear Tor Ms
chicken house now fills his declining years Win peace
and plenty The other coach has always rcmhlh'u III
| po,scssion Of the railroad company II was s'ofci
| AWAY by n providcnt official, who fore'aw that there
| wou,d come a time and occasion when II could be
turned 10 useful account OF course the cars are not
I'm all thdr furnishings the very same cars they We're
| n halfccntury since. But they are an exact rcIro-
duc,on mad, entirely from old parts. Nothing j. new
except the paint and the window glasses, and even
they are true I'm pattern.
They differ only in size from old fashioned stage
coach and In principle they are the same ~ MODERN
car The seats stand out across the car Win n
little aisle between them. Their backs STINT FORWARD
and backward 10 suit the convenience Of passengers
| Tn. roof 4, low and clcscd, all ventilation beng
supplled through the windows. some Of which. being
r,thout glass are covered 10y movim" Stat winch
slides I'D and down according rs the passenger ue
sires nigh, or air. There are no 'oiletiooms' S'"N'S
nv ,v,,crcoolers and In tie winertme AT least they
coud not have well supplied. IN Tie ATTRACTIVE "oI"s
~ the summer boarding house keeper all the comforts
| OF home. Ill -
| I, weight the John Bull train bears small COM
| norson with the great trains that now carry city
full Of people at every trip. The engine weighs OILY
90 900 pounds, the tender 1o,.Uo ana 'he ''''
1880 each This, taken together. Is not ih"'h
moro than half the weight Of n single modern Pullman
~ nat q
passeng-r locomotive Of the latest type Inc ehI'h'
! AZ IN IFS wooden work. and the cars all over We're
p3Intcd n dark olive green presenting anything pu'
an unhandsOme appearance. While there was NIUE
OF an elementary nature lacking 10 make item 'h'
full prototype Of the trains now In use, there We're
many respects in which their machinery seemed feeble
and clumsy The brakes. for instance though In al
| respects similar TO those Of today, were applied By
rods that turned Ike the handle OF coffee grinder.
There was no rachel 10 catch them and the brakeman
WAS compelled to hold his hardest I'LL the tram ifd
| fully stopped There signal cord commitment
ing with the engine. The engineer could see nothing
| in his rear and to be addressed only by word.
| To make this possible the front brakeman sat under
n hood on top Of the tender where he could see in
every direction through him the conductor spoke
| with the engineer and fireman. When the train re
| qurcd to be stopped. the brakeman clambercd down
| from his place In the hood and wrcstcd with his
| brake.
As the train started on It's 1000 mile Journey al
10 O'Clock this morning from the jersey City station
| there sat In the cabOos. man who had driven the
| John Bull fifty years before. and fireman shovelied
| Goals into the furnace where when boy, ne
| had heavcd hickory logs. Under the old hood. dang
ling his legs down against the old tender sat gray
| bearcd man on the same seat under the same hood
where he had sat and dangcd his legs when the john
Ball WAS the pride and wonder Of all railroad men
| All the train hands were veterans who had grown
from young manhood To old age in the service oil
some one OF the corporations which have been aD-
sorbed into the Pennsylvania system nnd who nave
known the John Bull from the beginning. The con
ductor was W. T. Bailey. lie began collecting fares
I'm the coaches where to-day he collected compliments
and congratulations. The ggtop waterman was
Jonas Iaear He held that position In l-4J. and Is
now yaldmastcr at New Brunswick.
How do yor feel, Jonasi" called up n fricha rs
the train came into TIE station at New-Brins"lck
Like Il boy again :" said the veteran. ana car