The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-05-27
THE OLDEST ENGINEER.

THE OLDEST ENGINEER.
He Managed Il Train Sixty-two Years
ago.
The favorite resort for the old
timers in Easton, Pa especially
those who were wont long ago to
| push Durham boats on the Della
ware and trade between Philadelphia
and points in the Delaware Valley,
is the shop, on Front street, OF B.
M. Youells, a veteran waterman and
the harbor master of this port. 1t
is a curious shop, says correspon
dent of the Philadelphia Press, and
it is filled with much that would
delight curio hunters, while as tor
scrap books and collection of data
upon events and incidents OF half a
century ago it is not equalled by any
other spot hereabouts. Mr. Youells
is veritable walking encyclopedias
and is filled to overlooking just now
with incidents recalled by the start
ING of the John Bul! train for Chi
cago.
Among his daily visitors who
especially enjoys his discourses or
early railroading is William Huston
who is now in his eighty third year
and who reflects with pleasure thai
he drew the first train out OF Phila
delpbia that carried through pas
sengers to Baltimore. These two
old friends were talking over the
trip of the John Bull tram the other
day.
You must know, said Mr.. Huston
that way back in the thrrties there
were mighty few railroads in thi
country. A steamboat was a grea
novelty, and an engine TO draw ;
passenger train was almost unknown
In 1892 | was machinist, working
at Wilmington, Del. ust betor
that there had been opened the SIX
teen miles of railroad between NeS
Castle. Del, and FrcnchtoWn. Tha
was fully sixty two years ago. Some
thing got wrong with the engine
and as they had no shops i'll Ney
Castle to do repairing, | was sent 70
to come and put the machine il
order. The engine was No. IS, an
it came from Stevenson's shop i
England in 1899 1t was bougf
for the Philadelphia ard German
town railroad for about $1,000; br
when it arrived that company coul
not pay for il, and a director, VIII
was also director il the New Cas-
tie road, bought it for that line.
. was given in charge of Matthe
Baldwin, of Philadelphia, to be pl
together, but it took him mir
months before he got it to working
He had never seen locomotlN
- before. He took it for his model
making another engine, md tn
was the way he started in the loc'
}. motive building business.
After | went to New Castle v
made locomotives there In tho!
davs the machinists, as they a
called nowadays were known
5. engineers, if they made engines, at
they were OF more account in tt
}. community than were the drivers
u the engine 1t was considered tn
4 anyone could drive an engine if
= had any gumption. The New Cast
road was the first to carry paSse
gers in this country by steam.
know that to be fact The san
wear that | was asked to go to Ne
D Castle to repair the engine, | we
to New York This was before
, moved to New Castle. | went in
steamboat, the New Philadelphia,
Philadelphia, and then crossed t
river to Camden. From there
took the railroad to Amboy. 1t W
a horse railroad. The John b
was at that time on a sldetra
, awaiting the completion of arrang
ments to introduce steam power.
remembered seeing the John Bu
81 OF course, it was attracting gre
.ttg deal of attention at that time. No
n bear in mind, that at that time \
= Il was running on the New Cas-
Road
Between 1888 and 1887 three d
. erent companies built rallros
" which subsequently became the Ii
of the Philadelphia, Wilmington a
=, Baltimore Railroad. One compa
-. constructed the road from Havre
Grace to Baltimore; another had
ale Ni' ~
us. line from Wilmington to point
= the Susquehanna River. oppo'
Havre de Grace; third compa
built a road from Philadelphia
Wilmington. Matthew Newk
was its president. Before this
,L. road was built steamboats, carr
1903 passengers between Philadelphia
- Wilmington, where they took
cars. Just about the time the r
was finished, but before there
I'D. Loa,, ,ny traffic over il to any ext