The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-18
OUR FIRST RAILROADS
THE PENNSYLYANIA'S SEMI-CEN.
TENNI4L.

Short Retrospective View.
The immense growth of railroads in
the United States, far SURPRISING that
of any other country on the globe, and
reading in this country, are suggested
by the recent celebration by the Penn
sylvania railroad of it's semi-centennial.
Our own Consolidated road, which so
recently has become a great railroad
system, and which is making giant
strides forward in the line Of improve
ments, is, like the Pennsylvania, one
of the oldest railroads in the United
States. The change made in the line
of railroad improvements from the
days when the old New York and New
Haven was in its infancy are patent
to great number of our old people.
The passenger coaches are palaces
compared with those of the first days OF
rallroadlng. The road beds are mar
Vels of solidity. The locomotives are
vastly improved. Said one of the old
est New Haven railroad men yester-
day: Just think of the difference in
cost of the elegant locomotives of now
adays compared with cost of those in
the war time. Old Nos and s, which
the New York and New Haven road
put on in those exciting war time days,
and which were "corkers," cost about
100000 apiece. Now an equally service
able and more elegant locomotive can
be bought for 100000 Our best locomo-
tfves now seldom cost much more than
$4,000 each. We do not build our loco
motives nowadays. 1t is cheaper to
buy them of the locomotive works. But,
by the way, that reminds me. We are
building a sWitcher now at the New
Haven shops. 1t is nearly completed.
1t is the first engine built at our shops
in a long time"
The following interesting comment by
the Meriden Republican is of interest:
The golden anniversary celebration
of the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany held Monday afternoon in the
Academy of Music, Philadelphia,
marked a half century of wonderful
achievement in American industrial
BILE body of men, among them being
Benjamin G. Godfrey of Philadelphia,
one of the men named in the original
charter granted in 1916, and who still
has in his possession the original GER
tificate of stock representing his inter-
est at that time The platform was
| occupied by the president and board of
directors of the road and of the prin-
cipal roads comprising the Pennsyl-
vania system by the judges of the
supreme court of Pennsylvania, judges
of the Philadelphia courts and those of
the United States courts; presidents of
leading financial institutions, leading
officials of the city government prom
inent men in church and cd ational
affairs, editors of city jolrnas and
presidents of the principal railroads in
the United States.
The history of the "Pennsy" is the
history of the development of modern
transportation in the great state of
Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania road
was the successor of a state railroad
and canal line from Philadelphia to
Pittsburg constructed by the state at
an expense of $14,000000 This line
was built in 1884 and had four divi-
sions, on one of which horses were
| used. The first locomotive put on the
| line was failure. In 1885 three To-
comotives were put on and the use of
horses was discontinued. The public
demand was for an all rail line to
Pittsburg and finally public meeting
was held in Philadelphia. Nothing
was done then, but the plan received
an impetus which resulted in the in
corporation of the Pennsylvania rail
road in 1876 with a capital of ST. 500, 600,
with the privilege of increasing to
! $10000,000. The policy of the company
was to build the road with the money
supplied by the stockholders, rather
than issue bonds for that purpose A
diligent effort was made to raise the
money, and house to house visitations
were made for subscriptions The
newspapers lent a helping hand and
kept the matter before the people, and
public meetings We're held. In 1854
| trains were run to Pittsburg from
Philadelphia without the old-fashioned
| inclined plane method. In 1857 the
state of Pennsylvania sold and trans
ferred it's main line to the new COM
pany. The first engineer of the road,
and it's first president, was J. Edgar
Thomson. His successors We're Thorn
as A. Scott and George B. Roberts,
the present able head of this great sys-
tenn.
The growth of the Pennsylvania has
been steady and sure. 1t gradually
reached out until it has become one of
the greatest of corporations. Railroad
after railroad has been added to it's
system nearly every year showing a
large increase in mileage, until the
number of miles of roadbed owned
and controlled now reaches nearly
1000 miles. The management of the
Pennsylvania has, from the beginning,
been in careful, competent and con-
sentative hands. The road early
adopted the merit system and the re-
suit has been that the new authority
are familiar with all the details of
managing the great property under
their control. The management is not
tied uD to the interests of it's large
stockholders The rights of the small
holders are as carefully observed as
are those of the heavy owners. There
are now, we believe, about $4,000 stock
holders. The interests of the employees
are also carefully looked after The
management is not conducted on the
mercenary profit plan. The golden
anniversary finds this great company
prosperous at time when the country
is suffering from general h11Siness