The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-10

Built in Amsrlca, of Which More Than
Ono-Third Were For Foreign Countries
BALDWIN Works Built Thirty-rwo In
Twenty-Five Days For the Russian
Government - Why Americans Are
Stealing the Market From the British
Chicago, Nov. s.-There is direction
in which there has been a startling, al
most a triumphant development of
American trade during the last two
years. and Of which the public has as
yet heard practically nothing. It has
been in the building Of locomotives for
foreign countries. II locomotive could
talk, as Rudyard Kipling mas recently
supposed, they could not only tell won
dereul tales, but the American locomotive
would be found to be quite a linguist,
for he is in daily contact with almost
all the peoples OF the earth.
To accomplish his purpose man has
put together some $500 parts and call
ed the whole a locomotive. 1t Is claim
ed that the first AmericanIbuiit locomo-
tive to be put into actual service was
the "Best Friend" constructed by E. l..
Miller for the South Carolina Railroad
Company in 1880. Since that time one
Of our largest locomotive works alone
has turned out over 1900 engines. Last
year (and 1t was a bad year, the total
number of locomotives built in the Unit
ed States was 1,175, which, at the aver
age cost Of about $4,000 each. or 11,-
750, 900, makes a pretty large sum TO deal
in. OF this number 800 engines were ex-
ported to foreign countries, or over one
quarter Of the entire number manufact-
tured, and contributing 81, 900 900 to bal
aince trade in our favor. The year be-
fore only II per cent Of the American
production was exported. Improved by
the labor and thought OF the best me-
chanical minds of the age, the American
locomotive is making great strides in
the markets OF the world, where our
greatest competitor is the British manu-
facture.
Exclusive Of the United States on the
western continent, American engines are
now taking their share of the burden of
comlrerce in Mexico. Brazil, Columbia,
Peru, Chile. Ecuador, BOLIVIA, Uruguay,
Argentine Republic and Canada. They
have gone to Soutf, Africa, Palestine,
Australia, Norway Sweden, Spain and
Italy, and to Japan, China and Russia.
There is no room for play Of poetic
Imagination in the picture of an Ameri-
can-built locomotive awakening the
echoes Of the holy land; but more pic
turesque still have been incidents con-
nected with the coronation OF the Gar
in April last year. But 1t is safe to say
that hardly one Of them knew which
were brought to Moscow at that time or
the imperial railways were hauled by
motive powers built in Philadelphia. 1t
is picture Of magnificent light and
shade. The coronation ceremonies were
the very symbol OF all that is left in this
latter civilization OF the dark ages. But
when the autocrat OF all the Russias
called for his subjects, who are yet al
most serfs, to come and pay him hom-
age, they could not have come mad ii
not been for the work OF the free-born
American workingmen.
Even as 1t was. Russia had a narrow
the crowds. It was not until well on in
January Of las tyear that the imperial
government discovered that they had not
locomotives enough TO handle the
throngs chat would be coming to Mos
cow in April. There were no shops in
Europe that could undertake to furnish
engines in the time required. The gov
eminent cabled 10 the Baldwin locomo-
tive Works Of Philadelphia, asking IL
they could biuld and deliver thirty-two
locomotives in Russia by April :. The
Philadelphia firm replied that they would
not assume the risk OF sea voyage, but
that they would build the machines and
undertake TO have them ready for ship
ment by fast mail steamer from this
side by April 1. The terms were &C
cepted, bu time had been lost and II was
not until January 20 that the order was
finally received 10 go ahead. Between
January 20 and April 1-say forty days
there is not much time in which 70
build thiry-two engines: but the Baldwin
Locomotive Works are in the habit 0.
doing things after a fashion which on