The San Francisco call., 1897-01-24

72OBERT NJ. TYLER. the son OF
43a William NJ. Tyler, has built per-
INV iectiy equipped railroad, with roll
ing stock and locomotive, on the farm OF
his father, at Bucks Hill, q suburb OF
Waterbury, Conn.
He built the loco motive himself He
surveyed the line, decided upon the
grades and curves and, aided by ordinary
labor, made the roadbed, laid the rails
and now runs the engine.
4 recently published story tells OF
boy who built railroad. Though in
genious aud an evidence Of patience and
perseverance it was unscIenihc, lacked
commercial practicabiity and, although
proving thar there was mechanical bent
te he boys mind, II was after all oGo a
toy railroad, and there lis interest ended.
But here is q story of q boy who has
built real railroad; one that Is no toy;
3 railroad over which the engine built by
the boy runs daily, hau.s stone, lumber
and other material, farm products and has
an existence with a definite and profitable
[--Dose Hunters found afeld with their
4 .-.s take Tyler's road TO get lift toward
lie hunting-ground and lots Of grown
lfolks have been delighted witk an excur-
SION trip over the line of this modern
juvenile disciple of Robert Stephenson.
The boy railway king, as might be e1-
pected, is the envy of ali his contempo-
raries. Those whom he does not let ride
positively hate him. They can only trust
10 time, the great evener-up OF all affairs
on earth, 10 get square with him. The
enT.ous have day-dTeams OF some time be-
coming general passenger agent OF the
Y y route or some other equally i'm
portant road and enjoying the exquisite
revenge OF refusing Tyler's request for g
pass.
The great eminence achieved by Tyler is
well worthy Of reflection. Can there pos
sibIy be any greater Joy TO boy than 10
build a locomotive, TO be delighted and
probably astounded when for the first time
it works, 10 build q railroad and to run the
road as well as the engine? To possess
all this is surely a boys seventh heaven
OF delight, TO which only the pen OF a
Captain Mayne Reid could possibly do
justice
The more thought that is accorded this
matter the more the vista of cumulative
joy lengthens and its horizon broadens
Tyler is president he is treasurer, he is
auditor and 0. K his own vouchers All
this would be quite enough for any grown
man who has spent years struggling to
acquire wealth in railway stocks and like
ecurities. Is it enough for the boy who
is father to him? No. The acme OF bliss
comes further down the line when the
president, etc, climbs into the cab moves
The lever, opens up the throttle and, while
swimming in delirium OF Joy, rings the
bell, blows the whistle, too-toots for him
self to let of the brakes, and, pulling open
the door Of the frebox by cham, fires up
/ with six shovels of coal, sets the blower
going and the train running up the road
T. on schedule time and the fence posts pass
ing by thick as th- teeth IN fine-tooth
comb. These pen pictures may however.
prove too intense q strain for boy with
mind none too strong to read and endure.
While the Bucks Hi! railroad has not
yet attained the dignity OF inclusion in an
official railroad manual there is no telling
what good fortune is in store for it or 10
what extent recognition by the estab-
Hsheo railroads of the United States
might be-eit its boy-engineer president
1t Is known to the knowing that there
are railroad presidents who can boast in
truth OF very little over which to preside
Some Of them ostensiblv governing i'm
posing lines Of railway really only preside
over prospectus or the oft-quoted 1.-TWO
streaks of rust and the right of way"
Nevertheless these railway magnates to a
considerable extent come in for the hand
some and valuable compliments inter-
changed by the royal family of American
railway kings. These royal favors come in
the form of annual pasraS ora- - = -. IL