Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-16
Evolution in Railroad Building and
management,

| Southern Farmer and Horticulturist,
| Newberry, S. c.
We speak of the present era as one OF
| steam and electricity.
| Some years since we enjoyed hearing
| that grand old divine, DR.. Lovic Pierce,
| father of the still grander Bishop George
| F. Pierce, tell of riding horseback from
| Georgia to Philadelphia TO attend gene
raj conference of the Methodist Church.
Later Colonel C. c. Langdon, of Ala
| bama, spoke Of merchandising at Green's
boro' Of that State before the era Of
railroads. He said he bought goods in
Philadelphia, purchased new wagons and
fine teams with which to transport the
goods to Alabama. After delivering the
goods he sold the teams at handsome
profit.
A delegate to a conference in Philadel-
phia would now hoard a vestibule-train
on the Southern, go to bed in Georgia, and
wake in Washington next morning and
Cine the same day in Philadelphia. The
merchant in Alabama to-day telegraphs
for his goods and receives them in thirty
six hours. We learn from Johnsons
Universal Cyclopaedia that the adoption
Of the report Of the chief engineer, Hora-
ito Allen, recommending the use of steam
as a locomotive power by the Board of
Directors of the South Carolina Railroad
Company, which was placed on record
January Ia, 1890. twas the first act of a
corporate body either In the United States
or elsewhere adopting the locomotive
engine as the tractive power on rail-
way for general passenger and freight
transport" 1t continues: Accordingly,
I'm pursuance of that resolution, in March.
II tho mart 0f the South
Carolina Railroad Company, contracted
with the West Point Foundry Company
for a locomotive engine
This was the first locomotive engine
built for railway service in the United
States, and was first put upon the road
November 2, 1880"
IT will thus be seen that South Carolina
led the van in the early history of rail-
road construction. This was known as
the Charleston and Augusta railway.
1t was built entirely upon trestle and the
little open cars had seats along the sides
like those of street-car.
Beginning with the wooden striDger
and fiat-iron, which were used forty years
ago, there has been a gradual develop
ment through the little iron rail on the
crosstie to the present heavy steel tie rail
with the fsh-bar joint and the bed bal
lasted with crushed stone.
we nave Recently lIdNtlltu ONtI inc
Southern railway from Birmingham to
Richmond and observed the perfect
smoothness of the track, and the even
gliding of the wheels over 1t even when
moving at the rate of fifty miles an hour.
The improvement in the comfort and
convenience of travel has kept pace with |
the development of the bed and track. |
The traveller now, instead OF being |
cramped into a traight-back seat In a |
crowded coach, enters a parlor-car where |
he is as comfortable as at home with |
every want supplied. even TO the most |
abundant and dainty dishes served at |
his seat.
Only those who experienced the incon- |
venience of travel forty years ago, when |
the battle had to be fought in detail'-
tickets purchased and trunks checked /
dozen times between New Orleans and
New York-can fully appreciate the won
derful Improvement that has been
wrought by the consolidation of many |
short lines into great companies, and the |
cooperation of these companies in dis
patching passengers and freight with the !
least possible inconvenience or delay. |
The passenger enters sleeper at New
York and quietly reads, rests, eats,
smokes, and sleeps until. before he real
ICES it, he arrives without change or
other inconvenience in New Orleans or
Chicago.