El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-06-20

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A Fort Worth dispatch says: L. A.
Emerson, traffic manager OF the South
Carolina & Georgia Railway company,
who spent a portion OF last week In
this city, gave some interesting facts
about bis road which is the Oldest in
the United States, and, excepting a
few short lines built in England in the
early POS, the oldest in the world.
The company was organized on May IL,
1928, and during 1929 six miles of the
road were constructed. At the start
horse power only was used and a pre-
MUM of $500 was awarded to the in
ventor of the endless-chain process
which was calculated to move twelve
passengers at the rate OF twelve miles
an hour. In 1929 30 a sail was sub
stituted for the horse. This expert
ment proved highly satisfactory, as it
carried, when the wind was right,
thirteen passengers and three tons of
iron at the rate of ten miles an hour.
This means of locomOtion came to an
abrupt end one day when the wind
suddenly changed and took sail, mast,
sailors and all overheard while going
at the great speed of only fifteen miles
an hour.
the West Point Foundry of New York
to construct an engine guaranteed to
make ten miles an hour and carry
three times its weight. This was the
first locomotive built in America. It
was named best Friend" 1t was a
four-wheel concern, all four wheels
being drivers. The wheels had iron
hubs with wooden spokes and felloes.
The boiler was vertical, like an old
style porter bottle; The machine ex:
ceeded in power the widest hopes of
both the road aud builder, for
it proved capable of carrying be
tween 40 and so persons, Is
to q miles an hour. On June Is, 1881,
however, a negro fireman held down
the safety valve, and as a result the
boiler exploded, landing the whole
concern in the ditch. The accident
was thought at first to be the result of
fast running, as the train was at the
time making close to eighteen miles
an hour. and the following resolution
were adopted by the board of direc-
tors: ''No greater speed shall be made
by the engineer than fifteen miles per
hour with one car of passengers, twelve
miles with two cars and ten miles with
three cars.
The next engine was named the
West Point, and made two miles in
eight minutes. The state legislature
stepped in at this point and declared
that this rate of speed was excessive
and dangerous to human life, and as a
consequence the company put "bar-
rier" car on each train. This barrier
car was q fat car, loaded with cotton
bales, which was expected to act as
sort of brake and diminish the force of
the fall when the passengers hit the
ground. These crude experiences. Mr..
Emerson says, were among the early
vicissitudes of this now historical road
which is now one of the best-equtppe
roads in America.
J. w. Brown, cashier at the S. P.
freight Office in this city. returned yes
his wife and baby. The happy party
visited oil the towns of any Importance
between here and New Orleans.
"Houston, he said, sis the most pa
triotic city I visited in my trip. Flags
are floating from private residences
and business houses and the town pre-
sents gay appearance. 1t is common
occurrence there for business to suspend
at 5 o'clock in the evening to give all
hands a chance to attend flag raising.
1 must not forget" he continued, "to
q hamlet down the G. 81. known as
Dunley. Three residences and a
warehouse constitute the village, and
there were -four flags hoisted At that
place. 1 was sight 80 seldom wit
messed that believe it worthy of men
tiOn.' Mr. Brown returned to his
desk this morning feeling much i'm
proved by his trip.
The Middle Atlantic States, COM
prising New York, New Jersey, Pen
nsylvania, Delaware and Maryland,
are the best provided with railroad
facities. having 1916 miles of road for
every 100 square miles of area. The
Pacific Coast States are the worst serv-
ed, having only 1.92 miles for each 100
square miles of area. The railroads in
the first named group are the best
situated in respect of population, hav-
lug 1O,OUO poTSUuo W every 100
miles of line. The railroads in the
group embracing Missouri, Arkansas,
Kansas, Colorado, Indian Territory,
Oklahoma Territory and portions of
New Mexico and Arizona are much
worse off, having to maintain 4O7
miles of road for every 10000 popula-
ton. Europe has only Al miles for
every 10000 population.-Ex.
The wife of a prominent railroad
man entered grocery store on Ell
PasO street to make q small purchase
of necessary articles for the evening
meal. The accommodating clerk hur-
riedly prepared her order and care
fully placing the goods in the woman's
arm he proceeded to the next custom
er. The woman bowed gracefully
and departed with her bundles. There
was something about her that attract
ed q great deal of attention, but she
did not discover it until her attention
was called to it quite q distance from
no Tho o1arlx non1ooto1 to