New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-18

their fear of being imprisoned in the event OF en-
zine upsets which were OF frequent occurrence
EARLY ENGINEERS DIFFICULTIES.
That the engineers had other difficulties to con-
tend with besides bad rosdbeds can be gatnered
from MI Wilson's narrative of the nrst Trip .. q
through train from Columbia TO PniIade'phla' ii''
was gala OCCASION and a large party incluulns
members Of the Legislature, was invited Oh
new locomotive. called BLACK HAWK was ~ u'""
the train but says the historian:
Al times It could only be started by the use OF
The muscular power Of the riders on the tram as
an auxiliary. By such aid 1t managed 70 t rTae" To
end of the trip in comparatively good tlI ssaoar
guard against unpleasant occurrences h0rsecar;
without passengers. and provlqeu VIZ 70 Pbila
dephia.
When II Is said that the famous BLACK HAWK
covered the ground "ln good time 1t must oe ui'-
derstood as a comparative estimate In TINS con-
necton 1t might be we'll TO quote from MT. wilson
account OF a mass-meetng to solicit SUBSCRIPTIONS
for a line between Portsmouth and Lancaster. lie
says:
It was at that meeting December lSSsl tnat
simon Cameron, always an optmist, told his hear ar
that, upon the completion OF IN, he bbreaSfast
in Harrisburg supper in Philadelphia ana oe er osGk
and hqys sGSSd n Hda@s csmpbe
caIiei him 10 one side and chided him for his ex-
sang E. rS efcs and hff be
statements as that one they would not oe"e'e
nim at all.
What would Adams Campbell have thought OF the
old optimst If he had dared TO predlct that III my
wears persons would be travelling from Phiia-
delphia to New-York in less than two hours or 10
Pittsburg in a night sleeping IN an easy bed the
whole distance? ....f -
Discipline among train hands was signify az
ferent in those days from the present as mlgn{ De
expected.
The trains stopped at the taverns which were me
only stations along the ine ana tne tSn barroom to
procure liquor the train waiting until the 'hirs' Vi
all was appeased
A certain Major Mccartney. one Of the early con-
ductors. was highly popular with the company
patrons.
To relieve the ksomeness Of the tourney the be
would gather the passengerS Hdesptting story
and then as the train bowled along take oo"n ms
violin and entertain them with most eNceHeh'
music. 80
The man who recently suggested VauoeV'"e
car" was behind the age after ALL II appears
THE INFANCY OF TRAIN wRECklNd'
The train wreckers art was in Its infancy 'hen'
Listen to this;
During the spring the frost came out OF d tne
ground Tn an o ' the track Without telegraph or tee
nhone block signals or even heduiisn 49, n
mSyes ITo SsS 10 care FOR the distressed trains
To enable TO render suceor 'nere ma1 dnd n,ifb
te,h "a ~ the road "A wrecking car PROVIDED WIN
enc The necessary appliances for such emergencies
Whenever informed OF trouble by messenssef ~ ot tb
darniict Fearing train might be met with on thG
track upon which n Our 96ot ua ON he bumper of
tbe engine to alternate in running curves with req
lights.
largo number OF these pioneer roads were sold
70 the Pennsylvania company when the common
,,aal,h had become heartily sick OF running them.
m
the causes which led to this revulsion OF ieehhs OIL
Tho mart OF the people. Here are some OF them;
millions Of wealth were squandered in eonstruc-
Mll ION nVblIc were punished rewarded as they
HSconno;u me- or sided with those in position EN-
,rns we're plundered by so-caled assessments;
panG the ballot box polluted for the purpose Oh
perpetuating power
FURNISHING RECALCITRANTs.
Passengers and freight were carried in cars OF IN
divdual ransporters and the Sa notcIan in
Charge of the road piped found that his cars were
not moved until after his compeios rea ons b
Els cars were condemned by inspectors ana every
made to e S% of S bus or badly cp
pled The free-pass system originated on the STATE
works ana Sa sr fhey oq had right to over the
public highways In going to and from the caplt.ai
ateiv enrolled themselves under the banner OF free
Interpretation. that in short period after the
bepnecie was fastened the transportation sys-
TEN ~ the state II became potent factor in
corruption and reached such an extent that trans
norters who would do certain political work at an
election would have their tolls rebated TO an ex-
tent that nearly always reached a refund OF the
entire amount paid. The State debt grew and
crew until bankruptcy stared the people In the
lace such were the conditions when the people, In
utter desperate rose ell masse ana elected a
Legislature which sold the public works to pri-
vate corporation
Here is food for thought for the present-day ad-
vocates OF municipal ownership
THE PFGINNING OF MODERN RAILROADING.
The passing OF these State lines into the hands OF
n private corporation marked the real beginning
OF modern railroadng in Pennsylvania, and Mr.
Wilson devotes the larger part OF his first volume
10 detailed des cription OF the successive improve
ments wrought by the company upon each branch
of It's great system as 1t acquired, until from
operating less than 225 miles OF railroad. as In
1859 when It was operated as a transportation
line II now operates 1900 miles OF railroad. giving
with side tracks and yard tracks, trackage largely
more than sufficient 10 put one-rail girdle around
globe: from carrying not more than 10000 tons
OF freight year carrying 100000 tons year;
from transporting about 10000 passengers annually
10 transporting IS 900 900 passengers annually from
| o capitalization Of S2ooo.oe TO capital OF 1884,