The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-06
ENGIN Der
For a Half Century
Of His Life.
ZACHARIAH LORD
Ran the Prince of Wales
a Mile a Minute.

Webster, March 5.-Just south of this
town, beneath the base of Buck hill
woods, in Windham county, Conn, is
the home of zachariah Lord. The place
of 10 acres, with its cosy buildings, is
within mile of the East Thompson
railroad station, where the old man can
see and hear the loved locomotive on
which he rode for half a century, for
he is the oldest living engineer in New
England.
Mr.. Lord is one of II children. His
parents were Isaac and Hannah Lord.
He was born in Gardiner, Me, Feb. Is,
1921, where he attended the public
leaning toward mechanics, and at the
first sight Of a locomotive tried to learn
how IT was built.
At the age of 10 years he secured work
with Hinclley Dury, a locomotive
builder Of Boston, with whom he re-
manned for four years. In 1S43 he Sc
CURED his first permanent position as
engineer Planning the old Comet" an
Engltsh-made engine, in building the
road from Boston to Portland. After the
road was completed, he ran an engine
on the Old Colony road when that road
was being built from Boston to Bridge
water, after which he ran a passenger
train for six years on the same road
and its branches as far as Plymouth.
At thattime he was offered $3.50 day
TO go on the Grand Trunk railroad,
where he was engaged in helping to
build that road as engineer on a train
of supplies and subsequently, ran as
engineer from Portland to Island Pond,
ThPnpe from pOpt1an1 7 I,a1
Canada, daily run of $50 miles.
His favorite engine was the Jennie
Lind on which he ran for 10 years.
Whenever his engine was in any way
disabled he would go to the repair shop
and fix 1t himself.
He then was offered good pay to run
an engine of supplies in building the
York & CHAMBERLAIN road, now the Port
land & Rochester, where he faithfully
worked for five years
This took him UP to 1856, when he
secured position as foreman Of the
great machine works Of the European
and North American Railway Com
pany, having 100 men under his super
vision, the shops being at st. John and
Shediac, N. B.
During his connection with this road,
the company built new engine, a 10
wheeled machine, and new and elegant
plush carpets, to convey the Prince of
Wales and his party, Gov. Gordon and
suite and guests from Point Dechanic
to st. John, N B., a distance of III
miles.
Mr., Lord selected the best engineer
from his corps to run the train. The
man. however, did not run the train,
for Just before the arrival of the Prince
of Wales, the superintendent of the
road said TO Mr.. Lord: Il want you to
run the train and make the distance,
Ia miles, in III minutes"
Lord finally consented and succeed
ed in running the distance in III min
utes, including a two-minute stop for
the engine to take water. As the party
aighted from the train, the Prince of
Wales stepped up to the engine, which
was named Prince of Wales" and said
to Engineer Lord:
My man, you have done it. You
have made your time and a little
more" at the same time giving the
faithful engineer a five-pound note.
Mr.. Lord continued with the road I'M
til 1862. when he left for Boston. While
walking up State street, not over a
week after he had arrived from Can
ada, he was touched on the shoulder
by one of the railroad magnates of that
time, who said
You are the man I have been look
ing FOR for the past five months. [
want you to go to Needham and repair
an engine, and assist me in building
the extension to Woonsocket r. l."
Lord repaired the engine, telegraphed
the contractor John M. Wood, to send
up his engineer, but Wood would have
no other engineer than he ana Lord ran
the engine on the supplies and con-
struction train until the road was com
pleted.
He then engaged as engineer in build
ing the local Southbridge branch of the
New York, New Haven and Hartford
road, then known as the New York and
New England road, and when COM
pleted, ran the passenger train
to Boston four days a week
Mr.. Lord was engineer for Conductor
Vernon JosIin of this branch for IA
years, and they were as brothers, and
never a harsh word was passed be-
tween them Mr., Joslin still continues
as conductor between Southbridge and
East Thompson.
Mr.. Lord was then ordered to the
main line, running from Boston to Will
lmantic. thence from East Thompson
to Willimantic. His train was large
passenger train, leaving Willimantic at
go O'clock a. m. and due in Boston at
10. so o'clock.
He subsequently delivered his train
to East Thompson He then was or
dared back to the Southbridge branch,
where he remained until one day,
While fixing a spring under his engine,
he was badly ruptured on both sides,
and after that time gave up active
service That was in 1880. After this.
however, he ran a gravel train on the
branch for five months.
During. all his services he never was
discharged He never met with an
accident to his train, never lost life
through his carelessness. He struck a
man named Howard at the North Main
street crossing, Webster, number OF
years ago, but the man walked DELHI
erately on to the track.
Lord worked one winter on the Old
Colony road, when the snow bothered
the roads all winter. On one occasion
he worked three days and three nights
with his snow pillow and finally broke
out the road.
While Mr.. Lord was running on the
Southbridge branch he struck a fellow
who was asleep and drove his ice cart
upon the track. The wagon was re-
duced to splinters. but the man and
horse escaped injury.
One winter, when the rails were very
slippery and lev and tbe old time iron