The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-07-25
THERAILROADSCARE
ODD EFFECTS OF THE FIRST SIGHT
OF LOCOMOTIVE
Some Of the People of the south HID
Behind Trees In 1898, When the
Iron Horne Went Blythe Country's
Earliesf Railroad.


America cannot lay claim to the first
locomotive or the first railroad. That
great honor lies with England. Yet
Yankee genius was not very far behind
her. for. when George Stephenson
launched his first real locomotive, the
Rocket. ON the Liverpool and Manchcs-
ter road In 1890, the first spike had been
driven on the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road, July 4, 1928, by Charles Carroll
of CarrolltOn, the last surviving sigDer
Of the Declaration Of Independence.
This was the first road started in the
United States. and in 1890 it had reach
cd Ellicott Mills, IS miles from Balti-
more.
But the south can claim the honor OF
completing the longest railroad in the
world at that date, being the old
Charleston and Hamburg road, now a
part OF the South Carolina and Georgia
system, which was begun in 1890, and
by October, 1893. it had 49, miles OF
track in operation. In letter from
Mr.. Samuel &. Clarke Of Georgia, Il
kinsman OF the writer, who attained
The extreme age of 81 years and who
had seen the beginning and the compile
ton Of this road, he thus gives his ex-
pericnce upon first sight of Il locOmO-
tive:
''Onc day while going down to
charleston with Il party of gentlemen
10 attend the races as we approached
the city we SAW III the distance the
new railroad, finished some 10 or u
miles out OF Charleston. 1t was built
I.pon piles. longer CT short, according
- the nature of III" Ground. Sometimes
in crossing Il ravin" tie rails Were 20
ioct from the surface. our track ran
near this elevated road, and soon a
horrid shrek as from 20 panthcrs WAS
heard in the woods. BY this time we
were nervous. Elephants and lions
'-c had heard Of, and some of us had
seen them, but what monster was this
whose screams we heard? Presently
II came in sight, flying alOft through
The air and breathing fire and smoke,
aud our frightened StccdS became I'M
manageable, AMI in fact | think that
,.ACd as their horses. If amy of my
readers are old enough to remember
the introduction of locomotives and
how they felt at first sight of them,
they will perhaps understand our SEN
SatiOnS that day in the pine woods.
"a mile or two farther on we came
10 n broken wagon by the side of the
al.
smoking his pipe. On being asked
what was his trouble he replied, Well,
stranger, I've often hcarn tell of multi
iiCItiOn, and now | reckon I've saw it
for true"
1t IS somewhat amusing now to read
Of tie supcrstitious dread with which
the inhabitants looked upon the build
ing of th"," first railroads. Some
thought tie smoke of the continual
passing trains would cause pestilence
ar destroy Ill the crops along the road.
Others We're afraid to ride on the cars
for fear of having their breath taken
AWAY and the people i'll the cities OBJ
jrCtcd To the railroad being built be-
cause they feared the smoke from the
engines would soil the clothes which
were hung out to dry.
Many are yet living who looked upon
the terrible, Screeching iron monster
with awe and trcpidation. Mr.. Nat Nc
Gee Of Ivy. Albemarle. tells joke upon
himself that when he heard the train
coming he jumped from his horse and
got behind Il tree, where he viewed it
for fear of being run over. Mr. w. r.
Trout. who was taking Il wagon load of
produce to Richmond, when he reached
GordOnvilie heard the whistle and ter
ribic noise of the approaching train,
and lac and his companions were so
scared that they sprang out leaped the
fence and ran across the field to n safe
distance. leaving the wagon and team
10 its fate, but when the train appeared
II was only an engine and one coach.
The first roadbedS were formed. as
has been stated. by driving piles in the
ground. upon the top of which were
placed wooden Stringers. in which were
cut groove for the wheels to run.
These were called wooden railroads"
and at distance appeared like the ele-
waited railroads in the cities of the pres
cnt day. The honor of this invention
was contested between John Hartman
OF Scottsyillc, Va, and John Williams,
an engineer of Chic, but it did not
prove bonanza to either. for the
wheels were constantly bouncing out Of
the groove. and the piles soon after
gave place TO solid dirt embankments.
and strap iron rails were substituted
for the wooden groove. But the grad
ing was very imperfect and uneven.
which made riding on one of these
primitive railroads like going over
corduroy road in sprinsless wagon,
with the cars bouncing over these
rough rails to the jingling music of the
windows.-Richmond Dispatch.