The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-08-02
FIRST PRACTICAL USE
OF THE LOCOMOTIVE
How Subject OF rapid Transit"
Was Treated by News
papers in 1892.
BALOWIN'S OLD IRoNSIDES
Irregular Trips Will Be Made on Days
When the Weather 10 Fair;
Horses Will 30 Used on
Rainy Days"
From the phnadelphla Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
'"Thc locomotive engine built by NJ. W.
Baldwin. OF this city. will depart daily.
when the weather L. fair. with a train of
passenger cars. On rainy days horses VIII
be attached"
Such was the notice printed In the PhIla-
1elphia papers by the Philadelphia. Ger
mantown md NorriAtown Railroad COM
pany In lS2.
''old Ironsldcs"-tha, was the name Of
the nrSt locomotive built by Matthias W.
Baldwin. n rome statue OF hon was un-
yelled by liis daughter Saturday and pre-
scnicd TO the city-was too light TO draw
4 train on wet. slippery rails. SO IL was
Jailed the "falr-wcathcr engine"
In this n other ways IL fell 20 far short
81 the hopes OF It's builder that when ~
had been tired. ne said declslvoiy. THAT
Ia our last locomo;ivc." lie used the COLI
lcctiyo proncun bccausc David Mason. n
machinist. had helped him build this won
icrful machine. which. on the afternoon
~ November %. iS2. made It's first trip
from the depot at Ninth and Green streets.
90 a point six miles out In the direction OF
Germantown and back. David Mason was
The brother OF the man who FIRST intro
A'fA $50 - AAsk wv sNkA W. AAAaN 80
THAT Is our last locomotive
Today he works founded by the man
Eho said this turn out eight complete
1ncs every twcnty-four hours. and each
onc ~ moro than ten times as blk and
powerful rs tho curious affair OF wood and
steel which furnished excitement FOR our
grandfathcrH.
baldwin was enc OF the plucklcst Of the
men whose names are linked with tho
Aaa
In New Jersey. and that may account for
some OF his excellent qualities. At g no
began his business career as n silver
smith. At - he formed n partnership with
Mason FOR the manufacture OF bookhind-
FRS tools and cylinders for calico print
Ing.
Necessity Is Again Mother.
Then came along Necessity. mother OF so
many things. The firm didn't nave space
enough TO make everything they wanted.
60 Baidwi Ia contrivcd an upright engine
which would furnish power without taking
ap much room. IL was "a great success,
And having made his. IL was perfectly
natural that he should turn his head and
hands to locomotives. when steam as n
motive power began 10 reveal some OF It's
untold possibilities "a the people.
lie read about the things kng.lShmcn
had made. lie saw the steel horse I'm
ported by the Camden and Amboy rail-
road. lie determined 20 go tho Brltons
ono better. " possible. So irEi he quilt n
mlnia turc locomotive. which was com
plct"d tn April. iSi. and placed on cX-
addition In Penlc's museum.
This was the frat one ever used In
Philadelphia. and IL made innumcrab,c
trips on n circular track Ia the museum.
drawing two small cars. each OF which
held two persons There being no such
things aS coal rebates then. pine knots
were used ms well as anthracite. and the
infant choo-choo was the fad OF the day.
People even sidc-track"d the weather
when IL "a mentioned
Then came the order from the newly or
Rnizc railroad company, which had put
It's line bctwccu this city and Germantown
In operation oaly In June. iSss. and then
came "uid Igunsitcs." so-cailcI because
IL had wooden sides.
The price agreed uron by baldwin and
the company was Si.uJ. hut because the
pesky machine broke down oncc or twice
and d!d several other things 81 should not
done. the corporation frowrcd and
500 was knocked or the original price
all OF which had n great deal 10 do with
that emphatic statement about this being
our last"
No doub; Baldwin meant they would use
this one for a last"
Buries His Disappointment.
Aud he buried his disappointment by
building another just as quickly as hs
could. lie named ,hi3 tho Miller" and
sold IL 10 A South Carolina railroad com.
pany. which was deep Ia damage suits fDr
the next year after the purchase. The
c.ndcrs coughcd up by IN. smokc-stack
set nre TO cotton fields. and the whole ma.
chine 50 terrified the negroes that they
LEI the country after the first trip and
could not be- induced to return. They
thought ~ waI Ills Satanic Majesty out
on a tour OF inspection.
''Old Ironsidcs" had scared a good many
81 ,hc more ignorant persons In this vi.
entity on It's flTst few trips. To see a
smoking thing speeding along without
anything pulling or pushing IL was too
ON the next Sunday the harvest
u converts In sons 81 the churches was
unusually large
The fashionable dissipation IN those days
was 20 take a ride 10 Germantown on the
steam cars. These were much llf, mail
coaches. only larger. TWENTY persons
could gc; Inside without crnwdlng. and
nI;rva on top. and the decorations. Wei.
nothing li.c thcm had ever boon seen or
heard toll oT. They were pain. eel Ia all the
.ulirs OF the "a uhoU and god was Nbcf-
ally added. Mn was the number aud
names were Germantown. BENJAMIN
Franklin. Robert Morr.y. Penn Township.
Jefferson. philadelphia. william Penn ana
PT,sldun..
when Il rH!ncI and "Oid ircns!dcs" had
TO hr kept under shelter. one horse WIS AZ.
Tackled lv zach ear. ana the distance was
easily coveted In thFv,-quur,,rs % an
hour. when the day MAS far the tln,
was reduced about hilf. And iu ih. -
Gays ~" engineer war hts uNu tlgcmaU.
and moreover D." had 10 staal wsthou,
shelter from wlal or iuu. u Was not nm.
al three years later tina; JOi cvh Harm.
SOS. ir.. inverted the cab"
Wha, changes Matthias baldwin wuu!d
90 u! d, could scan Broad sire, TO-DAY
tayJJRh h.a yves 81 LrGrz.,
Truth EnS--kr other.
From Punch.