Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-02-12
EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY OF OLDEST
STEAM ROAD IN UNITED STATES.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Celebrates Anniversary.
Mules First Dragged its Cars Over It's Original
Length Of Nine Miles.

baltimore, Md. Feb. l2.-Simple but
interesting exercises were held at
the general offices In this city today
In celebration OF the s0th birthday OF
the Baltimore e. Ohio railroad. u
was just eighty years ago today that
10 group Of Baltimore's foremost citi.
gems net at the residence of Philip
T. Thomas for the purpose OF devising
Ia means which would enable CONNER.
cial intercourse between the Baltimore
and the Ohio river. and thus overcome
the commercial advantages her neigh.
boring cities. Philadelphia and New
York. enjoyed by reason of canals.
The Baltimore & Ohio lis the oldest
steam railroad In America. The first
stone of It's roadbed was laid In this
city on the Fourth Of July. 1923. with
Ielalorate ceremony. Over ITS original
length of nine miles mules dragged
It's cars. Then Peter Cooper. the man
ufacturer Of New York. brought 70
Baltimore a steam engine--a curious
concern. something like a boiler with
a stovepipe i'm II. And Cooper's en-.
CINE broke down and the horse ex-
press beat II. Then came the grass.
hopper engines--the embryonic germs
Of the tremendous locomotives Of to-
day, So, historically, the Baltimore &
Ohio Is extremely interesting.
The road grew. It was the first to
cross the Allegheny mountains and
tap the great west. II grew. and
thanks to the energy, the executive
capacity, the untiring labor of joan
w. Garrett. 1t thrived in time.
But the story of its early vicissi.
tudes form the most interesting chap
tiers of the railroads career. The
loriginal project was to construct an
%allrail line from Baltimore to Wheel
ing. The original company was CAPT.
TALKED at $4,000. 900 and was chartered
by the Maryland Legislature. The cor
nerstone was laid by the illustrious
Charles Carroll of C~arrollton, the last
Surviving signer of the Declaration
OF Independence, The line was con.
structed TO Ellicott's Mills In 1880. and
the company announced in the Bali.
more newspapers that a brigade Of
cars" would RUN three times a day
each way between Baltimore and ELI.
colts Mills. the fare being twenty.
five cents.
| Before the line had been long In
Iopration the motive power was chang
ed from horses to a sail car. built by
president Thomas's brother, Evan
Thomas. This proved a more feasible
means Of locomotion. and so keen was
the interest manifested in this novel
sail car that prominent dignitarIes and
IiUItiSH representatives ulhuG LUG ttlp
from Washington by stage In order t.
ride in this car.
Then came the trial of Peter Coop
er's locomotive, known as the Tom
Thumb" which did not prove as sue.
~cessful as its builder had anticipated.
The first trial trip Of the engine was
made August Is, 1881. from Baltimore
to Ellioott's Mills. A year Or two later
engines OF a more improved type were
successfully tried and from that time
dates the expansion Of the great Bal
timore & Ohio system.
Under the management of John W.
Garrett the road rose to a prosperity
that even he had not dreamed Of. The
company's stock paid 10 per cent diyi-
dends. II a dying man had money In
the Baltimore & Ohio he died con-
tent, for he knew his widow was pro-
vided for.