The Washington herald., 1908-08-09

DlstAn = Uisneu 1Ee-e OF tnuE Lay.
There is a boy in New York who-but
wait a minute. he isn't boy any more.
come to think of Il; he IS rinety-four
years Cd. and that is hardly boy. is 1t?
But he was a boy once. and a livery.
healthy. hustliag boy ne was. TOO. away
back IN the early '56s. and he did some
thing that 10 boy viii ever Go again
for he was the first boy that rode on the
first train in America. says s. Nicholas
His name was stephen Smith Dubois.
and he was just as FOND Of fun and ex-
citement and CT going 20 places and see
ing things as boys are today. II the
autumn Of Is51. after the crops were har-
vested and he had IN his pocket the
money lie had earned as a farm
hand. he thought he would give himself
a great treat SO he put his little bundle
on a stick over his shoulder and started
to walk all the way from Providence.
Saratoga County. Up 10 Albany, 10 visit
his uncle. he was young then. and a
fo-ty-rniie walk was nothing 70 his active
young limbs.
he had been living on farm. and the
sights OF Albany kept him al q fever
heat of interest for q week. al which
time he felt that he would have 10 start
on his return journey he did not !n the
least mind the prospect OF the long walk.
but when he mentioned the matter TO his
uncle he was told that if re would remain
q little longer his uncle would take him
on the trial trip Of the new railroad then
being built. and which vas the greatest
experiment that had ever been under
taken in that part Of the country.
What Doy. could possibly resisE the Op-
portUnity 20 ride in d brand-uew invention
that was the talk Of the whole country
and which. moreover. il was predicted
would run away or blow Up or go over
into ditch at The first trisI7
Called the Brother Jonathan"
The name o< the engine was the De
Witt Clinton. but somebody called il The
Brother Jonathan" said Mr.. Dubois. and
Il vas afterward known IS the Yankee
I suppose on account Of The English En-
gine being called the John Bull
1T was q pretty funny looking little
conuapuon compared with what loco
motives are nov. It stoad high and
spindIing. had a straigE- small smoke
stack ard the boiler was about as big as
a kerosene barrel Behind the engine
there was a tender, just 2 sort Of a plat
form on a truck and on this were Two
barrels Of water. q couple Of baskets OF
fagots. and an srmful Of wood Behind
the tender were the coaches. hooked to
sether by three links Did you ever see
an oId-fasaioned stage coach1 Wen
these coaches were made just Ike them
Regular stage coach bodies. placed on
trucks and supported by thoroughoraces-
with q boot at each end for baggage
srd four seats inside each holding three
people. two seats II the middle and one
on each end There were five coaches
that day. and all Of them were packed
fun when the train finally got started,
SO there must have been something Ike
seventy-five people aboard
"Au the big bugs and diEultarles OF
the whole state were there I reckon n
boy ever rode in more distinguished con-
uanv. Most Of them were directors OF
the read. Senators governors mayors.
high constabIes. and all sorts Of Csieb-i-
ties Many Of them were cid men even
then. and most Of them were rliddle-aEed
or over. while I was the Only boy on the
excursion. and was only fifteen. That's
why I say that know I am the only
person now living that was on the No.
hawk and Hudson on its first trip with
passengers over the rad
Hard Time 10 Get Started.
We'll. as I said. We had a terrible time
getting started, but al last We got Of,
and then II did seem TO ne as If Ne fair
~ few. I had never felt any thing Ike
Il There were big white stone nile posts
al along the road. and IL seemed 70 ne
that 7 no sooner would get through dodg-
Ing one than another would come by Oh
IL was grand riding. I tell YOU
a man by the name OF Jervis-JoE1 B.
Jervis. I think It wzs-waS chief engineer,
John Hampson was the fireman and John
Clark. the fellow they called resident en-
gineer." acted es conductor They didn't
have a regular conductor I remespber
that they filed up the boiler when We
started. but al what they called the half
way house we had 10 stop al a tank and
take on water 70 carry Us through
BY the time we'd left the halfway
house she was getting right down to her
work. and II did look 70 me as L We were
going at a terrible speed. although I
guess about eighteen miles an hour was
the best tine We made
7 saw some OF the passengers turn
pale and clutch their seats like grim death
when We rounded the curves. and others
OF them. solemn old fellows. looked az
each other and shook their heads. as II
they knew that gong at such a rate as
that was almost wicked, and that they
surely were tempting fate But I wasn't
a bit scared The faster We went the
better 7 liked # TheN engine couldn't 80
TO fast 10 suit ne.
People all along the line ran out %
look after the train as dumfounded as Il
il had been an airship or a comet and the
horses and COWS and piss and chickens
took to the hills, bewling and Quawsing
as II they thought the very fends were
after them
PRAISES THE COMMISSIONERS.