The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1908-12-09
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
An Interesting Picture, Though Not
Strictly Accurate Historically.

The above cut, with the accompany
ing description, recently appeared IN
THE SUM-" OF Saratoga, y. y. THE
CITIZEN, through the courtesy Of the
sun, reproduces it as being very nearly
as great a curiosity as would be the
Stourbridge Lion itself, ii that source of
local pride and subject OF innumerable
newspaper articles could be placed on
exhibition. The picture is nj least in
teresting and instructive as showing the
style OF passenger cars, literally 'wag-
ons," as they were called at the outset
of steam railroading, three-quarters OF a
century ago, and as giving an idea ol
fashions in dress prevailing in the days
OF our great-grandfathers. But for the
rest, the scene depicted must be regard
ed as purely mythical-the embodiment
of the artists conception OF things,
rather than descriptive OF the event as II
really occurred. Nor is the letter press
much more reliable, historically, than
the engraving. The bare facts are that
Mr.. Allen was commissioned by the
Del. and Hud. Canal Company in 1922
10 purchase in England the bar iron
rails to be used on the road between
HOnesdale and Carbondale, the chains
required on the inclined planes, and
three locomotives to run on the levels.
Ii was stipulated in the agreement be-
tween the company and Mr.. Allen that
his travelling and other expenses on sea
and land were to be paid by the former,
but that they were not TO exceed $500.
His time for the trip was limited TO
three months, but so much difficulty
was experienced in the manufacture of
the iron to meet his views, his leave of
absence was extended TO nearly yeIU.
He went out in the autumn of 1927, when
barely twenty-five years of age, and re-
turned in the fall OF 1928. The locomo-
tives soon followed him, the other rail-
way supplies having been forwarded
earlier. The following summer the
"Lion" was sent to Honesdale, and the
trial trip made. That trial trip was the
only journey the locomotive ever made
on its own wheels, with the exception of
a run OF few hundred feet, immediate
ly following, taken for the express bene-
fit of Nathan Kellogg and the late Hon.
Otis Avery. There were no other cars
in the make up of the train than the
engine and tender, and ON the trial trip
there was no one on board save Mr..
shaf ctr
of coaches, apparently filled with pas
sengers is purely mythical.
The Stourbridge Lion remained under
a shed, near where its trial was made,
for more than twenty years, its boiler
often ridden astride by the writer and
other lads, and was then removed TO the
HOnesdale foundry, on Ladywood Lane,
where il was partially dismantled and
broken up. One of the cylinders and
the connecting rods of both cylinders
and pumps eventually fell into the
hands of George h. Smith, of Dunmore,
Pa. The other cylinder is in the pos
session of the heirs of Steuben jenkins,
of Wyoming, Luzerne county, Pa. Such
parts as the Government, some years
since, was enabled 10 gather up, were
taken 10 Washington, u. c., where the
missing portions were supplied, and the
locomotive, as reconstructed, is now ON
exhibition AT the Smithsonian lnstiiu-
iiOn.
Don'r put all your eggs in one basket.