Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-30


for special uses about ouarries
factories and mines. The rails were OF
wood, with straps of iron on top, LAID
on cross ties. On these rails small cars
with iron wheels were used and were
generally drawn by mules or horses OF
pushed by hand.
The first locomotive of which I find
account was placed on the Keeling
worth railroad, England, July Is, 1914.
1t would run three miles an hour and
haul as much as horse would draw.
Fifteen years later in 1929. railroad
was built from Liverpool to Manches-
ter, with iron rails siNty-two pounds
per yard, on which locomotive was
run twenty-seven miles in one hour.
The first railroad of which l have
account in the United States. was
three miles long, for hauling granite
from the Neponset river near Boston.
Another which is also called the first,
was built at quincy. 1t is also claimed
that the first railroad built in the
United States run entirely by steam
was in South Carolina, in 1S2S-1S30
ON this a trial trip was made in which
d horse outran the locomotive.
July "a. 1928, railroad was com
menced from Baltimore to Elliott's
Mills. town about twelve miles west
of Baltimore. amid heavy timber where
water power was being used to saw
lumber and manufacturing.
A railroad was built to connect the
two towns and save much heavy team
ing. Ties, with wooden rails with strar
iron on top. were used on which cars
With iron wheels We're used and drawn
by horses Some one suggested steam
power. There We're many persons who
had never heard of such a thing as a
locomotive. and some heard of it as d
failure in South Carolina and in Eng
land. and other scientific heads rea-
soned that action and reaction are
equal that to put a steam engine on
wheels thinking it would run itself and
draw loads would of necessity be a
failure. Well it was tried. it worked
and drew loads and ran at the dam
gerous rate of ten to twelve miles an
hour when things We're in order. This
railroad attracted great attention
There was business for it and it did
the business and did it we'll. Inn
provements We're continually made in
locomotives and track. and horses were
no longer used to draw the loads. This
was the beginning of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad and really the beginning
of steam railroad building in the
United States.
Birth of New York Central.
The New York Central Railroad
Company was organized in 1925 but We
find no account of its building any
road previous to the time of which
write. Some lines were built westward
from Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York and Boston, which were only
towns. and then did work in a primi-
tive way. The first railroads had been
built by the people who needed them
for a special purpose. Now it was dis
covered that they would be eminentll
useful as public routes for freight ans
passenger uses. The eastern elite!
Were awakened to the possibilities o
! the future with railway connection
with the west New York and Boston
wanted to reach the chain of northern
lakes. Baltimore and Philadelphia aim
ed TO reach the Ohio river
The country westward was a vast
I }
sionally a farm, settlement, and a VIII
lage. Heavy broad tired wagons with
teams Of six or eight heavy Conestogt
draft horses had previously done thei1
freightng, and four horse stag
coaches carried their passengers.
Now this must be changed. The rail-
road must be built. Engineers We're sci
to work. Possible routes We're foun6
thru the mountains. subscriptions fol
building the railroads We're taken a
the ends of the routes and all along
the lines. Timber was plenty. The a,
and saw and shovel and wheeibarroN
We're set to work. Thousands of Irish.
men came and helped place the dirt
/ The American could run the saw mil
4 the farmer and his boys could cut tn
saw logs, and haul them to the mill
The parties who did the work received
certificates showing the sum due each
which certificates later took the nam.
of stock. They We're used the same a.
money to pay store bills and the like
and in time passed mostly into tn
hands of investors who could see il
them future value. In the meantim
iron rails came into use and locomo
tlNeS ana cars We're greatly improved
Sixty pounds to the yard was consld
cred a heavy weight rail then and 10
comotives and cars and roads an,
bridges were apportioned according
ly
Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburg an
Stub.1ville each in time had railroa
connection with the east and the cas-
was thus connected thru the norther
lakes thus connected thru the norther
west. 90 there seemed to be no need q
any more railroads for a while.
But those already built proved yer
useful and profitable Freight and pas
senger rates then would seem Yer
high now, but compared with wha
they had previously paid for haulin
on wagons, and for riding In passen
ger coaches. they were very satisfac
tory and their quick work became yer
popular.
Many persons who had invested
the eastern roads We're willing to ir
vest in guarantees for building otht
railroads. Pittsburg wanted a connee
tor With Cleveland and the Cleyelar
!. and Pittsburg railroad was built wit
iron rails about 1s47-1s4S which We