The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-23
A UNIQUE
EXPERIENCE.
Part of the Story Of the Boy Who
Rode on the First Train.
Mary K. Maule in St. Nicholas.
1oES0l

There is boy in New 1Ork, WIN
but wait minute, he isn't BOY any
more, come to think of it, he is ninety
four years old, and that is hardly
boy, is it?
But he was boy once, and ilvely'
healthy, hustling boy he was. too, away
back in the early '30s, and he ala
something that no boy had ever done
before. and that no boy will ever 90
again-for he was the first boy that
rode on the first train in America.
His name was Stephen Smith DUBOIS
and he was just as fond OF fun and ex'
element, and Of going to places and
seeing things, as boys are today. IN
the autumn of 1881, after the crops
were harvested, and he had in his
pocket the money he had earned as
farm hand, he thought he would give
himself great treat So he put MS
little bundle on a stick over his shoul-
der, and started to walk all the way
from Providence, Saratoga County, up
to Albany, to visit his uncle. He was
fifteen years old then, and forty mile
walk was nothing to his active young
limbs.
He had been living on farm, and
the sights of Albany kept him at a few
er heat of interest for week, at which
time he felt that he would have to start
on his return journey. He did not IN
the least mind the prospect of the long
walk, but when he mentioned the mat
ter to his uncle, he was told that If he
would remain little longer his uncle
would take him on the trial trip Of the
new railroad then being built, and
which was the greatest experiment that
had ever been undertaken in that
part of the country.
What boy could possibly resist the
opportunity to ride in brand-new in
vention that was the talk of the whole
country, and which, moreover. it was
predicted, would run away or blow up,
or 60 over into a ditch at the first
trial!
THE name of the engine was the
DE Witt Clinton but somebody called
it the Brother Jonathan and It was
afterward known as the Yankee |
suppose on account Ut the English en-
CINE being called the John Bull
1T was a pretty funny looking little
coptraption compared to what locomo-
tives are now 1t stood high and spind-
ling, had a straight, small smokestack
and the boiler was about as big u
kerosene barrel Behind the engine
there was tender, just a sort of
platform on a truck, and outhis were
two barrels Of water, couple OF bas
kets of fagots, and an armful OF wood
Behind the tender were the coaches,
hooked together by three links. Did
you ever see an old fashioned stage
coach? Well, these coaches were made .
just like them. Regular stage coach
bodies, placed on trucks and supported
by thorough braces with boot" at
each end for baggage-and four seats
inside, each holding three people, two
seats in the middle, and one on each
end. There were five coaches that day.
and all of them were packed full when
the train finally got started. so there
must have been something like seven
ty-five people aboard.
"All the big bugs and dignitaries
Of the whole state were there reck-
on no boy ever rode in more distin g
guished company. Most of them were
directors of the road, senators, govern
ors, mayors, high-constables, editors.
and all sorts of celebrities Many of
them were old men, even than, and
most of them were middle-aged or over
while was the only boy on the ex-
c,Irsion and was only fifteen. That's
why'd say that know that am the