The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-01-28
STORY OF THE RAILROAD.

The world was thousands of years
old. The great Atlantic Ocean had
been crossed and the United States
had become an established nation, but
still kept to the old ways of travel.
They believed that any plan to carry
them from place to place faster than
the old stage coach was a dream to
be laughed at. When it was discov-
cred that steam could be used to move
machinery and that a steamboat could
work it's own way through the water
most people began to think that no
greater wonder could be accom-
plished. About seventy years ago a
coal digger in the Northumbrian
mines of England invented locomo-
tive Stephenson claimed that his en-
CINE could take the place of horses
in drawing coaches along tracks.
AS he was a man who had very
little book learning he could not give
bright answers to those who asked
foolish questions about his wonder
full scheme. He knew, though that
his ideas could be carried out. Final
Iy he went to the House of Commons
of England with a proposition to
build a railroad between Manchester
and Liverpool How the members of
Parliament, who supposed themselves
very wise, laughed at his plan OF
whisking people through the air in
such an undigniied and careless man.
ner. For their part they were con-
tent to jog along the rest of their
lives in the clumsy old stage coaches
such as their fathers had used.
Had it not been for the merchants
of Liverpool, who saw that the build
ing of the railroad would add to their
trade and thus add to their wealth,
Stephenson's plan would have failed
for the time. These men subscribed
the money necessary for the project.
In December, 1926, the road was be-
gun. AS Stephenson had none of the
modern appliances for blasting rocks,
boring tunnels, building bridges nor
sinking piles in marshy places the
work of laying the generally level
track took four years. To-day in
ventions are welcomed by the whole
world. The laboring man and the
millionaire are alike interested in
such wonders as the airship. In those
days it was very different. The veal
thy were satisfied with their comforts,
while the poor thought every inven-
ton where machinery could perform
the work of people was an invention
to rob them of .heir employment and
! make them poorer. When the first
trip on the railroad was made the
nobility of England were the passen-
gers.
All along the way the working peo-
pie placed their threatening notices.
In fact, a riot was feared, but the
strong arm of the law preserved peace
and quietness. those who rode were
! delighted at being carried though the
air so rapidly They said that it
| seemed as if they were flying. The
journey through the hills and over
! streams OH level road was such a
wonder to them that they said the
| impossible had come to pass.
| In our country the first railroad
| of any importance was opened at
! Charleston. S. c.. in 1881. On ac-
| count of an accident the popularity
| of this road came near meeting with
| disaster. The fireman was a negro
! who became greatly annoyed at the
| Kissing steam as it escaped from the
/ safety valve. In the absence of the
! engineer he fastened down the valve
and then to make doubly sure that
| the noise would cease sat on the top.
/ You can easily guess what an explo-
! sion followed. The result of this ac-
/ ton caused people to fear riding in
the new railway cars until barrier
! car filled with bales of cotton was
! put between the locomotive and the
first passenger coach. The public
had also to be assured that no one
but the engineer would be allowed
| to touch the safety. valve. In some
of the first trains the locomotive