Evening journal., 1911-11-07
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Story Of the Origin Of
the Wooden Railroad Tie
By Holland.


George L. Perkins. at the time Of
his death IN 1888 had a record as 4
railway manager and executive whion
has never been equaled. IN this coun-
try ct least lie was a hundred yeris
Of age in August OF 1883 and there
gathered at his home in Norwich,
Conn, many Of the foremost railwa,
managers Of the United States to loin
with him IN the celebration OF his
hundredth birthday and IA congratula-
tlon that he should have been FOR
nearly sixty years Of his life, as ne
was upon his hundredth birthday
railway executive and officer IN active
service. Colonel Perkins died Just d
month after celebrating his 100,A
I birthday
Colonel Perkins was one or the o ig-
instors Of the FIRST railroad planned 10
run through the Gtate Of Connecticut,
Il was indeed. one Of tho earliest raa-
roads planned anywhere IN the United
States This wss in 1895, and as tic
road was projected Il was to run from
Worcester, Mass. TO Allyn p3ill,
upon the Thames river, in these later
JH0Nr Dilupitu bN TIC NilANhisliN AAIWr y
OF Harvard and Of Yale. The road was
TO be built as an adjunct Of a steam
boat line operated by Commodore Nan-
derbilt between New York city and
Allyn's Point
II was my privilege as a lad and
young man 10 have the acquaihtance
OF Commodore Perkins, and he useu
occasionally to tell me OF the curious
manner IN which tie early builders ogI
railways ana of locomotives and ~a'5I
worked out the problems that were
presented TO them.
Sometimes 1t took q good deal CT
experience ana not a little money.
said Colonel Perkins, before we were
able find out what the best way OIL
building a railroad was, rs well as the
best way of operating It I rememberl
well when our people were plann ng
the building Of the Norwich to W0'
cester railroad in 1884, that we de-
cided 10 go to Boston and talk With
some OF the engineers who had Duilt
the railroad between Boston and
Lowell which was the irst one to rlnI
out OF Boston.
"Wo had some difficulty IA findiL 3
the engineer who laid tho roadDet
and the track. but at last we discover
ed him repairing the track ct a plaec
called Bellcrica, town between Bcs-
ton and Lowell. He received us vsfy
courteously and almost the first ques-
tion he asked was what kind OF slos.-
ers we were going 30 lay. Perhaps ynu
do not know that in those early oeys
we used to call the ties sleepers.
" That is exactly one OF the things
we have come TO talk with 5 ou aboIt.
we said. laftt
"'Well. he replied, whatever you do
keep stone as far away from the 81 4op-
ers as possible. We have had q ter
ribie experience here with this road.
We thought that IN order TO secac1
stability and permanence it woulo be
necessary 10 lay down granite sleeEcrs
and attach the rails TO them by ir-n
spikes that wouldn't give the fraction
OF an inch. W0 spent a lot OF mfao2
IN having those granite sleepers cut.
u took a lot OF labor 10 attach the rails
/ to them. But when the work was due
VIC said to one another that we had sot
a rOadbed that would never Wear o.
We'll, you see I am ripping it up.
There was no doubt about the firmncss
of the roadbed, but the trouble was it
was too firm. Il was SO solid that IL
shook our cars so that unless we ran
the trains vory slowly they wore "a
danger OF dropping TO pieces Ar" It
made dreadful work with the loconiU-
tivee
90 So / began experimenting and az
last somebody suggested to me tnat
chestnut timber, cut into appropriate
sizes, was just what ] wanted. l SM
some chestnut logs and had them
heWn into shape and laid down q
stretch of several miles. We were care
ful not TO attnch the rails too aticfy
We ran trains back and forth oveI
that stretch for several weeks. It Was
like riding over q cushion. So We drC
tearing up all the granite sleepers aud
putting IN their place these chestnut
/ logs. You'd better put down chestnut.
'Wen," continued Colonel Perkins,
zone OF our party said that chestnut
would rot In tho course OF two or
three years
""What II 1t does?' replied the enei-
neer. Chestnut IS cheap and you can
easily replace a sleeper that shows
signs Of wear and tear with o fresh
one.
"That interview decided our peop g
and we built our road with chestnut
sleepers. Some Of them lasted tcu
years. And that was tho way the rail-
roads OF the country came univer-
sally 90 adopt the wooden sleeper, or
tie, as il Is called nowadays."
(Copyright 1911. by r. J. Edwards.
Alirights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell q
~Thurlow Weeds Two Crushing DIX
appointments"