The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-04
{Railroad Mans Maeazine,.

4liS SIOlS VI lIlS IdlllOdu lS II lllIllls
ing record of big g big facts. an
cpitome of civilization's strides and a
nations growth. Every word pulses
with the force of genius and initiative
courage and persistence. 1T is a story
that g can be adequately told, and
history can b%equeath to is but little
of the %fullness of its glory.
To have come down through the
years; through the days of hesitation
and experiment to the full efficiency of
the present. is to have witnessed the
world. To have seen all these things
in the concrete and not in the written
word means the possession Of an in
valuable mental image. Who among
us has seen these things? We are
ninety millions. Is there one?
And the editorial finger points and
bids him stand forth from the multi
ture Of citizens-Robert. A. Beers of
New Haven, Conn.,. who hears the
very remarkable distinction Of having
ridden on every vehicle known to HUI
man travel. except the airship.
Eighty-seven years old, he is proba.
bly, the only living man who ever
travelled on the first steam passenger
train in A~merica-the Mohawk & Hud.
son railroad. eighteen miles long, from
Albany to Schenectady.
Mr.. Beers is physically and men,
tally robust. When ice formed on n
pond neal his home in January he
would have gone out with the boys
had his family not hidden his sons
skates. He goes up and down the
silent steps. Fe Is we'll informed on
all questions Of the day and discusses
them in~telligent1y and forcibly.
He is a living witness Of the events
which make history between 1925 and
1912. Most of the. progress which
marks the career OF this country has
occurred in this mans time.
A cholera scare in the United States
In 1882 started the Beers family from
Buffalo when Robert was Z years old.
It, was a i've day voyage by canal from
Buffalo to Schenectady.
An incident Of the trip placed on
the boys right hand a car which
prods memory and enables him. to re-
member the sail. He was on. the quar-
fer-deck when the captain called out
low bridge" The boy. being from
Buffalo, knew that meant to stoop.
He did. but he threw up his hand as
the bridge scraped of several inches
of skin. He wore the injured hand In
a sling for many days thereafter and
when the wound healed 1t left a mo.
mento which is still visible.
When the family embarked at AL.
bany the sensation of the trip occur.
red. Travel by the canal was com.
monplace, but a journey by rail on tho
first steam passenger train in Ameri-
c a was a momentous event in the life
Of any one then living.
That famous train has been describ.
ed and. depicted innumerable times.
The engine that hauled it has been
exhibited at every worlds fair held
in this country. 40. :: "
To those who saw II for the first
time. who boarded It for the. fun trip.
who heard. for the first time the cry.
"All aboard." and who realized when
! the journey was w that eighteen
miles had been covered in one hour
and thirty minutes. 1t was a phenome.
mona thing of infinite magic.
This venerable old man, dressed In
clerical garb. is living In the glow Of
these ~recollections. mintmized though
they may he by his knowledge Of all
that has taken place since: looking
back &tpn tWsntx.two and twsnty.fopl