Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-16
0ctogenarian Who Rode on First
Passenger Train in America.
REcoILEcTIoNS OF THE TRIP
Greatest Wonder of Its Day aud
the Impression n Journey of
Eighteen Miles Made on

To have come down through the years
through the days OF hesitation, and eN'
pertinent to the full efficiency of the
wonderful moving picture in the world
| To have seen all these things IN the
concrete and not in the written word
| means the possession Of an invaluable
mental Image. Who among US has seer
these things? We arc ninety millions. Is
there one?
And the editorial finger points and bids
bin stand forth from the multitude OF
CITIZENSHIP. Robert A. Beers of New
| Haven. Conn. who bears the very re-
markabie distinction Of having ridden on
every vehicle known to human travel
except the airship,
Eighty-seyen years old. he is probably
the only living man who ever Travelled
on the first steam passenger train In
America-the Mohawk 6 Hudson railroad,
eighteen miles long, from Albany to
| Schenectady.
Mr.. Beers Is physically and mentally
robust. When Ice formed on pond near
his home in January he would have gone
out with his boys had his family not
hidden his sons skates. He goes up and
down the stairway nj his home with
quick, resilient steps. He is well in
formed on all questions of the day and
discusses them intellisently and forcibly.
Events TINT Made History.
He "a a living witness Of the events
which make history between ISIS and
1872. Most Of the progress which marks
the career of this country has occurred
IN this mans time.
A cholera scare I'm the United states in
,ss2 started the Beers family from Buff
fa,o when Robert was years old. II was
a fiye-dny VOYAGE by canal from Buffalo
TO SCHENECTADY.
An incident OF the trim placed on the
orv and enables him 10 remember the
sail He was on the quarterback when
the captain called out "low bridge" The
nov be,ne from BUFFALO. knew thar mean,
TO stoop
He did hut he threw IN his hans as
the horses yeered ON the tow path and
the bridge scraped Off several inches OF
skin. He wore the injured hand in a
slinx for many DAYS thereafter, and when
the wound healed IL left memento which
is stlll visible.
When the family embarked at Albany
the sensation OF the TIP occurred IraVel
by canal was commonplace out jour
ney by ran on the first steam passenger
train In america was momentous eNen'
IN the me OF any one 'nen iiNihs'
inat famous usin mas Deen uese''oe'
anu uep'oteo ,ilau,ne' aO,e .,'nes, nc '".
e.no 'Aes -. -
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me-. !, xas : nbenomenon-a ,blnr AZ IN.
finite magic
rhIs ven.rah,. old man arsssod in
c,srtosl ,earb Is living IN the glow q,
the.. r,eolleotions unlimited though they
NAV be bv his knowledge Of all that has
taken Mace since tban. looking back from
,xsnty-two and twenty four hour trains
between New York and Chicago to 1891,
when the first train departed on a run OF
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ee pO.ee. s'e ius', Nii'h vas
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o'u s.sse eoaeneS sns' mao oonc service
on 'iie pii, ioao,, iney were inoun'eu on
ne" "nees, Nilieh huiAs over strap IRON
tnat was Itteu over WOODEN tlmberE.