Evening journal., 1913-09-05
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Locomotive Named
After Daniel Webster
By Holland.

Some time in the early sixties. a
year OF two after the beginning OF the
Civil War. a locomotive engine made
its last run from the city of Worces-
ter, Mass, TO Norwich, Conn. and was
then switched upon a sidetrack in
convenient proximity to the kind Of
rubbish pile which railroad men Of a
later day call the scrap heap
This locomotive was equipped with
one Of the gigantic bell-shaped
smokestacks. with a great glaring
outlet lookin like a bell which had
been set upside down at the end of a
locomotive. It's tender was a capa-
cious one. and there was need OF
plenty of room in IL since the engine
was e wood burner and II was nee
essary to replenish this fuel or. as
II was called in those early days,
ito wood up at least twice while
making the run between Worcester
and Norwich The name painted be-
meath the cab window on each side
was Webster" The locomotive was a
famous one in its day. IL was one
Of the first put in service upon
railroad line built from Worcester
TO Norwich for the purpose of Civ
ing railroad transportation between
tideVater and Boston for those who
Travelled back, and forth between
New York and Boston by night
steamboats,, one of the lines estab-
lished by Comodore Vanderbilt long
before he entered the field of railway
construction.
Year in and year out this old-fash-
ioned locomotive, the Webster,
stood unhoused upon a siding and
the rains beat upon il and the ele-
ments played havoc with it until at
last 1t almost fell to pieces. Such
was the end of one of the famous 10
comotives of New England in the
early DAYS of railroading.
In 1858 George l.. Perkins died at
the age of 100 years and / month.
Upon his one hundredth birthday,
many Of the great railway forces of
the United States called upon him
al his home to pay tribute to him as
a man who began his business career
when in 1881 the Norwich and
Worcester Railroad was constructed.
From that time till his death, Colonel
Perkins was in continuous executive
service with this company.
His career was practically con
temporaneous with THE beginning Of
American railway activity and with
the wondrous development of Ameri-
can railway construction, which took
place in sixty years.
Some one spoke of Colonel Perkins
of having seen the dilapidated veteran
locomotive engine. the Webster, fall
ing to pieces upon the sidetrack Of
the yard at Norwich.
That engine has a wonderful his
tory" Colonel Perkins said 1T many
times drew trains between Worcester
and Norwich in which Daniel Web
ster rode as a passenger on his way
to and from Washington. That route
was Mr.. Wehster's favorite one until
the time OF his death.
Webster was intensely interested
in locomotive engines. When the
trains stopped to take on wood Mr..
Webster would frequently get off
and watch the hremen and brakemen
as they tossed wood from the wood
pile TO the locomotive tender He
seemed especially fond of this loco
motive.
"The time came when it was neces-
sary to put the locomotive in the
shop for repairs. and someone spoke
of Daniel Webster's fondness for that
engine Immediately il was suggested
that when the engine was put into
service again IL would appear with
the name Webster" under the cab
windows on each side Mr.. Webster
felt greatly complimented by that
action. The locomotive bore that
name until it practically fell &c
pieces"
! (Copyrght, 1913. by f. J. Edwards
All rights reserved).
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell
IAN Anecdote Of the Late J. P. Nor
gan