The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-03-29
[uThoR Tells
TALE Of EARLY
| RAILWAY LINES
B. Huddleston Writes Of
Part Boden Brothers Play
ed in Railroad Beginnings
of Wayne County. =
eY s. 9. HUppLEsToN.

eY s. 3. HuDDLEsToN.
A few years ago George Boden gave
Ie writer the account OF the lives and
bors OF August Boden and his two
bns, George and August, Jr.
Having heard Of the construction OF
lie Whitewater canal while they lived
Pennsylvania. August Boden, ST..
bught a canal boat in Pittsburg and
hmed it the Swan In this boat he
owed all his personal property and
s family down the Ohio river, float
z to the entrance of the canal and
las towed up to Cambridge City In
AS, and they lived here to the close
their active and successful lives.
Few Boats on Canal.
There were but few boats on the
NAL at the time the Swan made Its
(itial trip. Soon after their arrival
IRE they bought their second boat,
10 Fashion Now able to run two
lckets they bought their third boat,
9 Mayflower, a freight boat. To
csc they added. as they saw their
red. a few flat boats for heavy and
plky freight.
They were very far sighted and
ave enough to grasp. and assiduous
ough to hold onto and complete any
terprise that they were able to han
e, and we only have to notice the
eat things they have pushed to sat
factory competition to see their real
prth to our country.
Bring Track Rails.
They brought from Cincinnati all
e railroad iron to lay the first track
the Indiana Central railroad from
mbridge City to Richmond, and
estward a few miles beyond Dublin.
he laying of track for this road.
hich has developed into the great p.
c. and ST L., was commenced at
Is place. And the first locomotive
at ever ran on that road was
ought up by the Bodens on their
ats in knock-down pieces and set up
a temporary track south OF the
esent railroad. The engine was a
pomas Tyner.
George Boden told us that Oil &C
h,nt of an error in the engineering
the canal it was laid so low in the
LEY that every time we had a fresh
the canal was subject to washouts.
e Bodens took contracts to repair
breaks. Once equipped and ex-
rienced in this sort of public work
V
the canal from Cambridge City to
kgerstown.
eodens Do Work.
The major part of this work was
ne by another contracting party and
den held that this contractors work
a ridiculous failure. The branch
nal constructed in the whole length
East Church street was made for
accommodation of the Conkiln
rehouse and 1t proved much need
extra feeder for the canal. Boats
Lding and unloading at this ware
use had access to the river and used
i'm turning their boats around to de-
rt When the canal was abandoned
8 short branch was utilized as the
al burying ground for number OF
nal boats. After they had been
tipped OF all the upper lumber that
Md be used, the hulls were sunken
covered up as filling for the re-
enine of this street. Among other
time popular boats two of Boden's
ats and the Nathan Raymond lie OPP
site the old Bertsch shop. Were
was dug into recently by plumb
and was found to be in almost per-
!; state of preservation. Other
ats lie farther eastward IN tn's
Inch.
Grade Through Hills.
Bodens made two miles of the old
lroad grade through Jackson's hill;
elye miles of the Lake Erie grade
tween Cambridge City and Corners
lie; thirteen miles Of the jefferson.
le road out of Cambridge City. and
regarding OF the once abandoned
lroad from New Castle to kokomo.
ev built many miles of turnpike
hde and built many wooden bridges
the approaches to them. they
ected the General Sol Meredith
,uument and also large soldiers
nument in Danville, III.
locomotives were fired altogether
h wood in this place an dat this
he they were known by names anu
by number. The first locomotive
this road was the Thomas Tyner.
soon as the track was laid to Dub
the promoters Of the road with
invited friends (among the latter
S the father of the writer) rode to
bin and back to Cambridge City in
IS, the first trip made over this road.
her early locomotives were the vii.
IN Butler, Dublin Pony and Sol Mer-
tn. This last named locomotives
S thought to be great and fine
ce OF machinery. The names. in
e gold letters. were placed on the