The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-08-13

minds the prospect of loss in the can
al, and they decided to try to build
railroad Some objections made TO
building such road seem very funny
now; one was, in the language of one
of their own reports, I'VE believe
there can never be a sufficient induce
ment to extend railroad westwardly
and enthusiastically, to the Connect.
cut (river), so as to make it the ri eat
avenue to and from the interior" and
much more like that. Lowell is now
only a way-station on the great
through-line to Canada and the nortl
west
My mother used to tell me of the
building of that road, which also eros.
sed Grandfather's farm; but he did
not live to see it, and get his fast ride
The engineering feats in building
that road-bed were wonderful; re-
port on the structure, which | was
permitted to see and copy, said in
1880: This road is built with a single
track, and is constructed of the iron
edge rail, supported on iron chairs, on
stone blocks and sleepers, resting on
stone foundation walls" An old
gentleman who assisted in the build.
ing, and was afterwards for MANY
years the roads superintendent, de-
Scribed to me that stone foundation.
1t was like the MacAdam process of
road building. 1t was the idea of the
engineers that it was necessary to
prevent heaving by frost in the win
ter. Many of those stone blocks and
sleepers were still on the track in NV
remembrance, and last summer | saw
many OF them in the stone-Walls that
now fence the track; the line to Wor-
ceSter experimental with cedar sleep
ers of which wood there were large
forests in the swamps of eastern New
England at that time, and they soon
took the place of stone. But one can
imagine the pounding of the cars over
iron chairs and stone sleepers The
rails were not of the T pattern now
universally used, but were what were
then called FISH bellies" being shaped
like a fish, wider up and down in the
middle and tapering at the ends to
enter the iron chairs. John B. Win
slow, the old superintendent mention
ed above, told me he worked on the
hrst engine called the Stephenson
brought from England, and was of the
first of the first driving engineers He
said some of the plates of the boiler
rails being of iron were easily broken
rails being of iron were asily broken
and he rarely made a trip without
breaking one, and distinctly remem.
bercd breaking three on one trip. and
also that one day, without any cab or
the engine for cover, he stood over
twelve hours on the foot-board. ex.
posed to the weather, with the Their
mometer below zero. At first the car
riageS or cars were open; the conduc
tor had a covered buggy-top on thu
front end of the first car and with
wooden whistle blew signals; when
mentioned this fact to Mr.. WinsIov
and he expressed much surprise TIA
! %ntw of it, and asked me how
il araCd of the fact, when ] told hin
OF my moth:i watcl a. the building o
the road and seeing its first trains
he understood it. He told me tina
one popular conductor had a silve
whistle presented to him by patron
of the road, as | kenw a popular con
ductor on the Union Pacific few
years ago who had a fine nickle-plat
ed lantern given him. The America
|
protection of their engineers; but
was not until few years ago that tn
European railroads furnished them
the managers contended it made tn
engine driver more alert to be eN
:, posed to the weather! And it is fac
t that the president of a large Ne,
England electric line argued in tn
same way about veStibulcS for motto
, men only IS years ago, and il require
legislative enactment compelling tn
=. roads to supply them.
a guide hook of Boston Of 1873
\ says that before starting of tn
! cars (for LowelD stages will call ?
j.. almost any part of the city for pa,
$ senC2rs and take them 10 :hc depc
. free of charge" And that sam
e hook says that the railroads have d.
S cided to attach small car to the trai
l to carry small packages for the p;
e irons, which was the beginning of tn
r modern express business.-Observe