Norwich bulletin., 1921-08-30
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
THE FIRST RAIERoAp


 tury, the country was spreading out with such rapidity that the people became restless at the slow progress of cummunieation between sections. 1 Stage coaches and canal boats were considered antiquated and serious effort was considered for the construc- tien of railroads, such as England had recently established.
 At first there was suspicion among many that railroads were not adap ptable to this wild and sparsely settled country. The company, which built the railroad from Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina, was char tered in 1928, began work in 1929, and finished six miles that year. Here, the horse furnished the motive power and the offer of a prize of five hum dred dollars for the best locomotive moved by horse power brought out one which carried twelve persons at the rate of twelve miles an hour. The horse walked on a moving platform in the middle of the car. On each side, as il an Irish jaunting car, sat the passengers. Sail was tested as a motive power; but when an offer was to drag three times it's weight at ten | miles an hour, the company accepted 1 it, and the Best Friend was soon on the road, drawing passenger cars and WorkIng trains A second locomotive 1 the West Point, began work in 1881. i In 1880 books were opened for sub ] scription to the Camden and Anboy railroad the whole amount of stock ] four million dollars in value was talk 1 en in ten minutes.
 ] Several years previous to this a 1 twenty five mile roadbed had been in progress for the Baltimore and Ohio 1 Company, and this road was formally opened as far as Ellicotts mills on ] May, 1S30. On that day a brigade l of six cars, each drawn by one horse was used, and so many applied for passage that twenty cars would not have been enough. The price charged for the round trip was seventy five cents passenger.
 h. August, when the keystone Of l the last of three arches of the great viaduct over the Frederick Turn pike was put in place. the director and many citizens attended to witnes l the ceremony, and on that occas sion steam was used on the road for the first time. The locomotive had been designed and built by Peter Cooper and
 passed around a curve of four hun dred feet radius without difficulty This was a great step forward and en- eouraged those who urged the use oi steam rather than horses.
 To test the merits of steam as mo- tive power, the Baltimore and Qhie
 Railroad Company invited the owners inventors and builders of locomotives to enter their engines for a three day's
 competition in June, and in responst , to this invitation three locomotive, were placed on the rails, only one O. ] which that built in York, Pa, by Phin, l eas Davis, and known as the Yorl
 engine was able to stand the tests. l Though this engine weighed bu
 three and a half tons, it drew foul
 ears weighing fifteen tons to Ellicett 7 mills climbed five miles of road wher. 7 the grade was seventeen feet per mil
 passed curves of four hundred fee
 FaidRs without reduction of speed, an. P when running by itself went at th s rate of twenty miles hour.
 In New York meantime another 10
 conceive had been tried on the Mo s hawk and Hudson Railroad Greun l was broken in July, 1833, and one yea
 later, twelve and one half miles of rea
 from Albany to Schneetady haYinI s been cempleted. The Dewitt Glintet f an American made locomotive, wa l
 opened for business in September.
 The company ere this time had re
 eeiFed from England another engin z named Robert Fulton, which was nez ? tested found satisfactory and place y on the road for daily runs.
 railroad mania, aroused by th
 success Of these enterprises, sprea it over the country. Stock of the Me r. hawk and Hudson which at the out .- set could hardly be sold at any prie
 the books of the Patterson and Hue
 son Railroad were opened the stee
 was subscribed for three times oyt 'l and sold at sls6. All the shares of tf s eatskill Railroad were taken in a fe g, minutes.
 pr Five other roads were already pfaf
 ned and notices of applications to Il
 Legislature for charters were publishe e. published in Aihany. On the M G. hawk and Hudson short as was u It line, three hundred people were carrie Id over in one week. Everywhere the d. ~ Mand of the hour was greater spe,
 and less cost in transportation, and e,
 anywhere on land and sea the deH1ar et was being satisfied While in IS at there were only tweptythree miles d. operation in the United States, in t, re years this mileage had increased IT, 2,siS.
 P (Temefs9W-Fhe Nieknames of t
 States)