TRAVEL IN THE PAST

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 68, 25 March 1929, Page 2

TRAVEL IN THE PAST

FIRST RAILWAY TRAINS

(By Pastor L, 11. Harvey)

Some, readers may bo interested on a few facts regarding method! of travel a little less than .a Hundred, years ago, when travel by railroad was first being dliscussed.

In 1828 a debating society request. ed that the school-house at Lancaster lie lent them, for the discussion of the question as to whether or noc railroads were practical. Their re. quest was denied, and, the following reason was given by the board: "Yon are welcome to use the school-house to debate tall, proper questions bub such things as railroads and telegraphs are impossibilities and rank infidility. There i.s nothing in, the work of God about them. If God hV<\ designed that, Eft's intelligent creatures should travel at the frightful speed of fifteen, miles, an hour, by steam,, He would have clearly foretold it through His Holy prophets. It is a device of Satan to lead immortal souls down to hell." AVlien the earliest trains were sUir. ted, their passengers endured experienced almost unbelievable to us.. A slight rainfall woul<! make a locomo, tive take to) cover. It was also

feared that sparks from the smoke stack would set firm to the| ti'aiiim; that engines would bo abandoned for the night; that di'times teams of horses would bo called on when the engine gave out, to drag the passengers to their destination,. FENCES USED FOR FUEL,

Steam was furnished by burning wood, sometimes of the fences along; tjho [right-of-way. Railway officials gloated over the operation of trains "without losing a wheel" as an omen big with -promise, for the future of transportation.

The first American-built locomotive was "The (Best Fritend" built hi | 1830. It hauled! about forty peopw in four or five cars at a, irate! of speed of from sixteen to twenty miles an hour. Several, months after it had been in service, its engineer, irritated by the .sound of escaping steam fastened down the. safety valve, resulting in an explosion which blew the engine to pieces. FIRST RAILROAD ADVERTISE. MENT. Tho firs* railroad advertisement ever published in America appeared in a Philadelphia paper and read; "Notice—The locomotive engine built by W. M. Baldwin of this city will depart Daily when the weather is fair, with a train of passenger cars. In had weather horse cars will run on the same schedule." The first railway train which ever ran was used on the road from Liverpool to Manchester, England. ThVs was called the. Manchester and Liverpool Railway. H printed a document called -Rules for Travellers, and posted copies of it on it right-bfiwa?. A perusal of it will give some idea oi how far railroading lias advanced d-ur, ing the, past century. It read; (!) Any person desiring to travel . from Manchester to Liverpool, or vica , versa, or any portion of the journey ' thereof, must, 2-1 hours beforehand, ' make apprcation to the. station agent ' at the place of departure, giving Ins ! name, address, place of birth,; age, 1 occupation and reason for desiring to travel.

(2) The station agent upon insuring Himself that the applicant to travel for a just and lawful cause, shall thereupon issue a' ticket to ttie applied who shall travel by tho trail! named! thereon. ' (3) Trains will start at their point of departure as near schedule lima aa possible, but tbo Company do not guarantee when they shall reach their destination. (|) Trains not reaching their destination before dark will put «P »t one of their several stopping places .long the route, for the night, and passengers must pay ana provide for thoir own lodging during the night. (5) Luggage will bo carnal on the VPOT of the carriages. If ™*>*; Lgfi gets wot, the Company will i«* thereto.

NINETEEN TWENTY-NINE. lb has been within our own time that rapid transportation has. J' ad lts astonishing development We foil to seo the wonder of it because we have grown so accustomed! to it. Wo look up into Uio heavens and see gW . , • • r,,,,,, ..nil to end or airships passing wonn «-"" m the continent or gliding ever tho thousands of miles of owan, .urplai.es that leap across a continent ~n a Bin--Ble day or that fly straight «P *>- wards heaven until they are Nr°n«» ti, fi roach of human vision, passenger pl.nos that hind great cities and! nations together by regular routes <»! t ra ,vel' commercial airships for t»o transportation of merchandise. ' Wo look on. the water and see &• ~; tnii(; ships, with furniture and J... surpassing the palaces of ancient Emperors, containing pcopi'J sufficient to prolate small cit.es, and ( . leavill g tho waters with aina/mp) speed, binding the continents togc. Ilior as, never before. Wo look on tho earth and sea won.

"•e'rful trains hurrying here and there,, bearing tens of thousands of human beings from city t,> city, at a rale ut speed which, would be inoredlble. a few years ago. And see automobiles by the million, at rates of speed scarcely) slower than the trains {bearing other multitudes wherever they choose to

And we know that under grfoat cit, ies, in the subways, and under broad rivers, in the tubes and tunnels, are other hundreds of thousands hurrying about like moles, going away from here to get to there. It is all so ordinary, soi unusual, that our sense, of wonder no longer functions. We take it for granted. We are used to it. It seems as if it had always, been going on..