The history of the first locomotives in America. From original ...

iKST BEIGADE OF CARS. 101
dark. Took tea, and afterward, in a hack, visited the venerable
Mr. Carroll, of Carrollton. Returned to Barnum's. Went to bed
and started for Philadelphia, where I arrived at half-past six p. j*.
Made several friendly visits. Went to bed. Started on Saturday
and reached New York at half-past five the same day. Was thus
absent nearly six days—travelling about six hundred miles, and
completing all my business at the expense of forty dollars and
seventy cents.
" The observations that I made were, that Baltimore and Phila-
delphia are looking up. In both places the bustle of business
reminded me of home, that is to say, New York. The canal which
connects the Delaware with the Chesapeake, .through which I
passed in two hours, is a great and useful work. The railroad,
which already passes several miles beyond EUicott's Mills, is a
most delightful and useful mode of conveyance. The car in which
I took my passage to Ellicott's Mills (four others in company)
contained twenty-two passengers, drawn by one horse, and the
time going the thirteen miles was one hour and a quarter. By the
1st of July the locomotives wiU be in operation upon the railroad,
when the same distance will be travelled in thirty minutes.
" Yours, etc., J. L."
Those who have seen and travelled only in the
comfortable and convenient passenger-cars of the present
day cannot comprehend the tedious progress with which
such improvements have been made.
The first passenger-car was, like a market-car on rail-
road-wheels. Then came cars resembling the old-fash-
ioned stage-coach, with the same springs and leather
braces, and carrying nine passengers each, with a driver's
seat perched upon either end, as there was no such con-
trivance as a turn-table at that early day. For a long
time the cars were gaudUy painted, with a small increase
in the size. One of those, built by Mr. Eichard Imlay,
is thus described in the Baltimore Ameriocm, August 4,
1830:
" A number of persons visited Monument Square, yesterday,
for the purpose of examining a very elegant railroad passenger-
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