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

THE HISTOET OF
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVES IN AMERICA.
GHAPTEE I.
INTEODTTOTION.
Theee is, perhaps, at tlie present day, no STil)ject
upon wliicli the conmmnity at large is so poorly, informed
as the history of the first locomotives in
America—in what year they were built, where they
were constructed, and upon what railroad they were
first introduced and employed in actual service.
Especially less informed upon this suhject are the
very men who, above all others, should be thoroughly
conversant with all the particulars in the history of
that wonderful machine— ^the actual means which now
contribute so much toward the maintenance and employment
of a large class of the industrial portion of
our community; we mean the officers, engineers, fire-
men, machiaists, mechanics, laborers, and, in short, all
employes connected with railroad service. This mel-
ancholy lack of information can only be attributed to
a want of an opportunity to obtain the requisite facts
from some reliable source, where they are in such a
form as would bring them within the reach of the
masses of the community. True it is, volumes have
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