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

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HISTORY OF THE FIEST LOCOMOTIVES IN AMERICA.
and -was built in 1832. At eight o'clock in the morning, she was
first put in motion on the Germantown and Morristown Railroad at
their depot, Ninth and Greene Streets. She ran a mile an hour,
and was considered the wonder of the day. On trial, it was ascer-
tained that the wheels were too light to draw the tender, and to
obviate thij difficulty we had the tender placed in front of the
engine, which kept the wheels on the track. Mr. Baldwin, the
machinist, and myself, pushed the engine ahead, until we obtained
some speed, when we all jumped on the engine, our weight keep-
ing the wheels from slipping on the track. The boiler being too
small for the engine, steam was only generated fast enough to
keep the engine in motion a short time, so that we were compelled
to alternately push and ride until we arrived at Germantown
depot, where we rested and took sonie refreshments at the expense
of the hotel-keeper at that place.
"At four o'clock we started on our return to Philadelphia,
alternately riding and pushing in the same manner that we had
come. Upon arriving at a turn on the road, at the up-grade, the
engine suddenly stopped, when, upon examination, it was found
that the connecting pipe between the water-tank and the boiler
had been frozen, and the steam was all out of the boUer. It was
then about eight o'clock, and was growing each moment colder.
' Necessity knows no law,' and so, after a short consultation, we
made a summary appropriation of sundry panels of a post-and-raU
fence close to the track, and started a fire underneath the pipe to
thaw it. In a short time thereafter we had steam up and resumed
our journey toward Philadelphia, arriving at the depot about
eleven o'clock. Several successive trials were made during the following
year ; after each, Mr. Baldwin added improvements and
made alterations in the machinery. In about a year it was found
that the grease had saturated the hubs and loosened the spokes,
and they finally went to pieces, and were replaced by new ones.
This same engine is still in existence in Vermont."
When tlie author read tliis description in the Ledger,
with the astounding caption that preceded it, viz., " The
first really effective engine in America," he could not
restrain his wonder. His surprise was only increased
when he tried to imagine what the editor could be
thinking ahout when he suffered such a communication
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