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

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ADDITIONAL LETTERS. 199<br />

photograph copy <strong>of</strong> your orig<strong>in</strong>al cutt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> locomotive ' De<br />

Witt Cl<strong>in</strong>ton,' and <strong>the</strong> tra<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> cars which passed over <strong>the</strong> Mohawk<br />

and Hudson Railroad, I th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>in</strong> August, 1831.<br />

" I submitted a letter on <strong>the</strong> subject, written by you, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

year 1859, to Mr. John T. Clark, and sent you his<br />

photograph copy <strong>of</strong> your picture.<br />

reply, with a<br />

" <strong>The</strong> likenesses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> passengers <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> tra<strong>in</strong> are excellent, and<br />

probably <strong>the</strong> only collection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> existence. Your<br />

forthcom<strong>in</strong>g book will be a very <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g one and a valuable<br />

addition to railroad literature. I look for <strong>the</strong> appearance <strong>of</strong> it<br />

with <strong>the</strong> anticipation that it will be pr<strong>of</strong>itable and <strong>in</strong>structive,<br />

" Yours very truly,<br />

"Eeastus COENmG."<br />

<strong>The</strong> second letter was from Thurlow Weed, Esq.,<br />

and was written by <strong>the</strong> veteran's daugliter, Miss Harriet<br />

A. Weed, who acted as his amanuensis<br />

"Me. William H. Beown—<br />

" Deae Sie : My<br />

:<br />

" New York, February 5, 1870.<br />

fa<strong>the</strong>r, who is not himself able to write, de-<br />

sires me to express his thanks for your <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and welcome<br />

letter. He remembers you as temporarily resid<strong>in</strong>g at Albany.<br />

He also remembers your peculiar skill <strong>in</strong> fashion<strong>in</strong>g paper pictures.<br />

Early <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> day <strong>of</strong> photographs, a copy <strong>of</strong> your picture was sent<br />

to us from Hartford. My fa<strong>the</strong>r has <strong>of</strong>ten been applied to for <strong>the</strong><br />

names <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> passengers, but could not remember <strong>the</strong>m alL He<br />

does, however, remember Lewis Benedict, John Townsend, Wil-<br />

liam Alexander, John J, Boyd, John Meigs (high constable <strong>of</strong><br />

Albany), John J. De Graffs, and Hugh Rob<strong>in</strong>son, <strong>of</strong> Schenectady.<br />

He th<strong>in</strong>ks also that Billy W<strong>in</strong>ne was one, and he remembers your<br />

be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>re look<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>the</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>e.<br />

" <strong>The</strong> best likeness we have <strong>of</strong> my deceased bro<strong>the</strong>r James is<br />

from your sketch <strong>of</strong> him as a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Burgess's Corps <strong>of</strong><br />

Albany.<br />

" <strong>The</strong> photograph copy <strong>of</strong> your Albany and Schenectady Rail-<br />

road eng<strong>in</strong>e, copied from <strong>the</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>al <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Connecticut Historical<br />

Society, now hangs <strong>in</strong> our library, look<strong>in</strong>g precisely as my fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />

remembers it while be<strong>in</strong>g fired-up for its <strong>first</strong> trip to Schenectady,<br />

thirty-eight or thirty-n<strong>in</strong>e (nobody here can tell whe<strong>the</strong>r it was<br />

<strong>in</strong> 1831 or 1832) years ago.<br />

Digitized by Micros<strong>of</strong>t®

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