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

EARLY RAILROADS. I9
course of our narrative, "wo are indebted, and under
great and lasting obligations.
Prominent among those private citizens is Mr.
Peter Cooper, of New-York City, a gentleman well
known tbrougliout our country as one of tlie warmest
friends and advocates for tke intellectual improvement
of tlie mecbanical and laboring classes of our com-
munity. Mr. Cooper, as we will show in the progress
of our work, was the pioneer, the very first to experiment
upon the practicability of the locomotive system
in this country. "We will show that he stepped out
from the dcssk of his mercantile office to become the
first locomotive-builder in this country, and his success
and efforts will be fully recorded as we progress in
our work.
The original letters from these sources (in reply to
the author's numerous inquiries for information) will
prove deeply interesting to. the reader, and richly repay
the labor of their perusal, while, at the same time,
they will fill up the chain of evidence, as it Were, and
point out the sources from which the author has gained
the desired information for his work, and will be given
in their proper places, word for word, as they were re-
ceived.
CHAPTEE II.
EAKLT EAILKOADS.
Maitt persons, otherwise well-informed upon general
topics, believe that railroads were constructed especially
for locomotives, as the best-adapted road for the accom-
modation of that peculiar machine and its train of cars.
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