Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.)
BY EDWARD HUNGERFORD AUTHOR OF "LITTLE CORKY," "THE MAN WHO STOLE A RAILROAD," ETC.
Published November, 1911 Entered at Stationers' Hall, London, England
PRESS OF THE VAIL COMPANY COSHOCTON, U. S. A.
TO MY FATHER IN RECOGNITION OF HIS INTEREST AND APPRECIATION THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
To bring to the great lay mind some slight idea of the intricacy and the involved detail of railroad operation is the purpose of this book. Of the intricacies and involved details of railroad finance and railroad politics; of the quarrels between the railroads, the organizations of their employees, the governmental commissions, or the shippers, it says little or nothing. These difficult and pertinent questions have been and still are being competently discussed by other writers.
The author wishes to acknowledge the courtesy of the editors and publishers of _Harper's Monthly_, _Harper's Weekly_, _The Saturday Evening Post_, and _Outing_ in permitting the introduction into this work of portions or entire articles which he has written for them in the past. He would also feel remiss if he did not publish his sincere acknowledgments to "The American Railway," a compilation from _Scribner's Magazine_, published in 1887, Mr. Logan G. McPherson's "The Workings of the Railroad," Mr. C. F. Carter's "When Railroads Were New," and Mr. Frank H. Spearman's "The Strategy of Great Railroads." Out of a sizable reference library of railroad works, these volumes were the most helpful to him in the preparation of certain chapters of this book.
Two great groups of railroads; East to West, and North to South--Some of the giant roads--Canals--Development of the country's natural resources--Railroad projects--Locomotives imported--First locomotive of American manufacture--Opposition of canal-owners to railroads--Development of Pennsylvania's anthracite mines--The merging of small lines into systems.
THE GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE RAILROAD 15
Alarm of canal-owners at the success of railroads--The making of the Baltimore & Ohio--The "Tom Thumb" engine--Difficulties in crossing the Appalachians--Extension to Pittsburgh--Troubles of the Erie Railroad--This road the first to use the telegraph--The prairies begin to be crossed by railways--Chicago's first railroad, the Galena & Chicago Union--Illinois Central--Rock Island, the first to span the Mississippi--Proposals to run railroads to the Pacific--The Central Pacific organized--It and the Union Pacific meet--Other Pacific roads.