. Wonders and curiosities of the railway; or, Stories of the locomotive in every land . to get Stephensonsservices in the construction of the three locomotives; butStephenson was too busy to attend to them; so they werefinally constructed by Foster Raswick and Company, ofStourbridge. The first one arrived in New York in May,1829. It was one of the grasshopper make, and had afierce lions head painted in red on the front of the boiler—hence its name, or sobriquet, the Stourbridge Lion. Itwas first exhibited at the West Point Foundry, foot ofBeach Street, New York city (the birth-place of so many
. Wonders and curiosities of the railway; or, Stories of the locomotive in every land . to get Stephensonsservices in the construction of the three locomotives; butStephenson was too busy to attend to them; so they werefinally constructed by Foster Raswick and Company, ofStourbridge. The first one arrived in New York in May,1829. It was one of the grasshopper make, and had afierce lions head painted in red on the front of the boiler—hence its name, or sobriquet, the Stourbridge Lion. Itwas first exhibited at the West Point Foundry, foot ofBeach Street, New York city (the birth-place of so manyof the early American locomotives), and then taken toHonesdale. The trial-trip occurred on the 8th of August,1829. The whole population within a radius of forty milesturned out to see the spectacle, and an old Queen Annecannon was brought up from New York to add its voice tothose of the people. Honesdale is named after Philip Hone,once mayor of New York. In 1829 it was a town of onlya few hundred inhabitants, but is now a city of considerablesize. THE FIEST AMEKICAN RAILEOADS. 37. (By courtesy of the ■• R:nlway Age.)THE STOURBRIDGE LION. The track of the railroad consisted of hemlock railsspiked to hemlock ties. Having been laid in summer, theunseasoned rails had got a good deal warped and twistedbefore the opening day. The road crossed the LackawaxenRiver over a frail hemlock trestle, one hundred feet inheight, and as the locomotive was found to weigh seventons instead of four, as the contract had stipulated, it wasfeared by everybody that the trestle would not bear itsweight. Mr. Horatio Allen, who had charge of the engine,was implored by many prominent men who were presentnot to attempt to cross the river. But the gailand of gloryand fame was floating before the eyes of the young engi- 38 WONDERS AND CDEIOSITIES OF THE EAILWAY. neer, and after running slowly backward and forwaid afew times before the assembled multitude, he pulled thethrottle-valve open, and, shouting
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