THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 27 



road, at the rate of fifteen miles per hour. The fuel 

 used was anthracite coal, which is said to have an- 

 swered the purpose very well ; but the lightness of the 

 machine prevented it from drawing very heavy loads 

 over ascending grades." 



The railroads at this time were built of longitudinal 

 rails pinned 'down to the wooden or stone cross ties, 

 which were imbedded in the ground, and upon the rails 

 flat bars of iron about half an inch thick, and from two 

 and a half to four and a half inches in width, were 

 fastened by spikes, the heads of which were counter- 

 sunk in the iron. This species of rail was generally 

 adopted as the cheapest, but it was not long before it 

 attained an unenviable notoriety as the most dangerous. 

 The ends of the rails would frequently curl up, and 

 being caught by the wheels would be thrust through 

 the bottoms of the cars, causing sometimes very serious 

 accidents. 



The Baltimore and Ohio road was carried steadily 

 forward, accomplishing in its construction feats of en- 

 gineering which were justly regarded as national tri- 

 umphs. It climbed to the summit of the Alleghanies, 

 and passed them by a series of grades at which the 

 most accomplished engineers had halted in dismay 

 when told of them by the friends of the road, and it is 

 not too much to assert that the success of this road was 

 one of the greatest encouragements offered to the per- 

 sons interested in these enterprises. 



In the meantime, however, other roads were begun 

 and carried forward with energy. The use of steam as 

 a motive power had overcome the chief obstacle in 

 their way, and the whole country was engaged in 

 schemes for their increase and diffusion throughout its 



