December 2008

            “Ben!  Ben! Where are you?  Ben, are you in here?  Oh, there you are.  What are you doing over there in the corner?”

            “Father, when did you get back?”

            “About 20 minutes ago.  What are you doing way back there?”

            “Well……..it’s a long story.”

            “All right.  Tell me.”

            “Right after school, I came down to see the new calf.  As I was looking at her, I felt something hard in my pocket.  Then I remembered.”

            “You remembered what?”

            “Mother gave me the spindle from her spinning wheel and asked me to take the yarn off and rewind it.  But I forgot.  So I sat down right here where it is nice and warm and began to work on it.  You delivered wood all afternoon, didn’t you?”

            “Yes, my whole load went to the Grand Union Hotel.  They are stocking up for winter.  Come on, let’s go up to the house.  I want to tell you about a friend of yours I saw this afternoon.”

            Ben stuffed the spindle back in his pocket and stood up.

            “What friend did you see?”

            “Just be patient.  I will tell you.”

            As they came up the hill closer to the house, Ben shouted, “Hey, I already know who it is.”

            He was staring intently at a shiny black buggy and a powerful looking, dark horse standing in front of the house.  Ben’s father looked puzzled and a bit upset.

            “My gosh!  He told me he would not be here until later, but his horse and buggy are right here already.”

            When Ben pulled the heavy front door open and stepped inside, there was John B. Jervis, looking a bit old and tired.

            “Say, John B., you made good time, “said Benjamin.

            “Yes, I did.  I decided to quit early because I have worked my fingers to the bone for weeks.  My poor, old brain needs a rest.”

            Mother came in from the kitchen.  She heard the last sentence John B. spoke.

            “You do look tired.  Your favorite rocker is waiting just for you.”

            “Thank you.  I sure need it.”  Ben, his father, and John B. went into the parlor.  Mother went to the kitchen.   John B. sat down slowly and pulled out his pipe.

            “I can see, by the way you move, you are tired” said Ben’s father.  Tell us about the exciting things you have been doing.”

            “Well, it is not so much what I have been doing which has tired me.  It is the many crucial decisions I have had to make.  Decisions which involve lots of money, lots of know how and lots of people’s lives.  My thinking cap has really had a work out.  But, I will be fine after a few hours to catch my breath.  You can’t imagine how pleased I felt when you invited me to spend a few hours here with your wonderful family in this historic house.  I feel better already.”

            He put his pipe between his teeth, took a puff, leaned back against the cushion in the rocker, and drew a long, relaxing breath.  He just sat there for several minutes and rocked slowly back and forth.  Not a word was spoken.  Finally, he pulled himself up a bit straighter in the rocker.

            “I am feeling better and better every minute.  So…..would you like to hear all about what I have been doing?”

            “Yes, yes, yes!”  Ben was elated.  He was grinning from ear to ear and his eyes were gleaming.  He was so eagerly awaiting the activities John B. was about to describe, that he hadn’t even noticed that Marion had come in and was sitting on the fancy chair Grandpa had made.  John B. was quiet.  He seemed to be thinking how he would start his story.

            Ben wiggled around on the sofa, trying to contain his desire to ask John B. to hurry up and start telling his story.  But the manners he had been taught kept him from saying a word.  John B. looked off in the distance, through the big window toward the apple orchard, then turned back toward Ben, his father and Marion.

            “I would rather skip this first part, but if I did, you would realize later on that there was something missing.  Well, here goes.  I shall try not to bore you with too many details, but I want to be sure you get the complete picture, especially Ben and Marion, so they can tell their children and their grandchildren about one of the most important times in the history of our Country, our State and our County.”

            “Let’s go to December 5, 1828.  A squadron of boats arrived at Roundout.  The first of these boats carried ten tons of anthracite and there were ten other boats right behind this first one, carrying the same load.  The first load of this Locakawanna anthracite finally got to New York City five days later on a boat called, “Toleration.”

            “Mr. Jervis, this is about the canal, isn’t it?”  Ben looked confused as he asked this question.

            “Yes indeed it is, Ben, it certainly is.  But, there is one word in that last sentence, just one word, which holds the key to the future development and success of the railroad.

            Marion, who had been quietly and intently listening to Mr. Jervis, spoke loudly, a most unusual reaction for her, “Is it anthracite, Mr. Jervis?”

            “Wonderful, Marion .  You hit the nail right on the head.  Yes, anthracite is the golden key which is giving a gigantic push to the development of the railroad in our part of the Country.  Now, let’s go on with the story.”

            “On November 7, 1825, the route of the canal was extended sixteen miles and on December 6^th, 1825, the last contract for construction between the Hudson and Delaware rivers was signed.  That is when the canal became much more valuable in anthracite transportation.”

            “However, we must take a side trip to England as we tell this story.  In September 1825, a man named George Stephenson, built and put into operation a steam locomotive on the Stockton and Darlington railroad.  When we talk about this event, we don’t really feel that it is that important, especially for our Country, do we?  But…..most historians feel that this was truly the beginning of the railroad era, not just in England , but also in America .”

            Ben’s eyes were wide open in astonishment.  “Wow, who would believe that something like a steam locomotive could be so important to so may people in the world.”

            Marion asked, “Mr. Jervis, what do the words ‘railroad era’ mean?”

            “Thank you Marion .  Thank you.  Your question will give me a chance to show you, your brother and your father how smart I am.  The word era has several meanings but the meaning which best fits the phrase the ‘railroad era’ is the definition of an era as a time which begins a new period in the history of a person or a thing.  My, doesn’t that answer make me sound like a teacher or a historian?  But I must be completely honest with all of you.  On January 26, 1826, Philip Hone, first president of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, was the first to use the phrase ‘railroad era’.  I wasn’t really sure what that phrase meant either.  So, I got out my Noah Webster to look up the meaning of the word era and that is exactly why I can now answer Marion ’s question.  Anyway, it looks as if the word railroad is here to stay, in our vocabulary and in reality.

            Benjamin, the childrens’ father, had been sitting quietly, watching and listening to his children and feeling proud of their ability to listen, to think and to ask intelligent questions.  Finally he spoke, “John B. do you agree that right then we began a new period in history, and that the railroad will continue to be a vital part of the history of our Country?”

            Mr. Jervis sat quietly for several minutes.  Then he looked straight at Ben, Marion and their father, Benjamin.  He spoke in a very solemn voice.  “Yes, I do.  I believe it will truly change our world as we know it now.”

            The room was very quiet.  It seemed as if all three people were thinking, analyzing, and trying to digest an idea which seemed almost too big to truly understand.

            Mr. Jervis’ eyes blinked and he jumped as if he had been pricked with a pin.  It seemed as if his mind had been wandering into the past and then had quickly returned to his friend Benjamin’s parlor with the two children.  As he began to speak, his voice was hoarse and somewhat hesitant as he said, “The most important question for all of us right now is, What comes next?”

            It was silent again, as if no one knew the answer to his question.  He opened his mouth, but said nothing.  He opened it once more to say, “Early in 1827 began the improvement and 63 mile extension of the Delaware and Hudson Canal .  On October 16, 1828, the ‘ Orange Packet’ and all of the boats accompanying it, were the first to navigate the canal for its entire length of 108 miles.  It was 32 to 36 feet wide at the water line, and 20 feet wide at the bottom.  The minimum water depth was 4 feet. This allowed boats carrying cargoes of not more than 30 tons to safely navigate with their precious anthracite loads.”

            Just at that moment, Grandpa burst into the parlor.  “Tillie’s calf is about to arrive.”  Everyone jumped up.  Ben, his sister and their father raced out to the barn.  Maggie hurried in from the kitchen to say good bye to John B., who then grabbed the door knob, went down the steps, across the lawn and up into his buggy, which quickly disappeared around the bend in the road, and was gone.