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| ID # 9,374 |
INTRODUCTORY
The electric railway service of to-day affords many conveniences in transportation undreamed of in the days when the "DeWitt Clinton," with its string of miniature coaches, ran upon its iron-bound wooden rails between Schenectady and Albany. Then, as the tourist arrived at the little brick station, still standing on the brow of Old Engine Hill, he overlooked the slumbering Dutch city of Schenectady, lying amid the magic charms of the Mohawk Valley, unmindful of the mighty promise of that first steam-driven railway engine and forgetful of the discomfort caused by uneven rails, springless coaches, and smoke-laden air.
The Mohawk & Hudson Railway, first pioneer of all passenger service, became the father of an offspring typical of its generation, a great system of steam passenger-carrying railroads. The tiny "DeWitt Clinton" proved to be the parent of a mammoth, for the time-defying, burden-bearing engine of to-day is not unfittingly so described.
The "DeWitt Clinton" made its first run on September 24, 1831, which memorable date marked the beginning of a new era, the era of steam as motive power for public transportation. The little brick station on Crane Street, Schenectady, where the eventful journey was ended, is a fitting monument to mark the spot where State dignitaries, representatives of many professions, and the early captains of industry gathered around the first railway engine and honored its marvelous accomplishment.
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