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~ STARTED 89 YEARS AGO One of the engines, when abandonâ€" ed as no longer fit for service was turned over to James M. Semple, one of the senators from the state, who was desirous of making the experiâ€" ment of fitting it with wide tires, later developed in the caterpillar tractor, With the locomotives far from maâ€" chine shops, when repairs were necesâ€" sary it was only by calling on the services of village blacksmiths that it was possible to keep them in even passable condition. About 1844 it beâ€" came so irrevnnble that cattleguards along the railroad were boarded over and mules driven in tandem were used to pull the railroad cars. The first rails were laid on May 8, 1938, and the first locomotive was run from Meredosia, over the completed section of eight miles, November 8, of the same year. From this beginâ€" ning the state now has approximately 28,000 miles of railroads, being exâ€" ceeded in mileage by but one state in the union. Locomotive "Lost in Transit" The first locomotive purchased for the railroad was shipped from New York to New Orleans, thence up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to Mereâ€" dosia. History records the loss of this locomotive in transit, and while there is some reason to believe it was later located, the commissioners in charge of the improvement were given possession of a locomotive purâ€" chased for use on the Bloomington & Mackinaw, another of the projected railroads. It was on November 8, 1938 when the first steam locomotive ever operâ€" ated in the state of Illinois traversed the eight miles of railroad track which had been laid from Meredosia under the state charter granted for the conâ€" struction of the Jacksonville & Mereâ€" dosia railroad. , . 28,000 Miles of Track Today Eight railroad projects were considâ€" ered under the internal improvement plan before the Tenth General assemâ€" bly, with an amendment providing for the construction of the Northern Cross to be given precedent. This line was laid out to cross the state from Quiney, via Jacksonville, Springfield and Decatur, to the Indiana line. This was in spite of the fact that north of this route was sparsely settled, with but two settlements worthy of the namhes of townâ€"Peoria, a trading post on the Illinois river, and Galena, a mining camp in the northwestern corâ€" ner of the state. Under the rule adopted a combinaâ€" tion of rail and water transportation was considered, with the railroads touching navigable streams, and to be constructed in either direction. Beâ€" cause of this the start on the buildâ€" ing of the Northern Cross was at Meredosia. From aâ€" light steam locomotive, burning wood, eight miles in length, with wooden rails covezed with a thin strip of sheet iron, to gigantic moguls speeding across the country at sixty miles an hour, over roadbeds which preclude every jar; from the rutted prairie trails over which the Iumberâ€" ing oxcarts and prairie schooners were unable to make more than a few miles a day under most favorable conâ€" ditions, to more than 6,300 miles of improved state highways, crossing and recrossing the state in all direcâ€" tions, is the history of transportation in Tilinois in the short span of eighâ€" tyâ€"nine years. ‘ First Steam Locomotive Operâ€" ated Over Eight Miles of Rails in 1838; Marked Advance Seen The Only Automatic Radiator Shutter on the Moarket PINES Automatic T WINTERFRONT â€"In O Way Will pay for itself on your car over and over again â€"and does it all independent of the carâ€"owner‘s memory. You put it on and forget it. Models for $22.50 models for Pord, .ll-‘m OI'.::;"“M%. #20. 3 It prevents excessive 4 It 2 It the warmingâ€"up ':;':nom 1 It will break you of the costly, dangerous N STATE S TOLD It‘s not overseas flying but underâ€" seas flying that‘s fatalâ€"Dallas News 1c m ’ ’ iz NOT SUCH A TASK A fashion writer advises women to imagine her waistline to be at some point most becoming. Perhaps women in time can imagine the gown itself. Some of the more imaginative youngâ€" er set already contrive to imagine the skirt.â€"Woman‘s Home Companion. If the emepioyer is in doubt as to what evidence of age he may safely accept, the Factory Inspection Diviâ€" sion, 608 South Dearborn street, Chiâ€" cago, will be glad to assist him if he will communicate with that office. George B. Arnold, director, Depc\rt- ment of Labor, issues a warning to all employers to keep on the safe side in the employment of minors, even though they claim to be 18 or 19 years old. _ The evidence of age specified by the child labor law is: A duly attested transcript of the birth record. A baptismal certificate or transcript of the record of baptism, duly certiâ€" fied and showing the date of birth and place of baptism. A passport showing the age of the minor. WARNS EMPLOYERS ON HIRING OF CHILDREN A baptismal certificate should not be accepted unless a birth record is not obtainable, and a passport is not acceptable unless. neither the birth record nor baptismal record can be secured. L In case none of these records of the date of birth is available, and only in such cases, other documentary recâ€" ord of age is permissable under the provisions of the child labor law. By January 1, 1840 the road was completed to Jacksonville, a distance of 28 miles, and the state taking over the interest of the private incorporaâ€" tors, completed the line to Springfield, May 13, 1842. The state ownership of the public utility did not serve as & precedent calculated to encourage the continuance of this policy. Durâ€" ing state ownership the road was leased from time to time to private inâ€" dividuals or companies, the last lessee paying but 160 per month for the use of the entire line. The road was sold to the highest bidder in 1847 for $21,000. This line is now a part of the Wabash system. Paralleled by Route No. 10 For the greater part of the distance across the state the first railroad is paralleled by State Highway No. 10.| Director Arnold warns employers that false or incorrect statements made by minorg _of their parents, whether orally or in writing, do not protect or excuse the employer. © It reduces carbon. @ It keeps the car warm and making use of it as a means of pulling caravans of wagons across the m-. This experiment proved and disastrous and the :plan was abandoned, the locomotive standâ€" ing a few rods from the track near Berlin, in Sangamon county, until it deteriorated into a pile of rust, or parts of it were carried away by the settlers in need of pieces of iron. Wooden Rails in Use The conches were little larger than the stage coaches in use in that day, with seats along the sideâ€"being less than half the size of the busses which now tour the state highways. > The track was laid on mud sills 8; to 10 inches square, except at points where it was possible to lay ties on more solid ground. On theâ€"ties were laid "stringers" of oak, 4x6 or 4x8, notched and pinned together, and on these spiked strap iron 2% inches wide and about fiveâ€"eighths inches in thickness, mitred and slanted, and from 12 to 15 feet long, so as to take the weight before the train had left the other. The ends curled, resulting in "snakeâ€"heads," which were freâ€" | quently underrun by the wheels tnd‘ shot up through the floor of the cars. | § It saves gasoline. It keeps .vmnm "Well, you landed him here!" he remarked, sesting himself on a log and producing his pipe. "Or did he bring you? One would think you were old chums to see you together. Not » bad fellow, I shouldâ€"sagy." "He‘s really aâ€"good sort," said Arâ€" chie; "but I‘ll tell you the whole story." â€" . The Governor listened placidly, inâ€" terrupting only when Archie repeated what Congdon had said of Isabel. "A wonderful girl!" he ejaculated. "Makes it her business to tease the world along. But now to get down to brass tacks. What you learned of When Congdon«pleaded weariness, after dinner, Archie put him to bed and then sauntered away, following a dirt road that wound through the timber. In a little while he came upon theâ€" Governor lying with his back against & tree. * "Ah!" ejaculated the Governor, pausing dramatically in the door and eyeing the newly arrived guests as though their presence filled him with astonishment. In a moment more he had introduced himself to Archie and Congdon. "‘Rather odd my being here," he rippled on; "and I need hardly say that it‘s a pleasure to meet on this bleak shore two gentlemen of your caliber. I told a friend of mine that I was enormously fed up with cities and the general human pressure and wanted to go to the most Godâ€"forâ€" saken spot in America. He answered without a moment‘s hesitation that Huddleston, Michigan, would satisfy my loftiest ideal of godforsakeness. He‘s probably laughing himself to death right now thinking how misâ€" erable I am. But I refuse to be borâ€" ed." BLACKSHEEP Heber Saulsbury." "By the way," Congdon asked Leary, "you haven‘t seen anything of a little girl about here, have youâ€"a child of eleven?" "Not one of ‘em but a whole pasâ€" sel," replied Leary. "There‘s a camp o‘ city girls across the bay." ‘Well, I suppose that‘s the trick," said Congdon as Leary started upâ€" stairs with their bags. "Edith has been put in a camp. Not a bad idea. All I want to be sure of is that the child‘s in good hands." _ _ up the luggage and led the way to the "We jes‘ opened the house last At mealtime, Mrs. Leary entered the diningâ€"room briskly. "Jes‘ help yerselyes, gents." "Dinner will be at t#Welve," said Let one of these efficient "servants" show you how to save time in your home! PREâ€"INVENTORY H SALE DECEMBER 3â€"31 | NORTH SHORE GAS COMP gent‘s Ef"_’... 7 ge The Modern Woman Demands a Modern Gas Range : 10% Off Gas fi;;lges “ t NP e '~'”v"â€"“â€"‘ -e-emw-ulhwf He walked out the gravelly .mumna:u-u» fung arms of the bay. "Do you see a little blur of smoke out yonder in the open lake? ‘That‘s the Arthur B. Grover, I took up my option.and the bloomin‘ thing is mine. It‘s got a crew of the smartest crooks in all America. And Perky‘s on board of his character. Let me show you in all America. And Perky‘s on board with old Eliphalet Congdon! But, my He refilled his pipe and when he had it going to his satisfaction waved his arm toward the camp. "There‘s a queer business going on over there. That cousin of Isabel‘s is not a myth at all and that money may be buried over there somewhere. The cousin is laying himself ott to annoy the camp in every way possible, even going the length of trying to starve ‘em out. There‘s a stack of This is your opportunity to own a modern heat regulatâ€" ed gas range at a substanâ€" tial price reduction while the supply lasts. The complete home is one that has an upâ€"toâ€"date gas range for easy, economical cooking. s s AT supplies / at.; the Huddleston station that they can‘t move." "I grant all that," said the Goverâ€" mor, "‘but the motoriety of the thing would kill the camp. Oneonptm the newspapers every father mother who has a child would go right up in the air, It would make a great first page storyâ€"buried treasureâ€"a war for hidden gold centered about a girls‘ campâ€"the haughty southerner planting his money in safe territoryâ€" all that is fruityâ€"stuff for our speâ€" cial correspondent on the spot. No, Archie; ladies like our Ruth and Isaâ€" "Yntnc:d-dhfln“ iy, "that are laws even in the wilderness! All we‘ve got to do is to telephone for the sheriff and land him bel must be protected from vulgar publicity, It‘s up to us to smooth out bothersome legal apparatus. . The round to that peninsula is all but inâ€" mccessible. They have a launch they‘re ON DISPLAY Â¥a ferior after you listen to a man‘s reason for liking a particular prizeâ€" fighter.â€"Detroit News. ple protection again air attacks from the eastern part of the world.â€"Toleâ€" do Blade. â€" > across from Huddleston, but 1 ard Carey blocks the way, camped at the land entrance, ening! ntain m 1 like M 53c ME C “l'h-‘h'to-dntvpbrdbnlh "Well," the Governor remarked, "it‘s far more of a mess than I oxâ€" pected. But this is no time for weakâ€" world. We‘re going to stand by them no raatter whose head gets cracked." (Contimued next week) Woman‘s logic doesn‘t seem so inâ€" It seems the weather furnishes amâ€" entrance, with an . > , ks to belp nim â€" â€" *