Show the united states today Is above AllO all others theis a railroading nation by 0 3 11 IL MARKHAM president illinois central system HIS year is tho centennial of the railroads it was on september THIS 27 1826 1825 that the stockton darlington railway in england was thrown open to operation under an act that provided for hauling of wagons and other carriages carriaco vs upon the line with men or horses or otherwise otherwise wits was the jopho 0 which allow allowed ed george stephenson engineer ot of the road slid and an experimenter with steam engines to persuade his hie company to use ilse a steam locomotive to haul its first farst train that train with its prophetic load of coal flour and passengers moved at an averal average le rato rate of eight miles an hour only a few years after the opening of the Nv worlds first railroad in england conr own nation took up tip tho the novelty with what result you all can recognize today railroads it seemed wre were exactly what the vast land areas of this country needed the united states today is above all others a railroading nation the people of our country owe more to the railroads than tl the ie people of most countries do di because tile greater part of our ex existence and growth as an independent nation has been coincident with the railway era today with only about one sixteenth of the worlds land area we possess in this country approximately one third of the total railway mileage n of the world and our railroads milron ds lend lead those of all other nations in the high quality and low cost of their service our nation today is tho the richet richest and most advanced nation of tho the world it lias has become so largely because it lias has enjoyed for nearly a century tury a form of transportation excellently adapted to its great distances and its wide variety of products because of cheap and efficient railway transportation available in all parts of the country the products of all regions today are to bo be obtained in every region 11 the products of every re region 0 ion can bo be and are marketed in all regions passengers are moved long distances with great rapidity |