is, Secretary of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, at
a banquet in Louisville in 1914, when speaking of the oldest railroads
built West of the Alleghanies and South of the Ohio River, said: "It is
commonly believed that the oldest road is the Lexington and Ohio, so it
may surprise you to know that in point of antiquity it is beaten by that
little old Pontchartrain Railroad, Charles Marshall's darling, but by
a remarkable coincidence, by only a week. For while the Pontchartrain
Railroad Company received its charter on January 20th, 1830, that of the
Lexington and Ohio Railroad Company is dated January 27th, 1830. And in
point of construction the latter likewise followed the Pontchartrain."

An article published in the Lexington Observer of October 4th, 1832,
taken from the New Orleans Emporium of September 15th, 1832, says:

"The beautiful locomotive Pontchartrain recently received from England
came up to the city this morning from the lake in a manner highly
gratifying to the directors of the company, who were present and a large
concourse of our citizens. It commences running Monday next at 12
o'clock. The Mayor and City Council are to be present and no doubt
hundreds of our citizens will fill the train which will accommodate
between three and four hundred people. This locomotive is said to be the
most perfect and elegant in the Union and that there are only two in
England equal to it. The display will be at once beautiful and imposing
and will no doubt attract thousands."

At this time _our_ first locomotive was "in course of construction," as
the Observer and Reporter of December 6th, 1832, says in an editorial:
"We yesterday had the pleasure of examining--at the machine shop of Mr.
Bruen--a new Locomotive Engine constructed for the Lexington and Ohio
Rail Road Company. We understand the Engine will be in readiness for an
experiment on the Rail Road sometime next week."

* * * * *

It is evident therefore that the Charter for the Pontchartrain Railroad
was one week older than the Charter of the Lexington and Ohio Railroad.
It is also evident that the Lexington and Ohio Railroad was "formally
opened August 15th, 1832," while the formal opening of the Pontchartrain
Road did not occur until September 15th, 1832, one month later than
ours.

It is true the Pontchartrain opened with a real locomotive while the
Lexington and Ohio road first used horse power. But it must also be
reme