Among the litany of hazards that made riding on early American railroads a moment-to-moment adventure was the not-farfetched possibility of a collision with an animal. Impact with a dog, hog, or even a sheep that had wandered onto the tracks might not even be noticed by passengers and crew. But as one engineer put it, "Them there cows are the devil to pay." The all-American solution to a very American problem was a "cowcatcher" mounted to the front of the engine.