The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-08-05
The Opening Of the New York aud Troy
Railroad.
Troy, Rensselaer, Co.,
Wednesday 10 p NJ

Pawllng, Duchess county. After which an abb
speech was made by Gen. Geo. X. Davis, of Troy
IN which he castigated the New Workers SO severel
ior their backwardness, in not coming forward il
tid OF this enterprise, that some OF them bounced
IKE i've eels In frying pan. Alderman Leonard
VINO represented our Mayor, replied in shor
peech, in which he alluded TO the losses Of our cit
zens by the great fire, since the commemorate mt o
he application for the construction Of this road, AM
also TO the completion OF the Croton Water Work
nj an enormous expense, as among the reasons VIII,
they had not been ready TO aid at former pero
rs they intended to be in future. He said that a
New York had never failed, nor repudiated any un
dertaklngs ever commenced, no matter how grea
or how costly, the friends of this measure wou
now ind that she had placed her lever to the work
and Atlas like, she would raise 1t, and never or,
fail, for such word was not in her vocabulary. III
commended that proper spirit was awake in on
city upon this subject and believed that lift was ne
cessary that the corporation itself would subscribe
one fifth OF the sum necessary to complete the
work. His remarks were received with much ap
probation by the substantial farmers of Duchess
Putnam and Columbia, who, Notwithstanding Thu
Is the season IN which they are nearly all engaged
in harvest, attended over thousand strong
After time had elapsed for partial introduction
of our public functionares to the lords of this no
BILE manor,we took up our line of march northward
towards ANNA, distance of about ten miles,
where we intended to remain during the night -
Your humble representative, in company with Mr.
Secretary Bloomfield, Col. Hamilton, and Colonel:
Young and Carmichael, heavy contractors on the
route, were fortunate enough TO fall into the gener
Gus charge of Col. H. Rumble, wealthy and intel
ligent iarmer who made us as comfortable as heart
could desire until morning, when with that same
good feeling that exists along the whole route to
the friends OF the road, he harnessed a splendid
team OF horses and conveyed us nearly thirty miles
on our journey. This gentleman, like all others of
the Intelligent portion Of this immense valley, is a
constant reader of the popular New York Herald,
and firm supporter Of the doctrines it nculcates in
law, politics, morality, physlc, love and religion.
40, dad 1Ia., FL E,,a
of the railroad, the picturesque scenery, the pure
clear gurgling streams the neat and substantial
farm houses, and the luxuriant aspect of the sur
rounding country called forth expressions of aston.
such region Of country should be shut out from
the benefits OF this age of internal improve
ments. Let capitalists III New York make nqul-
RES Of the gentlemen who composed the company,
tor the full extent OF the correctness of our remarks
10 the right, and within a quarter Of mile of the
line OF railroad, tor distance OF twenty miles,
through Duchess county, we followed the traces of
extensive marble quarrles, many of which, upon be-
ing opened, have produced an excellent quality of
material for building and manufacture of lime,
equal to the Thomaston, which costs our city so
large an amount per annum. AS we left Amina,
we, perceived vehicles conveying iron of very
rich per centage, to the furnaces for smelling, and
within few miles of this point We understood that
there twelve furnaces in operation, the yield of
which, under TALL the present unfavorable circum
stances OF sending it to market, lit being twenty
hve miles to the nearest point on the Hud-
SON. IS $500, 600 per annum. In addition to this
in valley near by, AN ore was obtained many years
since from which an article equal to the best iron
ever produced was manufactured, and which in the
days OF the revolution caused the vicinity be dis
tinguished by the name of Steel Greek Valley II is
also well known that the iron obtained in Sails
bury, Connecticut, distance of 81 miles from the
road, and to which the people of that vicinity in
tend to construct branch, is superior to any in the
United States for the manufacture of fire arms and
has been In, h,y
ment In the manufacture of musk cts at Springfield
The produce of this whole region, (of which
Luchess county alone comprises nearly one-tenh Of
the whole State In value, will be poured into the
lap OF New York when this important work is COM
peted. Potatoes, MILK cheese, butter, poultry,
calves and lambs, are rarely worthy the attention OF
the farmers this district to forward to our Market
as the present cost OF transportation amounts to
ne arly it not quite much as the article is worth
when in market. In forwarding the two latter ar
cles of food, they arelrequently brought into debt
by the sale, and the expense attending the transpor
ever sent to New York. They can be raised in
Duchess county in great abundance and sold on the
ground at handsome profit at l2a cents bushel.
The freight and iactorage of butter makes the ex-
pense amount to about $40 per ton on all that is
sent to our market, or two cents per pound, while
the railroad it could be taken for One-tenth the
sum. The growth of oats through this region is
most abundant, but to convey load to Pougkeepse
anu tHeHCc ~ NEW IOIh, NuOW tlc Only route IOT
the producers,) is done only at the additional ex-
pense of the consumers in our city. In the mere
item of milk alone our population would receive
great benefits, as instead OF being compelled as now
is adulterated, it would in all probability, owing to
the immense yield on the grazing grounds of
Duchess and Putnam, he reduced to three cents,
and better quality supplied even at that price The
consumption of milk for city has been estimated
at 30, 600 millions of quarts per annum, and owing
10 its price and difficulty Of obtaining pure article,
The supply supposed to fall short at least TO- quarts
day This fact is merely presented as one Of the
items that would naturally find its way TO our mar
ket in great abundance from the region of country
through which the contemplated road will pass
One OF the next most important articles OF produce
that would be presented in our limits is that of
pressed hay Tens Of thousands of tons of this
staple would be forwarded to our city from the
meadows of Duchess and Putnam if the price of
would yield profit At present not
a hundred tons per annum Is received from this
part OF Duchess county, and the value, as fed
here to stock does not exceed three to tour dol lars
per ton. The transportation of plaster, so much
needed tor portions of the lands Of Westehester
Putnam, Duchess, and Columbia- counties, would
yield a large source OF revenue to the road as the
cost OF obtaining at present is three times the price
OF the article, which almost excludes its USE al
though absolutely necessary for the renovation of
the lands
On Tuesday, on our passage up the line Of road,
we dlned at the house of Jackson Wing an old
tcIo VI ~, VIII IuilDeIS HcdTly elSHty wears. ana
is more hale and hearty than half our New York
bucks at half the age. Longevity is a peculiar
characteristic of this whole region, and numerous
persons were presented to us whose memory of
Washington and his encampment in Duchess were
rs vivid as transactions of yesterday. The farmers
throughout Duchess are among the most wealthy in
he state, and 1t is not at all uncommon for farm
% consist of from five hundred to thousand acres
n fact man is considered small farmer who does
lot own and cultivate some hundreds of acres of
and Large portions of their farms are devoted In
grazing cattle and sheep, in the latter product of
which she excels all other counties in the state.
The most striking peculiarly that presented itself
o the mind Of our whole company was the fact that
or the distance of full fifty miles but one piece of
woods was passed through that was not enclosed in
fence, and that did not extend over a hundred
Yards
The line of railroad as now selected by the COM
,any passes full three fourths its distance through
rich and luxuriant plain, bounded on each side by
an undulating country, interspersed with the Taco
nc range of mountains that their lofty points
On the east for long distance, and by ranges of