Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-09-19
suNpuny AND ERIE RAIL ROAD.

A. a meeting Of the Etie Board Of Trade, hell
on Monday, August i7th,' ia .pnrsuanee Of spe
ca call by the President thereof; on motion o
George Selden, the following resolution was un
oamously adopted ~
Resolred, That in the opinion Of this Board |,
is now expedient and will be servicstle to the
interests Of the State. to publish the correspon
dpnce we have so long withheld, between this
hoard and the Hon CHARLES GIpBoNs, Of Phila
dslphia, and that the said letters be published in
all the papers of this city, and that the President
AID the Secretary be and they are hereby instruc
ted to take suitable measures TO have the same
rrpublished in the papers of Philadelphia city
GILES SANFORD, Prest Bd.
IRVINE CAMP Secretary. ,a#i
Erie, Pa March II, 1910
Hon CHARLES GIBBONS
Dear Sir-Having observed that your action
IN the Senate on the bill granting the Right OF
Way TO the Baltimore and Ohio rail road compa.
ny to the City of Pittsbnrg, has exposed you TO
much obloquy and bitterness Of feeling on the
part Of those whom you Immediately represent,
AMI having read your able lncid and unanswer.
able speech, in which you set forth the reasons
for that action and point out so clearly the in.
tcrests Of Philadelphia as identified with the po
hcy you advocate, we feel constrained to make
known TO you our warm approval OF your course
and Of the comprehensive and liberal plans which
YOU have developed for the future internal i'm
nu Il
sooner or later unite the intelligence and enter.
Prise Of the whole states, not only in their sup
port but also in their actual extension We can.
not withhold from you the testimony of our high
respect for the intelligence, that in the midst Of
misguided enthusiasm for other projects, has
been able to see and seize upon that, which will
secure the interests and prosperity of every sec.
ton Of the state. Please therefore accept this
expression Of sympathy and regard from por.
ton Of your constituents in north western
Pennsylvania, as a token of that respect which
sagacity and integrity always should, and, Chank
God and our countrymcnD always ,DiH sooner or
LATER command.
We are happy in knowing that at least one
leading mind and public man IN Philadelphia has
Just appreciate of the importance ofthe Sun.
bury and Erie rail road. In the days of Frank.
lin and other Fathers ofthe Commonwealth, the
importance of direct communication between
the great Lakes and Philadelphia, was Justly and
duly appreciated; but since those great lights
we're extinguished, the primary object for which
Tat portion of our State north Of the 42d paral.
ILL, including the Harbor of Erie, was purchased
seems to have been forgotten or despised Sure.
iy the object proposed by those great minds, in
making this purchase, was not merely to add
little more territory to our State, to be an cx
posed and expensive frontier in time of War, and
TO be a useless acquisition in time of Peace!
While the cities of New York and Boston are
a ldins improvement to improvement and expend.
Tag millions in order to enrich themselves by
securing the vast trade Of these Inland Seas,
Philadelphia, with natural advantages greatly
superior to either Of them for dverting this trade
10 her own doors, and with resources abundanily
a lequate to secure it, turns from Lake Erie with
iisdan and from its fleets Of steam and sail yes.
sells carrying on its waters the greatest inland
trade which the world can exhibit. She has
never yet awakened to the knowledge of the
facts. that within the borders of our own State
we have the largest, safest and best Harbor on
Lake Erie, and that when the western entrance
Of that harbor, now in progress Of Improvement,
is completed, the entire trade of the western
states will pass through that harbor on its way
10 the Atlantic. But why should it not stop
there instead CT passing through il to an inferior
harbor in rival state, and at which il is further
from the Atlantic than when at Erie? The ans.
wsr is because we have no direct, continuous
line Of communication between Philadelphia and
Erie. Let the Sunbury and Erie rail road be
made and we then have such communication
and one which will defy all successful competi-
ton, whether the comparison he made in distance,
in grade or in resources for local trade, with any
similar improvement com oleted or in progress.
or which can ever be projected, between Lake
Erie and the Atlantic. Upon this project, in
connection with the grant Of the Right of Way,
Philadelphia Pitsburg, Erie and the whole coun.
try lying between them, could unite, and by
such union the work could be completed This
"""'' a''o 'ohei"P'a'e connection WIN rus
burg at some future day, by branch from the
Erie road down the waters Of the Allegheny riv-
er.
IL is true, that road to Pittsburg by this
route, would be considerably longer than the
"Mddle route" but We have yet to meet with
an Intelligent man, or with a scientific engineer
always excepting Mr.. Schlstter,) who does not
entertain the decided opinion, that the difference
IN the grades of the two routes would more than