The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1851-11-27
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.rhiIss-,n..sl and the Lakes.

OUR Sunbnry neighboIs complain because
the Railroad committee appointed at tn,
Philadelphia convention of last Septembe
/ ~ their address announce the fact that Phil
adelphia can be most easily connected will
The Lakes by way of Gat,awissa. From
Port Clinton 10 Tamaqua The railroad is il
opefation now, and the 43 miles from Ia
maqua 10 Caiawissa are all graded and III,
heaviest part of the work done. From Cat
tawissa number of routes are proposed
The first one contemplated was 10 continue
up along Fishingcreek 10 Mllville and thence
by Lairdsyille along NIuncy creek, and on tt
WilliamspoH. From that point there woule
remain 2i0 miles of railroad TO be built te
Erie. This route would in Lycomiug coun-
~ go through one of the best timbered re.
glons o! the state and would secure The
lake trade by the shortest route There are
also beds of biiuminous coal in the vicinity
oil This route, and we ourselves few weeks
ago collected some specimens of iron ore in
Lycoming county, OF which one is very
rich carbonate, much like the "black-bandn
OF Wales. We found also IN our excursion
specimens of copper ORE which, though
not themselves rich, are doubtless the pre-
cursors OF better body of this mineral
which would well pay for working
A second route is proposed 10 lead along
Fishingcreek 10 Laporle in Sullivan county,
down the South branch of Towanda creek
10 the Susquehanna at Towanda and thence
10 unite with The New York and Erie Rail-
road at Waverly, 16 miles East of Towanda.
This route would also run through an excel
lent TIMBER country, and in The vicinity of
bllumnous coal and copper ore. A ger lle-
man OF this county last winter made an tex
ploration" of this route TO Laporle, and as
sures us that the grade viii lie almost as
easy as il could be along the Susquehanra
river. Application was last winter made for
a slate road from Rohrsburs in this county
direct 10 Laporle over the ground which the
railroad would cover.
The main objection 10 this route is that il
would still leave all the Northwestern coun.
lies OF Pc nnsylvania in the "baclwoods,'
and the result would be 10 draw the trade Of
Northern Pennsylvania, by a score of short
lateral roads, 10 the N. Y and Eric Railroad
where we would al once run agains, the
heavy competition Of all the West and New
York. Besides we would in that event use
the harbor OF Duukrk on Lake Erie, instead
OF the larger, safer, and more convenient one
at Erie.
But again in this way we would lose all
the coal trade of North Western Pennsylya.
mia, which would remain closed to us and
Western New York is already supplied by
the Erie Railroad from the Lackawanua val.
ley. Only few weeks ago the connection
was completed between Great Bend on the
Erie Railroad and Scranton in Luzerne coun-
ly.
We think Philadelphia need have little
rear that New York City uiil-be a dangerous
rival if the Railroad is completed 10 Catta-
wissa and Williamsport. The cars of the
Reading l,ailroad will be able 10 run through
10 Erie on this route; for it will all be of The
same gague as at Philadelphia, while the
New York cars will find dead latch for
them at Tamaqua, and all goods would have
10 be ie loaded there from cars of 5 feet
10 inch gague 10 those of feet 81 inch
gague. This at least would be the case un-
Ill some Yankee should contrive a mode of
and expanding the axles of cars
rom one guage TO another, or changing the
wheels of the cars vixen they come 10
,hanse of guage. We have no. patented
hat idea, and leave it for our Sunbury CO.
temporary 10 attend TO.
II was at one time intimated tha, The Cat
awissa road might be extended 10 Danvile
along the Eastern bank Of the river, and
hence 10 Williamspor, but we learn that
kimbec Cleaver is now engaged in survey
ng some eligible route from Danvie 10 the
Sbamokin coal fields 10 connect with the
Sunbury and Po,tsvlle route.