The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-12
The Lake Shore Troubles.


LETTER TO COL. s. ". BLACK, OF PIrrsBURG, ON
THE ERIE RAILROAD TROUBLES.
Az you are the counsel for myself 10 the causes pend
ing before the District Court OF the United States
out of my neghbors and opposition to Nav York
pns You Ss 10
In order to co this ntelGgibly it will be necessary for
beded in any publication relating to these affairs and
slfo to give you rome items that part the un
written history OF these railroad transactions
However much this question has been mstifed by
hofe wnose purpose it is to misreprssent it resolves
itaet into q few plain and simple facts -
The gauges of railroads east Of this county are
fee and feet So inches, respectively while those west
q Uniform gauge of feet 10 nohes consequently
who're there gauge meet break Is inevitable aad that
100, he IL remembered, by act Of curs We cannot
prevent the occurrence OF break at point the
southern shore OF Lake Eris and we claim it 10 our
State tacsuse the awsof commerce demand that 1t shah
occur ~ point as far west ss possible.
2. Because the road running from Erie to the York
State line laid do With the then popular gauge OF
that State, and the first road lAli do IN on the
southern shore of Lake Erie and the road graded to
pir State hence refu al her part to meet us q,
that point has shown want OF courtesya violation OF
the comfy OF States.
g. The New York and Erie and the New York Central
roads violated written contract entered into with the
Erie and Northeast Railroad to eject che above con
nection.
brs.k being inevit,bs, it should occur at . roIpt
where Baltimore and Philadelphia CONS into fair
competition with their sisters New YORK and Boston
%
conservative position She s tbe Keystone o. the Feie
raj arch" The break is safe her soil Her chscie
before the word sure guaranty OF her integrity The
blood and treasure OF her the Of
human freedom in strues for independence In this
she claims superiority over her sisters butA brtkr hit
with the eldest. These considerations were OF moment
when she met at early day by other .ates in
convention the result of which foohold
for Pennsylvania on our insnc Then why should
her sou be over, And her rights tAmped upon by
NewYork and Ohio Or, why should her bArbor which
the gallant Perry selected As the mos. eligible the
lales in which TO construct his fleet, be botted from
the map for all useful purpofes to State and naopS
Why sborld monstrous railroad corporation, viii IN
hollis already the aeftnss Of fosr mighty States within
Its iron grasp be permitted to crush the commerce Of
our metropolis and State ~ rge-to disregard all
law from that OF nations down to municipal
and townshp authortesto violate the comfy OF States
and finally subugste entire interestsi
And for all this IL offers consider but marches
with its iron tread OF despon taking by force what
bribery csBnot effect by legislation poisoning pnbc
opiDion by corruptug the palladium Of free nstitu
to,s that the press, from Chicsgo to Nsw York has
already become . bye. word for ,snAty. With these
facts standing out in bold relief. the community is led
10 believe, By this yena press that all that Erie wants lie
the yea nut candy" and "sppls trads" conss
Let inquire briefly into tina cause OF 90 many
breaks OF gauge the lake shore, viz 1T Buffalo
one At DunkIrk at the New York and mia
State line and ST Erie As has been said before the
Erie and No, the ast Railroad Company &C With
q contract with the New York Companies graded taer
road sucier y wide to ad nit OF both OF the New York
gsugas The most popular Of the two the six feet gauge
for the time adopted I" This New York Centrain be-
York and Erie stepped forward and With threat which
the New York aud Erie had learned to heed forbade the
taus With P-nnsylvsras child, AND the result was that
contract entered INTO between ths New York
MES TO import into their State ilegtmAtx gauge the
four feet ten inch OF Ohio tn. parties binding selves
90 each other to meet Pesnsy the line on
their own gauges or our own which is 10 ar fact
and bal, inches. few Of her noble hearted aud rea
legislators unwilling that Pssnsyvana shood be
with manly warmth ard energy but ,he far
seeing New Workers say 1t to be the master stroke ~
policy Of tue sgethst was eyeuu ,y to make Buffalo
the varehouce for tie tetnns vestthst pub opinion
roul1 eventually force PennsyvaniA to abaudon her
rights and rehnqush all the advantages which shs pos
feEfed in owning the best harbor the lakes and the
shoftss aud easiest railroad rolt9 through her own ter
rito1y from he lakes 70 the Atlantic This policy pro
csfisteped the BuIT.ls sni STATE Line Railroad
Thus much for prelminsres; now Jet how the
New York and Ohio Railroad proposed t. o)tsin the
end they had In view. Something ye,7 ago when
he Frsrkn Canal Company had completed its road
rs four ee ten and meeting Ohio At the borders OF
New York herit being the ni come sting the East
with the west-it hailed With qualification and joy
by cur citizens ard deemed by the abroad 4
Isper tine % spread bsnquet on magnihc snt scale,
and nvite all liscordan Interests to haronixe In joi
hfcAton the event This banquet attended By
railroad emperors millions OF stock held 10
Kpdon by railroad kings from Boston, New York, Al
tsDy, Buffalo, Cleveland and other Places well by
many Of the nEsophisiicsted OF our now immediate
Alfred Kelly presided on that occasion, and with .
studied msnner and department, which said plain
actions could spssh that hs intended to male msei
agreeable 10 the COOL ci zens OF Erie and far
his power, TO relieve them from any embArrassmen mt
which the presence Of the finely dressed pretty booted
anS hiebly scented railroad PEI and kings mig
subject them 10. The vine parsed merrily, and deep
we're the obaons At the shrine OF the rosy god until the
President who Waterfall dsoerper Of the condition
Of rAs thought that this was the pirate time by
taking advantage OF the happy condition Of his guests
70 vim their consent 10 the continuation OF the Ohio
Iuge through state 10 Buffalo without touching At
The hsihor Of Erie. He rose with grass peculiar TO
himself, and, with q eviiy and veil sustained figure
ceemee suited 10 the OCCASION he broached the subject
BY introducing 10 hts assembled guests his daughter
Miss Franblio Csnalp who hsd TO PspnsyvAnia,
where they 'uarry without license and "build rail.
rcats without ohartera'-she measured just four feet
ten inches scros the hustle, and the greatest romp
that ever came from the Buckeye State. When she
crossed the Ohio STATE line he said she hmd ~
favu and when she came Walnut Orch she tremble4
styod 90 ~ uvFvcn heak AaA garsd late " gulf;