The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-02-01

A Candid History OF the Erie Dimcuity from
the Commencement.
Notwithstanding The great amount OF matter that has
been published ia resllon 10 "ihe Erie dtincues,
there are, perhaps few who understand their origin OF
the cause OF their continuance. II mays therefore re
useful 10 give succnc an account as possible oil ihe
important facts oil the
There are, as every one knows. too great rival fail
road lines leading from the cfy OF New York 10 Lake
Erieboth OF which conlendls Tor the trade oil the
western eouutry--one OF these, the 'tNsw York and
Erie' railroad, long ago adopted sxieet gauge Inc
Other the New York Central line OF railroad adopted
the four feet eight aud half inch gauge The last
named line terminates at Buffalo at The lower end oil
Lake Erie; the first named al DunkiIk, on Lake Ere
nearly midway between Buffalo and Erie
Alter the New York Central line of roads was ma,
shed from Albany 10 Buffalo, and the New York and
Erie from New York 10 Dunkrk was nearly completed,
the Erie and Northeast Railroad Company commenced
the Construction OF railroad extending from The city OF
Erie, Pennsylvania, enthusiastically, III the direction OF
Dunkrk and Buffalo, ID the west line OF the Slate oil
New York.
Each OF the two great New York railroad interests
naturally wished 10 form connexon with this Pennsyl-
yana railroad at the line between the States OF New
York and Pennsylvania and to induce the Pennsylvania
road 10 adopt It's peculiar gauge TO form con.
nuous line between New York and Erie without break
IN the gauge, and IN consequent transbpmen OF fregh
baggage, &C., and il is said the then president OF The
Erie and Northeast Railroad Company agreed with each
OF these New York interests TO adopt lis gauge TO The
exc fusion OF the other
About the time, two other railroad companies
organized under The general railroad law OF New
York--one called {" The Buffalo and New York State
Line Railroad Company" to construct a railroad from
Bu,o to the Pennsylvania line, and the other TO con-
slruc road iron Dunkirk 10 The same line The nfsi
was designed TO be, in effect, continuation OF Inc New
York Central line OF roads with four feet eight and d
half inch gauge the second, continuation OF the New
York and Erie Railroad with SIX feet gauge, and each
TO be connected with The Erie and Northeast railroad
a the State line Hence The desire oil the one to have the
Erie and Northeast adopt four feet eight and ahaf inch
gauge, and of the other to have that company adopt
sxfeet gauge The Central railroad interest would not
J nj ayf
from DunkTk TO Erie, without the construction OF one
with a four feet eight and a hall inch gauge because
such an arrangement would give the New York and Erie
a manifest advantage the Central line; transhlp.
ment OF eigh carried designed to be carried over the
Central line, being IN this case necessary at Dunkirk,
which would be avoided by freight the New York
and Erie raoad interest, would not consent 10 have a
four leet eight and half inch gauge extended iron Bull
ao Erie unless OF sxteet gauge should also eX-
inevitable that two parallel competing railroads were to
be constructed between Dunkirk and Ere--involvng
the unnecessary cost OF making TWO railroads Instead OF
one between these ponts~and, what was more depre-
called by the railroad companies competition or busi-
which result in the injury II not rula OF both.
TO avoid these evils, aud reconcile these conlendBg
railroad interests, II suggested, and alter much ne.
COLLATION. agreed by the pares that the feet 10 inch,
or "Ohio Gauge, (being the same adopted Tor the rail
roads then in progfess, extending from Cincinnati and
Toledo via Cleveland, Erie,) shont be extended from
Erie to Buffalo that the Buffalo and State Line railroad
should be managed TO give neither OF the two
great railroad interests IN the State OF New YORK any ad-
vantage over the other
| 1t was doubted that the Erie and Northeast Rail
road Company would, without hesitation, adopt the same
gauge, clearly their interest 10 do. The people
of Efe however, deemed il important TO their interests
that the break OF gauge, change IRON the ONO gauge
10 the gauge OF New York. should be made at that city
and the directors OF the Erie and Northeast Railroad
Company, being all nearly all citizens oil that place,
parook of this sentiment OF their fellow citizens and
instead OF conforming to the gauge OF the railroads eas
and OF thembat IL, TO the 4ieet lO-inch gauge
proceeded TO lay down eject track, on Their road oil
! 10 miles long, extending from Erie TO The New York
State line.
Wishing to secure TO themselves be perpetual benefit,
as they deemed it, OF this break OF gasge they procured
the nactmen, OF law by The legislature OF Pennsyva-
MIA called "ihe gauge law, WHICH required all ran,
down OBJECT, 4-ieet oi.inch gauge, and those
between Erie aud the Ohio State line 10 adopt the Ohio
gauge OF feet 10 inches.
The Buffalo and State Line Railroad Company in pur.
suance of The agreement previously referred 20, ia the
lime, proceeded 10 lay down their road 4.ieet
lO.inch track. and thus three breaks created OF
gauge between New York aud New England on the one
hand and the Ohio and the western States oh the other,
when but one was necessary.
The agreement, between the great New York railroad
Interests, above referred to, made without any rel
erence the local interests either OF Buffalo, Dunkk,
or Erie but solely avoid the unnecessary outlay Of
money, and The runous consequences which 1t was
! thought would result from constructing two parallel,
rival railroads between DunkiTk and Erie. The people
of Erie. however, believed affected TO believe, that
was done 10 inlure their city, and TO deprive Them OF
their Tghla right most sensible men then thought,
and still think, TO be nuisance.
The practical inconvenience TO tae public OF these
necessary breaks OF gaugethe damage to all The rail
roads interested and especially 10 the Enc and North
east railroad, found TO be great, that bill was
introduced into, and passed by the Pennsylvania leglsla
ITS last session. TO repeal this gauge law, and al
low this, well other railroad companies IN that
State, adopt such gauge gauges their directors
might think best. THIS bill the governor, after mature
deliberaton, Notwithstanding his sympathy" with the
Eans their loss OF the break OF gauge approved and
signed; aud ii thus became law OF the land.
Although The Intelligent and accurate observers
among the people of Erie fully satisfied that the
break of gauge Of practical use TO them but,
the contrary that the public odum, whether deserved
undeserved far outweghed any little benefit resulting
from the employment OF few aborers 10 remove freight
from OF 10 another s they adhered peril
nacousy their assumed right to have this break of
gauge their city This resulted, IN part, from pride OF
opinIon--tha false pride which makes most men reuc-
admit that they have ever beeh IN error, or that
they are wiser today than they yesterday-partly
from design 10 drive the best possible bargain they
could with The various railroad companies that bad a
deep interest removing iron their ne OF railroads so
impediment to then business and partly from
the influence of certain demagogues, who ianced they
could make themselves OF some Importance by keeping
| up the feud.
They, therefore, through the machinery OF town meet
ings-addressed and stimulated to ndscreet action by
who had their "prlvale gtiets" to avenge, their
selfish purposes to subseveinduced the city councils