Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-12-24

De down acrOSSthe Penn. line into Ohio
The.foregoing articles taken from the U.
S. Railroad and Mining Register, exhibit
forbibly the narrow-minded feelings and
policy OF Philadelphians. They seem to
think because a neck of the state of Pa.
touches lake Erie, that providence had
ordained that the entire transit of freight
and passengers between the East and
West should be diverted through this
narrow strip of territory. compelled to cir
culate through the state and not come
out till it should reach the, city of Phila-
delPhis- The only possible excuse they
can give for this extreme sel6shness is be-
cause they had the power to indulge it.
They now complain bitterly and benoan
their fate because they had once a legis-
lature hberatenough to repeal their guage
laws and throw off the restrictions on cor
porations who desired to build Railroads
through northwestern Pennsylvania.
We are constrained further to remark
that while the Register accuses the Amer
yea" of making a curious medley of ran
dom assertions" as We understand the
matter, the Register does not come very
far short ofsu6jecting itself to a like crit
lcism when it would sscribe the COM
mencement or progress of the Atlantic &
Great Western Railroad, to the assistance
or activity of any n. Y. Company or COM
panies. We believe that although the
n. Y. and Erie Co. has always been favor
able to, and much desired the completion
of this line of road, yet they have not
been in situation to render it much aid.
Not long after their road was completed
to Dunkirk, a financial crisis occurred in
this country, and railroad securities de-
clined rapidly this Would have a ten
dency to prevent them from making fur
Their investments, although the project
might seem good for increased gains.
Again, the Ohio Mississippi R.R. was far
from completion; true in railroad parlance
it was a fixed fact" vet large financial
arrangements had to be made and carried
out. TO crown its friends with success. 1t
was not finished to Cincinnati until 1857.
The gap between the Ohio i Mississip-
pi and Erie roads was 40 miles. No
doubt the active friends of both projects
looked forward TO the time when these
two great roads would be united. and a
continuous line of rail of their preferred
guage established. with roomy and conven-
lent cars TO traverse the whole distance
from the Father of Waters, to the Great
Emporium of the Atlantic; but, they look
upon 1t as an undertaking of too great
magnitude to be speedily accomplished,
in fact no route had by them been sug-
gested or thought of-they had found
ed 10 shoulder this further UNDER
that all their energies were required to
into operation their own lines
Of road, and were too much exhaust
The truth is the project of uniting
these two lines of road was started by
men in Ohio, who believed as the greater
of the link connecting them
must be in this State, that it would be of
benefit TO the State. especially
the district through which it would
pass and would well repay the capital :
$
Mr.. III. Kent of Franklin, Ohio, has the 4
credit Of being the earliest advocate Of 5
his line, and the prime mover in organic I
ng the Company, and has from its com
nenement devoted his untiring energies c
o this has cherished project. He soon i
'niisted IN ITS favor, men of energy. ex- ,
'efience, ability and capital. and although r
load has at different times, during |
financial troubles, seemed to languish, :
many of its former friends despa;red
ITS success, yet the prudence, sagaeity p
unyielding determination of those o
nlisted in its prosecution, have kept it :;
live. Notwithstanding the MANY en- 4
arrasSrnents which have had to be en- C
ountered, they have all peer overcome. o
The rapidity with which the work has Y
progressed. has astonished h
very body. Il has gone forward as if by u
IL seems but a few weeks since
'e were discussing the question of its To- r.
through Warren-a few days ago q,
e were startled by the new steam whis- n
could hardly believe that the track oil
the A. 4 G. w. Railroad had been laid
this place. 1t will only be a few days n
we shall be in complete connection at
it'll New Yo-k, by a continuous rail of g
guage. At the rapidity with which 81 !!
10 work has progressed within the past ~
K months, the whole line will be COM al
eted during the year 1858. to
The friends of this enterprise have been p
'culiarly fortunate in the letting of the :!
ad; the management of It's construction w
II. W. Kennard has been such as to call co
rth the admiration Of railroad men and te
e public generally. If our military ~
iieftains had manifested a like energy Fr
putting down the rebellion We cannot m
1t feel that the Union would have been an
stored, and peace declared ere this. We =;
not yet fully realize that within a year iol
, shall be on the greatest railroad line
the world, u road stretching from the a
-iantic. through the richest portion ofthe
American Continent, one thou 30
nd and two hundred miles into the mn
eat west, ultimately without doubt to oh
ach the Pacific. Upon examination of m
e Maps its advantages can at once be .o
EN-. the principal points thatit touches in Er
10, commencing from the East, are War ap
II, Ravenna, Akron, Ashland, Mans
Id, Gallon, Urbana, Dayton, thence to a.,
ncinnati. Its location Is thus seen to to