Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1864-02-10

II
branching power conceded In the exist
ing charter Of the Pittsbufg and Erie
road could be made to furnish the need
ed facilities. Mr.. Kent associated him
self with several capitalists=among them
his brother, Henry A. Kent Of this city
-and bought the Pittsbtrg and Erie
Company for s40O,0OO. From the east
line of Pennsylvania, the needed faeili-
ties eould be obtained through the char
ter Of the dead-alive Erie and New York
City Road This having been secured,
desperate effort to obtain subscriptions
was made, and about 81 100000 obtain
ed before the close of 1852.
The contract for constructing the road
was taken by Mr.. Henry Doolittle, of
Dayton, Ohio-probsbly the most expe-
rienced railroad man who svihcsd faith
in the enterprise. He had made a for
tune by similar undertakings, and was
willing to risk it on this. He made three
voyages to Europe to negotiate the secu-
rites of the company; which could not
be done until agents had been sent over
to examine the line and report on its
merits. The reports returned were for a
time unfavorable, so that money could
not be obtained. At last Mr.. D. was en-
abled to close a provisional contract for
the sale of his securities with Mr.. James
McHenry, heavy capitalist; the condi-
ton being that Mr.. T. W. Kennaadj an
eminent railroad engineer connected with
house of McHebry, should, upon ezami-
nation, approve the enterprise. Mr.. K.
came over on this business III the fall of
1858, and at once perceived and report
ed the signal advantages of the line. No
adverse representations could shake his
condolences and on his report the con
tract was closed and the company provi-
ded with the money requisite to a vigor-
Gus prosecution Of their work.
By this time it was 1860, Mr.. Doo-
littIe-who had associated with himself
in the contract DR.. W. s. Streator of
CIsvelandAhad kept the work going,
under the supervision Of his partners
while he was pleading for funds in Eu-
rope. In this he was sustained BY liber-
al advances from the Messrs. Kents. DR..
Streator was a leading spirit in the con
struotiOn of the Oil Creek road-one Of
the best feeders of the main line-and is
now its superintendent, as well as di-
rector of the Atlantic and Great West
ern.
Mr.. Doolittle dying, his partner pro-
posed surrender of the contract, which
was accepted, and the work re-let to Mr..
James MoHenry of Liverpool, by whom
it was to have been resumed early in 81.
But fresh difficulties were encountered,
which necessitated fresh trip to Europe,
wherein Mr. Kennard was accompanied
by Mr.. II. A. Kent and Mr.. VIM. Rey-
nOlds of the Pennsylvania division. The
necessary arrangements we're perfected
when the cloud of war raised by the sci
cure of the mail steamer Trent by Com.
Wilkes again brought matters to stand
SO that the work was not actually festim-
ed until the spring of 1852. One year
thereafter year of tremendous civil
war, enormous armies and scarce labor
Mr.. Kenhard had the cars running thro'
from Salamanca, New York, to Akron,
Ohio-2OO miles; whereof he had con-
structed 40 mainly through heavy tim
ber-a display of energy and efficiency
which has rarely or never been surpass-
ed. The Titusville and Franklin bran
ches were both constructed-the former
by Messrs. Streator and II. A. Kent; the
the latter by Messrs. Reynolds and Ken
nard-meantime; so that in all, over 20C
miles of railway were constructed by
these parties, in region where labor
originally scarce, had been absorbed by
the oil business, and which was far from
the seaboard and the great cities, whence
railway labor must mainly be drawn.
In July, 1863, the MahOning road va.
leased for ninety-nine years by the At
lantic and Great Western, and an addi
tional rail laid thereon, so as to give tht
latter broad track into Cleveland Thc
MahUning was constructed to tap the Goa
and iron region Of northeastern Ohio
near Youngstown, and convey its staples
to Cleveland (67 miles,; but is crossed
by the grand trunk at Leavittsburg
near Warren, Ohio, so miles from Cleye
land. An express train over this roaC
for New York without change of car
cars leaves Cleveland each morning a
$50 am. Freight trains likewise rm
through without change.
From Akron to Gallon, on the Cleve
land and Cincinnati, is 81 miles, on Whicl
the track is all laid, over which we learn
one train per day is now running. TIL
road is to be completed thence to Day
ton by the 1st of May next; and the tw
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