New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-01-19
HOW A RAILROAD ~ BUHLT-THk
ATLANTIC AND CHEAT WEST


York with st. Louis by a line of Railroad OF
uniform six-feet gauge is now 80 nearly COM
pleted that we may fairly speak of it as an
achievement. That line consists OF the Erie
Road from Jersey City TO Salamanca on the
Allegheny (ili milc,) thence nearly due West
by the Atlantic and Great Western proper
through Chautauqua County, Ncw-York and
parts of Warren, Erie and directly across
Crawford County, Pennsylvania, into Irumbull
County, Ohio and so TO ito crossing OF tho
Cincinnati and Cleveland Road at Gallon
to which point trains now run regularly.
The work ia being vigorously pushed from
this point through Springfield to Dayton, whence
it runs over the Hamilton Road to Cincinnati
as miles from Salamanca, oJ2 from New
York., where it meets the Ohio and Mississippi,
whcrcon It's passengers are rapidly borne to the
Mississippi opposite 81. Louis (3i0 mleSiurther).
BY next Summer, they will take the broad,
roomy cars at jersey City, and he conveyed IN
them, without change, TO the Misslssippi-a
distance of nearly twelve hundred miles. A
branch of this road formerly the Mshoning)
already reaches Cleveland (2lf miles from Sala-
manca, 62s from New-York) whence trains
start regularly over uniform six-leet guage
for this City. The Oil region of Pennsylvania
and Ohio lies very near the line Of the Atlantic
and Great Western, and is tapped by branches
running from Cory to Titusyille (the Oil Creek,
and from Meadville 10 Franklin, Nenang0
County Pennsylvania. The oil Of itself fur
n.hes To the main line more freight than it can
move, though a large addition 10 it, rolling
stock has been contracted for, and viii soon be
forthcoming. The Atlantic and Great West
crn, though not yet completed, is already one
of the grand trunk lines of our country. and
may yet give it, name 10 the entire line Of which
II forms the essential link-the yitalizing con-
nection And II has been constructed in de-
iiance of such formidable difficulties. md under
circumstances so trying 20 the faith and energy
Of its projectors, that wc propose to give briei
history OF It's origin and progress, as an encour-
agcment to those Who are still struggling with
unsolyed ditiicultc, and unirieadly fortune.
Some thirteen year. ago. Mr.. Marvin Kent Of
Franklin, modest village in Tumbull County.
Ohio, Conceived the idea of connecting the
then neariyor quite constructed Erie with the
embryo Ohio and Mi,sissipp Railroad, by one
direct, six feet Road m was ,-uning glass
works, wooden factory. ilourng-mill, &c, al
Franklin and was then contracting cotton
factory. The Cleveland and Pittsburgh Road
81 a. r l. t.t,f.
come no nearer, leaving him under heavy cost
for wagoning lie consulted his attomey-a
young lawyer named j. W. Tyler--and opened
to him his project. having very nearly the present
line OF the Road traced out on Il map. and re-
qucsted Mr. r. To furnish him copies of rail-
road charters as guide, in framing his
own. A few days thereafter his draft
WAS transmitted 10 the Honorable Milton
Sutliil, state Senator from that District, and
Chairman of the Railroad Committee. Mr.. 5.
took a warm interest in the matter and the
charter was perfected, March 10, I-jl. When
introduced, the name of the proposed work was
The Coal Hill Road;'-a ruse Ia rcpel the lob
by .hark, whom revelation of the real nature
and extent OF the enterprise might have sum
moned to impede or blackmail the undertaking.
Nobody cared about or thought of The Coal
Hill Road; but, on i, third reading. and just
before it, passage, the name was quietly changed
to the Franklin and Warren This was one
Of the very last charters granted under the old
Constitution of Ohio-thc new containing per-
sonal liability and other yeXatious clauses. |
which have precluded the construction of rail
roads chartered under il.
To save the charter, meeting OF the corpora
tors VIA speedily called and the Company or
g.nizcd. \ paid subscription OF $4,000 was
required Mr. Kent himself took that amount
Several others subscribed one share each, so as
to render them eligible TO serve as Directors.
The next step was to obtain permission TO
cross Pennsylvania. TO 90 to Harrisburg and
ask it directly of the Legislature was an under
taking entirely beyond the means Of the infant
company--the Pennsylvania Legislature being
then one of the rottenest and the surrounding
lobby the most rapaciOus aud shameless on
earth. (Thcre ha,, We would gladly believe,
been a great improvement since.) Upon in
quiry, it was ascerialned that the branch
ing power conceded in the existing char
ter of the Pittsburgh and Erie Road
could be made TO furnish the needed facili-
ties. Mr.. Kent associated with himself several
capitalists-among them, his brother, Henry A.
Kent of this ciiy-and bought the Pittsburgh
and Erie Company for 100000. From the
east line of Pennsylvania, the needed facilities
a. = L IL L l.. Il. Il IL