The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-02-10

the needed facilities. Mr. Kent associated
with himself several capitalistsAan1ong them
his brother, Henry "a Kent, Of thi Eity-and
bought the Pittsburg and Erie Company for
$500 600. From the aastline of Pennsylya-
MIA, the needed facilities could be obtained
through fine charter of the dead-alive Erie
and New York This having been secured, a
desperate efforts to obtain Subscriptions vas
made, and about 81 ,000, 600 obtained before
the close of 1852.
@FAe=eoHtFaet fofzeeHstruetingzthe road=was
taken by Mr.. Henry Doolittle, of Dayton. Ohio.
l-procaply the first experienced RAILROAD man
who had any faith in the enterprise He had
made a fortune by Similar un lertakings, and
was wiling to risk it on this. He made three
voyagessto Europe to negotiate the securities
OF the Company, which could not be done I'M
til agents had been sent over to examine the
line and report upon its merits. The reports
returned were for a time unfavorablc, so that
money could not be obtained. At last Mr.. d.
was enabled to close a provisional contra ct for
the sale Of his securities with Mr.. James Me
Henry, a heavy capitalist the condition be-
ing that Mr.. t. w. Kennard, an eminent rail-
road engineer conn cted with the house of
McHenry, should upon examination, approve
the enterprise. X came over on this
business in the fall of 1858, and at once pre-
ceivea and reported upon the signal ladvanta-
ges Ct the line. No adverse representations
could shake his confidence and on his report:
the contract was closed, and the company pro-
vided with the money requisite to q vigorous
prosecution of their work. Z
By this time it was 1860. Mr.. Dooiittle-
who had associated with himself in the con-
tract DIR. VS.. Streator, of Cleveland4had
kept the work gong under the supervision of
his partner, while he was pleading for funds
ir Europc. In this he was Sustained by liber-
al alliances from the Messers. Kents. DR..
Streator was a leading spirit IN the construc-
ton of tie Oil Greek Road-one of the best
feeders Ct the main line-and is now its super
intendant, as well as Il Director of the Atlantic
and Great Western.
Mr.. Doolittle dying, his partner proposed a
surrender of the contract, which was accepted,
and the work relet to Mr.. James McHenry,
of Liverpool, by whom it was to have been
resumed early in 1861. But fresh difficulties
were encountered, which necessitated a fresh
trip to Europe, wherein Mr.. Kennard was ac-
companied by Mr.. II. a. Kent and Mr.. VIM.
Reynolds of the Pennsylvania division. The
necessary arrangements were perfecred, when
the cloud Of war raised by the seizure of the
mail steamer Trent by Com. Wilkes again
brought matters to a stand so that the work
was not actually resumed until the spring Of
1862. One year thereafter "a year of ire
menaods civil war. enormous armies and
Scarce labor-Mr. Kennard had the cars run-
ming through from Salamanca, New York, to
Akron, Ohio-200 miles whereof he had
constructed 140, mainly through heavy TIM
ber-a display of energy and efficiency which
has rarely or never been Surpassed. The
Titusville and Franklin branches were both
constructed-the former by Mcssrs. StreetGr
and II. A. Kent; the latter by Mes-rs Rey-
nolds and Kennard-meantime SO that, in
all, over 200 miles of railway were construct
ed bythese parties, in a region where labor,
originally scarce had been absorbed by the
Oil business, and which wassfar from the sea-
board and the great cities, whence railway Ia
Dor must mainly be drawn.
In July, 1868, the Mahoning Road was
leased for ninety nine years by @the Atlantic
and Great Western. aud an additional rail
laid thereon, so as to give the latter a broad
tract into Cleveland. Tie Mahoning was
constructed to taDsthe Gonl and Iron region Of
north eastern Ohio near Youngstown, and con-
vey It's staples to Cleveland COZ miles,) but is
crossed by the grand trunk at Leavittsburg,
near Warren, Ohio, so miles from Cleveland.
An express train over this road for New York
without change of cars leaves Cleveland each
morning at $50 a. m. Freight trains like
wise run through without change.
From Akron to Gallon, on the Cleveland
md Cincinnati, is Ii miles, on which the
rack is all laid, over which, we learn, one
train per day is now running. The Road is
to be completed thence to Dayton by the 1st
of May next; and the two additional rails re-
quired to complete a six-feet track thence to
Cincinnati are. now being laid down Oh the
Cincinnati, Hamilton aud Dayton Road. That
will of course be completed before may when
through trains will ran regularly from New
York to Cincinnati and St. Louis, 1872
miles without a break of continuity or Of
guage.
The name of this road was changed to the
Atlantic an Great Western in 1854, by a
proceeding in court. That name was proposed
in Mr.. Kent's first annual report. A oharac-
ter was granted u der it by the Legislature of
Pennsylvania in 1857.
&Thec or, dit of keeping his enterprise alive
when it, in ordinary hands, must have died,
is mainly due to It's President, MIR. Marvin
Kent, and to his never daunted coadjutor the
Secretary, Mr.. J. w. Tyler. Mr.. Kent was
obliged to Iisk his all on its success. Mr.. Il.
p. Brainerd, of Ravenna, the Treasurer of
the original undertaking, and still of the Ohie
Division, has likewise had a most arduoua
task, and has performed it throughout with
eminent ability, courage and fidelity In la
ter days, Mr.. William Reynolds, President of
the Pennsylvania division, was required to
eyince equal courage and devotedness, and
never required in vaiu. 1t is to be hoped
that the reward of each Will be in proportion
to his sagacity, energy, courage and public
spirit. ~
Extensive machine-shops for the Ohio d.
vision are located at Franklin, and are sub
stantiaAy constructed of stone. They with
the necessary ~foundries, car mandatory, &c.,
will cover thirteen acres.
At Meadvillo is the great Hotel and Din
ing-Hall among the best in America. Here
also are machine-shops, &C., for the eastern
division of the road. Meadville, formerly
one of the most seclude and out-ofthe way
county seats in the West, is hen,eforth as ac,
cessible and eligibly located as any town in
Pennsylvania west Of Pittsburg. 1t was al
ways a beautiful spot, situated in a fertile and