Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-10-24
Tbe Middle Greek Rail Road.

~
A Company to build this Railroad wa:
Organized on the I'd October, Instant
T5a president is Mr.. Abner Thompson
trraasi,rer r. L.. Benedict, Esq, Secret.t
ry + A. Mckee, Esq, Solicitor Josepf
Alexander, Esq.
The Directors are Joseph Alexander
Thomas B. Reese, Henry Zerbe, VIM. II
Weber, Z. l.. Benedict, John 4. Mckee
John Hayes, Jr., Moses Specht, Aaron
K. Gift, John :. Smith, George Schnurt
and John ID. Romig.
The Chief Engineer, f. c. Arms. ESQ,
gentleman of great experience and HIGH
reputation for ability and integrity. is now
| surveying an experimental line, having
commenced at Lcwistown on Tuesday,
the 10Th inst.
The main Object to be attained by build
! ing this Railroad, is a cheap and direct
route of traffic and travel between the
| Valleys OF the Susquehanna and the In
niata and their tributaries. At present
no direct communication exists between
] these rich and populous valleys east of
| Tyrone, except by country roads we'll nigh
| impassable III the early spring and late
| autumn, ana thus the imports and exports
! or the intermediate region are burdpned
/ by wretched system of TRANSFORMATION
abandoned almost everywhere else in
! pennsylvania. These two great valleys
are necessary to each other; the Susoue-
| hanna aboundS in lumber of the finest
quality, and i'll anthracite and anthraci-
tous Goals, but is deficient in iron ores. ex-
cept the fOssilifeTOus variety. and the un-
| reliable carbOnateS of the coal measures
The Juniata is sparseiy timbered, but is
exceedingly rich in fossiliferous iron ore
IN the peroxide of iron or hematite, and
heavy seams of the pr0to-carbonate Of
iron jVor
width Rogers Geo. Rep't for IS40.r
The recent perfect success of the Gla-
morgan Furnace at Lewistown, in yield
ing, from combination of these three
ores, fused with Anthracite and hot blast,
metal futly equal to Scotch pig metal,
demonstrates to every thoughtful mind
that cheap coal is necessity for the Ju-
niata, and cheap hcnatite iron ore for the
Susquehanna, and that each of these no
bic valleys will be the seat of vast iron
manufactures.
1t being clear that an interchange of
commodities viii benefit the peopIe of
both valleys and the region lying between
them, we next inquire, can direct prac-
ucable Railroad Line be located from val
ley to valley? | answer, that one Of the
UeTY best lines an Pennsylvania can thus
be located: From Lewistown on the .Ju-
nlata, to Selinsgrove on the Susquehan-
ma, AZ miles, THERE Is NOT ONE SERIOUS
NATURAL OBSTACLE for diTectness. light
grade, easy curvature, cheap crOss-tieS and
ballast, it is a remarkably fine line The
maximum grade will not exceed 80 feet
to the mile, and this for but IA short dis
distance the general grade will be
from % to p feet to the mile. The
middle route passes n. east from Lewis
town, crossing Jacks Creek at LiAeys'
Mill by a single span bridge; about two
miles thence with gentle curve it passes
through a break in the ridges into the val
ley Of Middle Creek, aud descends this,
with a very light grade to the Susuuehan-
ma. The North and South Lines along
the tianks of Jacks and Shade Mountains
are very fine, but they are longer than the
Middle route, and they leave the main
body of cultivated land on one side OF the
line, while the Middle route has rich az
ricultural and grazing lands on either side
for the greater part of its length. Reach
ing the Susquehanna we find a serious OBJ
stacle-a wide river-but | learn from
very good authority that the people around
the Eastern terminus of the road will sub
scribe heavily to a bridge on the Susque-
hanna if it is both q Railroad and Toll
bridge for ordinary travel Two hundred
thousand dollars will build such bridge;
we must remember that if we grade the
roadbed the Construction Bonds of the
Company will then command ready
market so that with Il heavy local sub
scriptiOn, and an issue of reasonable
amount of such Bonds we can build this
bridge without difficulty. The bed of the
river is very firm, building stone are
cheap and good, and all the lumber re-
quired can be fiOated to the site Of the
bridge. Once across the river we are in
immediate connection with the sys-
tenn of Railroads that radiate from the
anthracite coal fields, and on the highway
to Philadelphia and New York. But it
may be urged that the people of sun
bury and Selinsgrove and their vicinity
will not subscribe largely to the stock of
this Company. Such suggestion is very
poor compliment to the Intelligence, en-
ergy and wealth Of the people of that dis
trict. They certainly understand their best
interests and feel them to be identified
with the building of this Railroad but if
most unfortunately they should nOtaid us,
wemust enlist friends elsewhere 10y build
ing our Road up the Susquehanna to the
Northumberland bridge, the abutments
and piers of which are admirable and de-
signed for a double track bridge a new
superstructure is all we will require to
carry us into Northumberland and con-
meet us direct with the Lackawana and
Bloomsbury railroad.
But will this railroad be paying in
vestment? We have seen that the line is
very fine and its construction must, with
proper management, be very cheap.
And this introduces the question OF the
cost of working the road although it IS
premature inquiry. yet it is well to meet
every objection which is honestly made.
A railroad with light grade, and easy eur
vature, and with cheap ties and ballast,
can always be cheaply worked. The wear
and tear of machinery and rails is light,
and the repair of the road bed is cheap
Where grades are heavy, curves sharp,
timber and ballast dear, the working of
railroad is very expensive, the strain on
the machinery is very great, the stoke of