The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-06-07

| Mldh and Jonah Rogers, McOGuleY,
Vial, Pau,ly, Giocn aud others. They
made improvements, and opened out
farms in aud about the ncighborhood Of
Kersey. Nothing as yet was known of
Ridgway as a place, or the spot where
ellis had located, until his improve.
ments commenced. From 1922 to 1924,
Gillis had pushed his work rapidly on,
with ample means, aud by his Herculc-
an efforts nearly 400 acres were clear
ed, saw and grist mill erected on Mill
Creek, 3 miles west of Montmorency,
and a Carding Machine was also put IN
operation. BY great watchiulness and
folding the sheep at night, and warned
by their watch dogs, the settlers in Ker-
sey contrived to raise sufficient wool to
clothe themselves. A carding machine
might therefore have been considered Il
convenience, rather than an article of
necessity. 1t was surely not from any
ploft expected to be derived, that
prompted Gillis to such an expense.
From the fact that the grist aud saw
mills we're placed upon Mill Greek, Gil
lis and Ridgway both must have cXpcc
ted that settlements must have wended
towards that quarter, and not without
reason. The Olean Road from Arm
strong Co. to the York State line would
cross Gillis's road west from Mill Greek,
at right angles, some miles west of the
mill, aud the laud highly favorable for
cultivation. The laying out of the
Oleau road was State work, and the
land owners and settlers must have been
enthusiastic with regard to it. Paul
4. Scull, Esq, once informed the wrl-
ter that such was the confidence at the
time Of its being travelled and settled
upon, that it was cmphatically predic-
ted that stage and four horses would
shortly be Gu the line. The result did
not justify the prophecy. 1t was used
for returning lumberman on foot from
Pittsburg to Alleghany aud Cattoraugus
Counties, N, Y, for a number of years,
and until the underbrush prccluded all
pedes;riaeism. IF the writer was not
misinformed, no teams passed over it,
much less stago coach and four. 1t
may have been that the failure of this
road in stimulating settlements, sugges.
ted to the fertile mind of Gillis, as much
larger, ard ii may be said the gigantic
projec. of The lay aud age, of opening
the county by >he construction OF turn
pike under s.lo direction OF stock com
pany from Bellefoute to the New York
State line near Olean, a distance Of l20
miles--any and every mile of which will
, be dcnomiuated wilderness, No omad-
cap enthusiast ever projected a scheme
that was met with more surprise and
confidence OF its failure than this bold
project of Gillis. In the winter of lS2
r he drew up his petition to the Legisla'
ture for n charter, his Kcrsey neighbors
signed it, aud with his sleigh aud hor,
ses he crossed the Bcuuett's branch near
| Morey's settlement, and thence to Kar'
thaus, the first team that ever was driv-
: en through that 23 miles of wilderness
1t is questionable whether anv other
man, or madcap, than James Ia. Umns
, would, in the depth of winter have dar
! ed to attempt it, At Bellcfonte his pc
e tition was signed by few. He then
proceeded to Harrisburg. Judge Burn
, side was then Senator, and Gen. John
e Mitchell member of the House-botl
were from Centre County. These gen
o tlenen were much amused at Gillis;
zeal in so gigantic an enterprise, as 1t
q appeared to them. The Logislatur,
!. could not refuse TO grant a charter, bu
o as to any help being given it would b.
$ prcposterous to ask it, Mr.. RidgwAy
$ though man of enlarged ideas, ant
/ most specially to be benefited by thu
Y road, ridiculcd the project. The bill
/ granting the charter passed that wintc
,. and became law. Before the mex
' meeting of the Legislature the icasibil
h ity of making the road was more appa
t rent, aud GilliS succeeded iu obtainin:
n an appropriation, OF rather a subscrip
ton, of $4,000 from the State to ii;
n stock. The company was immediatel,
Il organized under the name aud style o
It the " Milesburgh aud Smethport Turn
G pike Road Company" Its first officer
o were p. Karthaus, President, Managers
Jno, ColgrOye, George Otto, Judge OF
e to, of Mexican, Boud Valentine, july
h Burnside, and Patton of Centre, an,
It Wilson Of Clearfeld; Treasurer, Pau
It Il, Scull. Aud now commenced worl
h of public character, attended by grcl
|. but loreseen difficulties aud delays; an,
q here the writer takes the occasion to ob
e serve, that under the circumstances, til,
c scarcity of inhabitants, aud the entir
o absence OF money in that part of tn
d country, the length of the road, aud i
t may be said an unknown wilderness t
S be Travelled, the fatiguing journeys Q
its managers, aud its cost, this euterpris
e was relatively of greater magnitud
3 than the construction of the Sudbury
Erie Railroad through an equal distanc
g of relative territory, or to be more easi
d ly understood from Lock Haven to Erie
F and nothing short of the indoAiitabl