North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-06-05
THE LEHrcH VALLEY RAIL ROAD.
EXCURSION TRAIN OVER ITS WYOMING Rx-
TENSION TO WILKRs-BARRE.

pubhsned oy Hon. THOMAS .. rERNoN
in Philadelphia. Many of the citizens in
this part of the State, know him as the ear
ly pioneer of the Rail Road just opened,
the celebration Of which he gives an ac-
count. He fails to mention that he was
honored and complimented, aud he was
forced to forego his accustomed modesty,
aud reply in very spirited speech to the
urgent and earnest call made upon him
BY those who do not forget his valued ef:
forts, in this enterprise, over which the
the people of Northern Pennsylvania have
so much cause to rejoice:
On Wednesday, May 29, an excursion
train passed over the Lehigh Valley Rail
road, from White Haven to Wilkes-Barra
The train left Philadelphia at 7.4S A. M
via the North Pennsylvania Railroad, for
Bethlehem, where it was joined BY train
from New York, via the Central Railroad
Of New JERSEY, and whence the party pro-
ceeded up the Lehigh Valley via the
Lehigh Valley Railroad to White Haven,
where the train passed on to the Wyoming
extension and across the Nescopec water
shed to Solomen's Gap in the Wyoming
Mountain, aud thence descended into the
valley and coal basin below, arriving at
Wilkes Barre about P NJ.
From Solomon's Gap the spectator looks
down into the Wyoming Valley lying ], 900
feet below, the Susquehanns meandering
its plain between mountains rising and
ontspreading on either side, their green
SUBMITS and ragged peaks lifted one ABOVE
another, whilst far away to the northwest
the blue crest Of the imperial allegheny
the master mountain of the Appalachian
system, is marked in bold outline against
the sky, forming background to forest
of irregular mountain tops.
At your feet, and spread out before you
is q magnificent panorama of q classic vale,
covered with cultivated fields and dotted
with thriving towns the whole underlaid
with thick veins fpurest anthracite, pre-
senting to the eye profusion Of landscape
poetry and beauty, associated with opu-
lent store of mineral fuel, available to in
dustry and art, over outletting avenues in
to surrounding markets.
Think Of the three charms, wisdom.
youth and beauty. blended in one gentle
being; Of health, experience and riches
united in one Christian man, and yon may
form some sort of approximate conception
Of the natural loveliness and commercial
excellence combined and centered in fresh
and fair Wyoming, with the SusquehanEa
River in il. lap and the northern coal-feld
in its arms.
The length of the Wyoming extension,
from White Haven to Wilkes Barre, is 80
miles; distance from White Haven to Phil,
lipsburg II miles; whole length of Lehigh
Valley Railroad, main line. from Phillips.
burg to Wilkes barre, l01 miles. Add
branch from Penn Haven to Honeybrook
l6 6l.l00 miles, and Lehigh and Lehigh
and Mahanoy branch from Black Creek
junction to Mt. Carmel, 40 miles, aud the
total of trunk and branch road is l57 6l-
100 miles. About one half, or 80 miles
of the company's road, i. double track, and
there is also in use about 20 miles of siding.
With main road built from the State
line at Phillipsburg to Wilkes-Barre in
the Wyoming coal-feld, branch road
in use into the Beaver Meadow coal re
gion, with connections penetrating into the
Hazelton and Black Creek coal basins, and
branch road into the Mananoy coal field,
the Lehigh Valley Railroad, it is conceded,
is work of rank, profit, present conse-
quence and future promise. ....
At the opening banquet at the Wyo,
ming Valley House, in Wilkes Barre. on
Wednesday evening, at which there were
about three hundred guests, comprising
citizens ofPennsylyania, of New Jersey and
New York, this fact was appreciated BY
the speakers, and by the guests. in posi-
tive remarks and tumultuous applause.
The Hon. George ". Woodward pre-
sided at the table; and among those who
made speeches were Judge Woodward,
Wm. W. Longstreet, President of the Le-
high Valley Railroad Company John
Taylor Johnston, President of the Central
Railroad Company of New Jersey; Wm
Ii. Gatzner, President of the Camden and
Amboy Railroad Company; Hon. Hen.
drick B. Wright; Hon. John n. Conyng
ham Hon. Asa Packer, Stanley Wood
ward; David Thomas; Judge Maxwell
V. E. Piollet; Gen. W. ". FL. Davis;
w. Seudder (ofthe Mt. Morris Canal Com
pany J II. NJ Hoyt; Sol. Roberts; DR.
Brisbin Allen Craig.
Judge Packer was the recipient of com.
plimentary remarks from several of the
speakers, in which the guests gave unmis-
taxable signs Of hearty concurrence.
And among the incidents related during
the evening, Judge Woodward stated that
in February last, in the Merchants Hotel
Robert II. Sayre, the efficient and progress
sive Chief Engineer and General Superin.
tendant of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, told
him that he would run train over the
Wyoming extension, into Wilkes-Barre. on
the 10Th of May, and he did IL, as all the
guests could testify! And when the uDus.
ually wet character of the spring is consid-