Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-07

/ HOW 1T WILL AFFECT THE INHABITANTS OF
sHEsHEoUIN.
! TO illustrate the effect of the Railroad
/ Bridge passing over the narrows road, as is
/ contemplated, | have only to refer to the
/ fact that short time ago, as the Canton
! stage was passing under the Barclay Rail-
1 road, above Monroeton, while the cars
were passing over it, the stage horses took
/ fright, ran of, overturned the stage, nearly
| killed the driver, who was an experienced
one, and seriously injured Mr.. Munday,
who was the only passenger in it. In this
case the railroad after crossing the stage
road, diverges from it, nearly at right angles
but in the case Of this bridge, after cross
! ing the narrows' road turns round at an
acute angle and then runs parallel with and
close to the narrows' road for long dis
! tance, and as horses, when frightened by
| the cars, invariably run from them, the
| chances would be that if persons in wheel
| conveyances should escape from being
thrown out and injured or killed on land,
| they would run the greater risk of being
run into the river and drowned
HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THE INHABITANTS OF
wYsOx AND OTHER EASTERN TOWNSHIPS.
The inhabitants of those townships, in
coming to Towanda, would have to cross
the railroad track near the outlet lock, at
the end OF the dam, and pass along the
narrows close to and between the railroad
and the dam for some distance before reach
ing the Towanda Bridge, and where the
| railroad would cross the common road, the
curve would be so short that the hill would
| intervene and hide the cars from their view
| and hence they would run the risk of being
| thrown out of their vehicles and killed or
being run into the river and drowned.
HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THE INHABITANTS OF
TowANDA AND THE TowANDA BRIDGE CO.
Owing to the risks the people east OF the
river would have to encounter, in coming
to Towanda, it would prevent many of them
from coming at all ; and they would seek
some other and less dangerous points at
which to do their trading. But those hay
ing business in the public offices and suit
ors, witnesses, constables, judges and jur-
| ors would have to attend court regardless
Of those risks. Many would cross the river
by fording or ferrying at different points
| above and below the Towanda Bridge.
where they would only incur a single risk
of crossing the track at right angles, and
where they could see the cars for great
distance on both sides of them, and have
time to avoid the danger of contact with
them.
AS there will necessarily be a track or
switch to connect with the depot of the
Barclay and Dushore railroads, the inhabi-
| tants Of the Borough would have to suffer
all the risks and Inconvenience Of the cars
passing up and down through the Borough
| and be deprived of most of the custom from
| the east side of the river, which now con-
tributes so largely to its prosperity, with no
| corresponding equivalent TO compensate for
the loss and the owners of the Bridge will
be no less seriously affected by this diver
| sion of trade from the Borough and the
question may arise whether the railroad
company may not be amenable to them for
heavy damages.
1t is said that corporations have no souls
md are governed solely by self-interest, re-
gardless of the interests of others, while
this may be true in many cases, | am far
from thinking it is universal, and so far as
Judge Packer is concerned, who under
stand is most largely interested in the Rail
road, know him to be a gentleman of en-
larged philanthropy and Of unselfsh public
spirit and who l am very sure is incapable
of Intentionally doing any thing however
much it might advance his pecuniary inter
ests, that would destroy the interests and
endanger the lives of the inhabitants of our
tourishing town, in its present advancing
prospects of wealth and prosperity and I
think I may, from long acquaintance with
our neighbor Col. Welles, say the same
thing of him.
Again. By crossing the river below the
dam, the railroad bridge would be secure
against damage from ice freshets, save the
very expensive construction of a mile of
railroad on the east side of the river and
coming a mile down from the bridge to the
borough and then back again, being an in
crease of a mile in the general distance Of
the road, which would more than counter
balance the distance saved by cutting
across the Wysox Flats and avoiding the
towing path of the canal. By crossing be-
low the dam and following the towing path,
the company would avoid the payment of
heavy damages for crossing the farms of
Mr.. Laning and others.
If, however, it must cross above the
bridge, the point for crossing which would
be the least damage to all parties interested,
would be at some point near the Court
House and then strike the causeway of the,
Towanda Bridge and leaving sufficient
room between it and the narrows' road for
the canal, and down to the outlet lock at
the end of the dam, and from thence either
follow the canal or cut across the flats, as
might be deemed best for the company aud
the public
have only to add in conclusion, that
rather than the railroad should cross the
river at the point, it would be far better for
our citizens that it should never be built.
". PATTON.
ia a visit to the marble works of