The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-04-18


should be the pride, as believe it to be
the duty of Pennsylvanians, to throw it
open. Our true mission is that of ma
terial progress, and in the line of that
mission, free transit becomes an i'm
perative duty.
Standing upon one of the hills of my
own county, I can cast stone, with my
left hand, into waters that flow into the
Gulf Of Mexico, and, with my right hand,
into those that flow into the Chesapeake
bay. At that point the summit be-
tween the Eastern aud Western waters
can be passed with gradients not exceed
ing fifty feet to the mile, and the val
leys Of these water courses run almost
beneath the line of direct airline route
between New York and the great centre
of railroads in the West.
Here lies the great natural thorough
fare from the seaboard to the West. In
advocating It's adoption, [ am actuated
by what I believe to be the simplest
principle in our ordinary affairs 1t is
that which dictates to our common sense
the selection of the most direct means
for the attainment of the end desired.
Hero are the easy grades, the direct
line. Trade and travel seek and inva-
riably find them. Their early adoption
brings early development Refusal to
open the door now but postpones the
inevitable future. Philadelphia is not
injured by their adoption, for to day her
great corporation seeks to secure travel
and trade to New York, and facilities
are given by the Allentown route, and
by close connection West Philadelphia
for easy and rapid access thereto. Its
officers grasp great truth in establish.
ing this policy, and secure for their
magnificent road patronage that a diff
ferent policy would repel. IF, then, it
be true that Philadelphia and her citi.
zens now aid in opening the way to New
YORK, ana, by doing so, invite traffic
through our borders, what force is there
in the argument that Philadelphia is in
jured ?? Trade cannot be diverted from
its natural channels, and we must act
accordingly. 1t then becomes simple
question between the interests of exist
ing lines and of those to be created in
future. There will be enough for both
Our geographical position insures his.
New York lines may not be able to COM
pete with this, but our own will fairly
divide the trade.
From Second Fork, in Cameron coun.
ty, on the Philadelphia and Erie rail,
road, by the valleys of the Sinnemahon,
ing and Susquehanna to Lock Haven,
thence by straight line to Milton, and
thence by the Catawissa, Lehigh Valley
and Central New Jersey routes, New
York is reached by direct lines.
From Second Fork, the summit of
which have spoken is reached by the
valley of Benefits brauch of the SiDnc-
mahoning creek, and connection is made
with Sandy Lack creek, branch of the
Redoank, which is a tributary of the
Allegheny. Descending the Sandy by
very low gradients, the town Of Brook
vile is reached, and thence stretching
westward by the valley of one of the
tributaries of the ReGbauk, branch of
the Clarion is attained, which is descen-
dsd, that stream is crossed, and one of
its western branches again assembled to
the summit, between the Clarion and
the Allegheny, where the head Of East
Sandy creek is reached, and that stream
descended to the Allegheny, whence
easy gradients and direct lines connect
with Franklin, and Warren, Ohio. II
we will take map and lay upon it
line from the centre of the railway
systems of Ohio and Indiana to New
York, it will be found that by this
route, the DETECTION from that line is
vsstly less than that of and existing line.
! Its distance is shorter by ninety miles
its curvatures are lighter, and its gradients
are one,half easier than those of any other
existing line of railway. 1t is the direct
and natural route from New York to the
| great West. If to this we add the fact that,
| diyerging from this line at the mouth of
Sandy Lick in Jefferson county, and fol-
lowing the valley of the Redbank to the
Allegheny, and thence connecting with the
Allegheny Valley Railroad, Pittsburg is
reached and connected by easy gradients
with the line, we find that an undreamed
of capacity for development exists in
Northwestern Pennsylvania. These lines,
traversing the counties of Cameron, Elk,
Clearfeld, Jefferson, Clarion, Venango,
Mercer, Armstrong and Butler, will stimu-
late enterprise, bring forth their dormant
treasures and add enormously to the
wealth of the State. In Clarion county
there exists immense deposits of iron ore
and other minerals awaiting means of tran
sit and capital for their development.
Up to this time she has received no benefit
from public improvements and the enter
prise of her citizens has been reprcssed and
and discouraged by their inability to COM
pete with those more favored with facilities
for rapid transit and easy production
Thcy ask that you shall but give them the
right to add to your wealth in nourishing
and inyigorating their own. The counties
of Elk, Cameron, Clearfeld and Jefferson
bristle with forests of pine and hemlock
oak timber. Annual freshets upon the
streams of the localities are the only means
they possess for bringing to your doors the
products of their forests. They can reach