West-Jersey pioneer., 1867-11-01


been done with New York in preference to
Philadelphia After leaving Winslow, we run
through beautiful section Of country, we'll
timbered, with good farmers all along the way
until We come to vineland. Preference to the
Williamstown branch was accidentally omit
ted.J When We strike Vineland, We come to a
population OF ten Thousand people, whose trade
is almost exclusively with New York in prefer
ence to Philadelphia. Its merchants buy all
their store goods in New York; the citisens
themselves are from New England, and points
north Of New York. Vinelaud station alone
does business Of one hundred tb bousand dol
lars year, and two thirds Of that goes to New
York We get all that business and when we
strike the Vineland tract, we strike, besides,
the Millvile and Glassboro' road, and all the
country South to Cape May. We get large
business from Millville. The Glass manufao
turers send large quantity of their goods to
New York. Such is the expense and the annoy.
ance of getting proper accommodation by the
Millville and Glasstoro' road, that they some
times forward their goods even now TO jackson
station. We take the Millville business and
tina, of the entire river country below But we
run over the Vineland tract several miles, and
we come into the country this side of the Mau-
rice River, and do not believe there is a better
section of country in the State of New Jersey
than that which this Railway will open up. 1t
is a rich, loan soil, well timbered. Then we
come on and strike the Bridgeton region, and
City, which is rapidly developing in wealth,
population and enterprise. From here we run
to the Delaware Bay, and from this point it is
certainly as beautiful region Of country as
eye ever rested upon, and from every point we
carry the business to New York. They cannot
afford to do it as cheap by any other route.
We cross the river and strike Smyrna, and
here we come in contact with another profita-
BILE business which will be all our own The
peach trade this year needed two hundred cars
day to carry the peaches. Thousands of
baskets could not find transportation. The
Camden " Amhoy road would rather not have
this peach trade. When we strike that section
of country, we get that entire peach trade.
But as far as this road is concerned, it is not
only Railroad to New York but also to Pbia-
delphia. 1t is nearer route from East Vine
land to the city of Philadelphia, than the West
Jersey aud Millvills and Glassboro route. That
business alone will be worth from thirty to
forty thousand dollars year.
Now, just think OF the small price it will
cost to build this road. 1t is estimated that ten
thousand dollars mile will grade tie and iron
it all the way through Then think of the i'm :
mense amount of business it will do, and you
can make some calculations as to whether it is
not certain to pay good dividends You may
say, however, that great deal depends, after
the building of the road. as to whether the
management is judi,ious or extravagant. Well,
we have no means to be extravagant if we
would /; it is q peoples road and it can only be
built by the influence exerted amongst those
who are specially interested in building it,
While this may occasion us TO take little more
time in the construction of it, l think it will be
vast advantage to our country There is
nothing so unfortunate in Railway enterprises
as that our Railroad facilities should be under
the control of parties who live outside of the
country through which the Railroad passes
There will be men living along the route of our
projected Railway who will own the road from
the time when it starts from Atsion clear down
to Delaware Bay. We are not going to be sat-
isfed to build this road to Vineland only. 1t
would not place US thus on the great through
route between North and South That is what
we are after. We don't want to be the end OF
Railroad route. Instead Of making few
dollars by being the end of Railway. we pre-
fer to make thousands, by being on the great
through route. In regard to this matter, gen
tleman, it becomes every man who has any
v.
some active interest in this enterprise Ii is
necessary that every man should talk this sub.
ject over with his neighbor. And there is no.
thing in our scheme that will not bear the
strictest examination. In regard to any sub
scription that you may raise here, we will be
happy if you will put these into the hands Of
Mr.. John L. Nixon, or Mr.. Chas E Elmer, or
any gentleman that you know, and we would
be very happy to meet with any conditions tha,
you may impose. have made my remarks
thus general because l look upon this as merely
a preliminary meeting We have here present q
gentleman who has been President of three
Railway Companies, and has been connected
more or less with the most successful Railroa d
projects of the United States. Colonel BosT
WICK will give you some views of Railway
matters which will be valuable to you, no ma t.
ter whether you subscribe to the stock of this
Railroad scheme or not.
Colonel Bostwck then said: Mr.. presi.
dent and gentlemen, am stranger in New
Jersey. Only twelve months have passed since
| made it my home. supposed when came
down here, that had retired from public life
and settled down on little fruit farm to
smuse myself. However, am happy to aid in
the construction of this Railroad and vol
must pardon any reference l make to self, a.
in this way only can l come to the point:
which wish to arrive at. For twenty five
years have been engaged in building per-
fecting and maintaining Railroads To suct
an extent were my labors carried that nv
health failed and was forced to seek a trop.
ical climate. Wishing to return, did so, and
IN a month afterwards found myself citizen
of Vineland. Mr.. Lands has remarked that
have been engaged in several railroads. l
have been acting president of three companies
at one time. have had great deal Of expe
rience in the construction of roads, and know
the operations of railway corporations one to
another. have seen the increase and bene.
hts of railways to population and country
along their line; and on that point, gentlemen,
can give you case that will surprise YOU.
was interested in the building of the New
York and Erie Railroad. Where l lived, il
took me six long days and nights to get to
New York, and six more were generally con-
sumed before one was fit for business. lived
to make the journey in ten hours in comfort.
After the Erie road was built and 1 was en-.
gagged in other works, the company became
embarrassed, and it became necessary to 20
to the Legislature in order to get wiped off a
mortgage of three millions of dollars, was
one of the commhtee. We were received at
the capital at Albany as band of beggars.
come there to put our hands into the Treasury
and steal the money of the people of New York.
| saw that the committee had made up their
minds to report against our petition and |
sain: "Gentlemen, this case win be decided
against US if you report at present Will you
be kind enough to let US prepare ourselves to
meet you on another occasion" They were
very glad to get rid Of US on these terms. Our
committee Immediately got together and de
cided to show that committee Of the Legisla.
ture of the State of New York what the value
Of railway to country was in the produo-
tion Of wealth. We sent men all over the
whole length of the road 1854 milesl to 90 to
the Assessors books in every district and note
the value of the taxable property for ten miles
on each side of the line at the commencem ent
of the building of the road, and then to note
the value of such property ten years after the
completion of the road, and see what the differ
ence was. The one was small sum, and the
other was an increase of hundred and three
millions one hundred ard five thousand dollars.
There was hundred millions of dollars added
to the value of the state of New York. The
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