West-Jersey pioneer., 1867-12-27
The Dificu ulties Incident to q Beginning
The Doubts and Prejudtces of
the People.

the People.
Many of our readers are still tamilia
with the abortive attempt to inaugurat'
railroads in South Jersey, when the ole
Woodbury. Railroad was constructed. 1T
brief existence and disastrous failure
dampened the ardor of the most sanguine
and fell like wet blanket upon the spiri
of improvement which had germinateC
in this section of the State at that time
A lull that neither apathy or indifference
could express, followed. 1t almost
amounted to disgust. The people again
became satisfied with stages, and the
trusty Jehus once more felt secure from
invasion.
Many were the rude jests INDUCED in
by our South Jersey Stage Drivers. as
they gazed upon the abandoned track Of
the Woodbury. road. They would point
it out to passengers, and eloquently por-
tray the loss sustained by its projectors,
until they gradually imbued the pub
lie mind with their own doubts and pre-
judices for, say what you will, this trusty
class of men are powerful agents in mould
ing popular opinion, because they often
have the ear of prominent men on the
route, and many of them are gifted with
rare conversational abilities, which they
never fail to exercise against any and all
innovations upon their calling. They are
the custodians of important secrets, they
bring and carry valuable parcels Of money
and goods, they detail the news in ad-
vance of the papers, and are looked for
with an anxiety and greeted with well
come, that gives them heart-cheer in
the discharge Of their duties. Aside
from shis, they love their horses next to
wife and children, and regard the coach
as second only to their cottage homes
With such attachments who can wonder
that they look with jealous eye upon
all "new-fangled notions" which tend to
force them from the road
True, here and there could be found
one bold enough to declare, that railroads
would be constructed, and could be main
tanned in this District; but these express
ions were looked upon as the chimerical
ideas of over-zealous advocates,-mere
idle speculation, which failed to make
any impression upon the public mind
Amid all these disparagements, however,
our genial climate and available geograph-
ical position, would draw an occasional
stranger to us; and this, added to the
natural increase of population, began to
crowd our inland and seaside stages, as
we'll as our bay and river steamboats,. =
The travel to Cape Island in the summer
months, also, pointed to the necessity of
railroad, which should start from some
point at or near Camden, and penetrate
the lower counties in its course to that
point The more sanguine made the most
of this limited evidence of progress, and
hope grew apace, until it only needed
some prominent men, who could bring to
the work means and experience, to revive
public confidence,
At this stage of affairs, number of
prominent gentlemen in the District, and
few out of it comprising some of the
most active directors Of the Camden &
Amboy Railroad became impressed with
the conviction that a railroad which
should pass through some Of the principal
towns securing the patronage Of these
and the travel to Cape Island, would
prove self-sustaining. Some of these gen.
tlemen had been participants in the
struggle which bore down all opposition
arrayed against the parent road of the
State, many years previous, and knew
how to meet that which was presented
against the West Jersey Road They
were animated by the hope, too, that this
enterprise would lead to the construction
of branch roads to Cape Island, Salem,
and other points, should they be required;
for the main track once constructed, it
would be an easy task to build the
branches. This view of the question
brought together number of active and
energetic gentlemen from Camden, Sa-
lem, Bridgeton, and other places, whose
combined influence did much to remove
the widespread doubt which existed in
regard to the feasibility Of the under
taking.
The winter of 1851 was one Of unusual
severity. The close Of navigation proved
a sad detriment to the business interests
Of the towns named, and, in fact, great
Inconvenience to the people of South Jer-
sey. Wagons afforded but meagre facul-
ties for transporting merchandise to the
interior, and produce to Philadelphia
The oyster trade, an important item to
our bay and river population. suffered in
consequence; and this condition of things
caused the pioneers in the movement to
devote much of thought to, and to make
the closest calculations upon the subject
The long experience an3 close connection
Of portion Of them with the Camden &
Amboy Railroad, gave them arguments
which gradually enabled them to over
come the iucredulity of many who had
looked upon the undertaking with jaun-
diced eye. We we'll remember the ridi-
cule which met the earnest efforts and
well-matured plans of these gentlemen; );
for the tide Of opposition ran SO strong,
that some Of the deepest thinkers and
most practical men were irresistibly borne
along with the current. In most cases,
however, it is proper to state, that the op-
position did not proceed from an aversion
toothe enterprise, but from the conyic-
ton that it would prove a disastrous in,