The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-12-25


'tAeir eoasummRtion, | acted upon the
theory that the Erie Railway Company,
which owed its existence 10 the State,
was bound to pursue a policy that would
foster and protect both the commerce Of
tbe city and the business interest Of The
State. found the equipment Of the
road, both engines and ears, inadequate
for its business. There is not local
station between New York and Buffalo
where business men and shippers are
mol now gTssily suffering for want Of
arsrs In addition to these local re-
quests, We are bound to give facilities
to our Western connections They are
now and have been greatly suffering
from an inability to furnish cars and
engines to bring 6orwsni The Freight
Much Western trade has thereby been
driven away from New york to Phila-
delphis and Baltimore. / propose to
remedy this evil by furnishing the road
with ample equipments to accommodate
The public, and protect the local Gus
toners Of this road. - -
The Western connections Of the Com
pany were in an unsatisfactory condition.
The Michigan Central aud Great West
ern Railways, forming line between
Chicago and Suspension Bridge, we're
completely shut off from US by want
ofa link Of twenty miles Of road between
Buffalo and Suspension Bridge. / en-
tered into negotiations with these Com
.panies, and, as result, the road IN
question is now being rapidly construct
ed, and BY July 1, the Erie Railway
will be Doing fair share Of the busi-
ness Of those Companies between New
York and Niagara Falls and Suspension
Bridge, connecting at Chicago. From
this source I expect 10 derive a revenue
of from one to two millions Of dollars
per year
We not only are suffering for engines
md ears, bat a large portion Of the hne
vas single track, aud the pressure upon
il Wss 50 great that it was almost i'm
possible to pass the traffic Of the Com
SDany over it. Fre4ueut delays in both
passenger and freight trains we're 8
necessary result These delays injured
the traffic of our line, to obviste which
/ am now double-trscking the road as
rapidly as possible from Buffalo east,
Hornellsville east, Coming vest and
on the Delaware Division. Very soon
the entire line between Buffalo and New
York viii have double track, easily
saving one hour in running of passenger
trains, and one day in the running Of
freight trains, beside doubling the ca
paeity Of the road. Hound the charac-
Ter Of the iron rails so deficient in quail
ity that l considered the road unssfe.
and immediately called to my assistance
the best talent and experience in Ghe
country, and we are nov manufacturing
our own steel rails a. rate which viii
cover the entire hne betFeen Buffalo
and New York ia about two years, and
We have already eighty miles Of steel
rails laid on the Eastern Division, and
] consider our track to-day equal to any
in the country. l found the road in
bad shape. As to the supply Of fuel
and its greater cost, although we we're
buying large amount Of coal, we were
buying much Of it at retail prices and
our fuel account was costing US 81, 700,-
900. l sm now mining coal at our own
mines At cost Of about $3.50 per ton,
or saving of nearly 81, ,oo0, 600 on the
single item Of fuel alonea
There was another important matter
presented TO my attention at an early
day, nameIv;a third raj, Of narFoF
, gauge. All cur Western connections,
excepting the Atlantic and Great West
eru, were harrow gauge, requiring a
transhipment at Buffalo and DuukiTk Of
every car Of through freight passing
over the road, while on the competing
lines of the New York Central aud
Pennsylvania Central fhsrs was no
transhipment between Chicago and New
York. The Western roads sgFeed to
furnish the cars for the whole line be-
tween Chicago and New York, leaving
it only for the Eris Company TO provide
the third rail l could not, acting for
fhis company decline so important an
impfoyement and l was rapidly con.
centrating the arrangements to carry
o1t this plan, when The recent litigs-
tions, supposed to be in the iatarestqof
competing lines broke out Bsgond the
expense Of. these litigatieus, aud the an
.noyance and loss Of time they OCCASION.
ed me, / do not regret them.iiuThe
charges made are without the sli9btest
Foundation in truth, as was well known
10 the principal instigators. gsl lao.
Since have been connected with the
Company ] have secured the following
roads and on the following terms; 80
The Pat erson and Newark, extending
from Newark to Patterson, leased /; the
Erie Company to operate the Fead and
to pay as rent thirty-fiye per cent of
the gross earnings The Ere Company
have the fixing of rates. 49,. 81, ~..1to
/ regard this connection as very i'm
portani. 1t makes Newark, q, city, of
one hundred and twenty thousand pop
alation, and the largest notwithstanding
city in the Union, one of the termini Of
the Erie Railway 20 vd b97sag7qI
The NeWburg snd New York Rail-
road, fourteen miles, making the short
est line between Newburg and New
York, is being constructed. by this Com
pany. It had been Contemplated.
l have made a contract with the
Delaware and Hudson Canal Company
for the entire transportation of the
Western coal, amounting to 500, 900
tons per annum, a tonnage equal to our
Total through tonnage last year This
embraces the use Of eight miles between
Honesdale and Hswley, and also a new
road between Carbondale and Susque-
hanna This coupled with The new
road being constructed in conjunction
with the Michigan Central and Great
Western, between Buffalo and Suspen-
sion Bridge, embraces all the new lines
that have been secured or constructed
under my administration. / consider
them all important additions to the
Company.
/ have also revised aud made a new
contract with the United States Express
Company, made upon more equitable
basis, aud largely increasing our com
rensation for doing the express busi-
Iess.
At meeting Of the Executive Com