The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-10-30
FINDLAY & CAREY BRANCH R. R
Trailing to be Comme need Immedi
ately.
How 1t was Accomplished.

How 1t was Accomplished.
The act authorizing the county {
Hancock to furnish the means nece
sary to build the Branch Road ws
passed February 10, 1s45, and r,
quired the building of permaner
Railroad from the town of Findla
to the main line of the Mad Rive
land Lake Erie Railroad. In Apri
s 1S45, the County Commissioner
subscribed 100000, and subsequent
ly subscribed $4,000 more, maxim
$4,000 towards building perm.
nent Branch Railroad.
= On the 22d of Apr, ,l1S45, the Cour
ty Commissioners issued $4,000 i
: in bonds of the county as the frs
] installment upon their subscription
: and the work was commenced. Tn
Commissioners afterwards issuet
: bonds to the amount of $3.50,
. more upon their subscription, all o
: which was in exchange for stock, al
Required by the law. zF-
After furnishing the s45,500 il
bonds, the county ceased payment
Upon her subscription of $4,000, and
the company, not caring to increase
at that time, the capitol stock of the
Road, such Branch was built as
the scanty means thus furnished,
would permit, and here the matter
has been allowed to rest for over
eighteen years, in violation of q law
requiring the building of a perma-
nent Branch Railroad, and with an
unexpended subscription, the bal
ance of which amounted to $4,000,
the law not repealed. and the rec
ords showing no measures to cancel
the balance of the subscription.
With this situation, and the Rail-
road company, under its present en-
ergetic management, proposing to
make the Branch permanent or aban-
don it altogether, some Of our citi-
zens determined at once to see what
could be done In negotiating with
the Company for the purpose of max
ing the Branch Road a permanent
structure, such as was originally con-
templated. These efforts have re-
suited in an agreement between the
county and Company, in substance as
follows: The Company is to Trail,
and otherwise improve, the Branch
Road in a permanent manner; to put
up convenient passenger house at
Findlay; to release the balance of
the unpaid subscription, and, at
no time, charge higher rate of tar
iff between Findlay and points on
the main line of the Road than the
average rates charged on the main
line; to exchange with the County
SIS, 900 of its stock for S15, 900 of
the County bonds, on condition that
S12, 900 of the aforesaid bonds shall
be equal to Sl2, 900 in money Sc 900
to he paid to the Company when half
of the work is accomplished, and the
remaining sc 900 upon the compile
tion OF the Road; the county to sur
render the stock to the Company, and
the Company to surrender $4,000 of
the bonds to the County, which were
cancelled forthwith.
AS the County Commissioners were
not ready to make good the $4,000
lin money, at the time required,
Messrs. E. P. Jones and w. H
Wheeler have agreed to advance the
same in behalf of the County, as con-
ditioned by the agreement of the
Commissioners. Thus. our citizens
have disposed of nuisance and an
eye-sore to our fast-growing and pros
porous town, and substituted therefor
a permanent and durable Branch
Railroad. The work has already been
commenced, and the Company agree
to complete the same within thirteen
months from the 22d of this month.
The Commissioners, in this matter,
in our opinion, have been actuated
by desire to advance the interests
Of the whole County, and we believe
their action will be sustained by our
people. While we have, in times past,
expressed our disapprobation of their
administration of certain affairs, we
as willingly give them credit, in this
instance, for an excellent stroke of
policy, by which our County has been
greatly benefited. Great credit is
also due some Of our leading citizens
for the energy and perseverance,
which they have manifested in the
accomplishment of this laudable en-
terprise.
In this connection we would add
that the parties who have been most
active in the interests of the Branch
Road evince an equal interest in the
Lake Erie & Louisville Road. We
might also say that there is very
strong desire in our community to
do something towards the completion
OF this Road; but the peculiar cir
cumstsnces into which it has fallen,
together with the magnitude of the
work, seems to have'paralyzed it for
the time being at least. However, in
our opinion, were something to tran
spire that would give our business
men an opportunity to move in the
matter, an energy would be brought
to bear that would surprise the pres
ent ownership. We hope the time is
not far distant, when a thorough