Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-06-05

'AGITATIogi JOHN DOUGHERTY, ESQ., AND
SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA TRUNE RAHWAY
LINE.-At railroad Convention, held at
Mercersburg, Franklin county, on Wednes-
day, May the Goth, 1868, for the purpose Of
organizing the Huntingdon, Fulton and
franklin Railroad Company, Agitation "
John Dougherty, Esq, Of Mt. Union, HuRt-
ingdon county, in the course Of some remarks
before the Convention spoke as follows OF
the adaptabiity of this route to great
National railway between the east and the
west;
Mr.. Chairman: On the completion of the
Central Pacific Railroad, the Atlantic Division
thereof, in my opinion, should follow nearly
on an airline from the Missouri river, VIA
Springfield, indianapolis, Columbus, Wheel
ing, Harrisburg and Trenton to New York
On this route the freight railroad, referred to
in the report of the President Of the 2. K. X.
Company, ought to be built instead OF via
Erie and Philadelphia railroad, on which
burthen cars, running miles an hour, and
drawn by locomotives running over the line
of railroad, would be enabled to compete with
river freight lines via Mobile and New
Orleans to New York, for the tonnage trade
of the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri val
leys.
The line would run from Cowans Gap to
the base of the Alleghenies, a distance OF
/ about 80 miles, requiring short tunnels
through the crests Of Cove mountain, Side
ling and Rays Hills, Eyitts', Dunnipgs, and
Wills mountains, and thence by grades OF,
say so feet, to near the summit of the
Alleghenies, where tunnel, of less than a
mile in length, would give an easy grade aud
adirect road to Wheeling, Virginia, much short
er than the B. i o. Railroad, and turn the
current Of over land trade, for all future time,
to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington
cities. The city Of Philadelphia controlling this
high ridge would have the advantage in dis
tance and grade over the B. L. o. Railroad
| following the valley of the Potomac.
From the base of the Alleghenies, south O.
Bedford to Philadelphia, the distance, via
! Fort Louden, would be about 90 miles,
whereas the distance to Baltimore by the B.
& o. Railroad from Cumberland is $50 miles
| with 500 feet more mountain height to over
! come than from this water shed aud grades
of 40 feet, these advantages would give to
Philadelphia the control of the tonnage trade
of the south vest, as compared With the B.
o. Railroad route. But should the citizen:
of Philadelphia be insane enough to attempt
| to compete with New York for the trade oi
the south west, via the Erie and Philadelphia
railroad, as proposed by the lesees of tha
road, then the citizens Of Baltimore would, nc
doubt, under our free railroad law, build heir
Connellsyille and Pittsburg road along this
water shed and cause this great trade to follow
the most direct route to the city Of Baltimore.
Thus, from the water shed south of Bedford
to Cowan's Gap, thirty miles, and thence vi,
Mercersburg to Hagerstown, % miles, anC
via W. Nd. Railroad, rs miles to Baltimore
Total l3G miles,, thus saving in distance and
advantage in grades, as so is to 100 feet pei
mile, would enable Baltimore city to contro
the overland tonnage trade and there build I
commercial city on the Chesapeake Bay the
realization Of more than Carthagenian,
PhGnitian, Yenitian and later dreams o
commercial greatness.
Mr.. Chairman infer that the southern
Pennsylvania freight railroad will ere long b.
put under contract, and that the Pennsyl
Vania Railroad company will aid You il
building this link in the net work of Railroad
by which the passenger travel from Chieagt
via Pittsburg, Mt. Union and Mercersburg t.
the capital of the nation may be carried at
saving of upwards of so miles, as compared
with the route via Baltimore, and thus retail
the passenger travel from Washington city Il
Chicago, and with her freight railway com
msnd the tonnage trade from the southwest
Aud as all these three railroad routes mus
occupy the same water courses, through tht
mountains of Franklin and Fulton counties
here in your midst viii grow up, ere long
workshops to make, and warehouses to ven,
the wares and products with which you vii
be enabled to supply the citizens of ever,
cline and nation more cheaply than perhap
any other people can do.
Sir, this future pathway of nations was frs
trod by the red man, and followed by thu
trapper and trader. Fort Louden, For
Littleton and Fort Shirley defended tn,
pioneer trade and travel from the Eastern
cities to the Northwest in the days of Wash
ington, and indicate the most direct an,
practicable Railroad route from the Lakes [,
the Chesapeak Bay, and Fort Bedford ant
| Necessity indicate the route Col. Washington
led the army OF General Braddock whel
Great Britain met her first, though not he
last defeat in her contest for eommercia
supremacy in the Valley Ofthe Ohio, then, a
now, an outpost on the route to India.
LIST OF INCOMES FOR BEDFORD COUNTY
The following incomes are returned by par
ties in this county. This list is not complet
but is as nearly so as we could make it at tn
time It will be seen that there is marke,
increase over last year.
Anderson, S., 80