Smyrna times., 1868-02-19
Railroad Meeting.


Railroad Meeting. .s-. q
A series of meetings having been advertised
by the Directors Of the Smyrna and Del. Bay
Railroad Company" at different localities, the :
last of which was held at the Smyrna Hotel,
Saturday, February Is, 1868.
The object of these meetings has been to
show to the citizens the Importance and advan-
tage of constructing this road to the Del Bay
as soon as possible, and obtaining additional
subscriptions to the capital stock of the Com
pany.
The meeting was organized by Capt VIM.
Denney being called to preside, and Robt H.
Cummins Secretary.
Mr.. Cummins, Pres. of the Company, being
called on addressed the meeting at considerable
length, and in his most earnest manner showed
theimportance to this community of the imme
diate construction of the road and the advan-
tages to be derived by having a direct and in
dependent communication with the great mar |
kets of New York and Philadelphia. He mar
rated the disadvantages the fruit growers, farm
ers and others were laboring under by not hav-
ing direct communication with the great CEN
tral market of New York which the construction
of this road would give, besides establishing, an
open competition tor patronage which must re-
suit in a saving of freight and passage charges
equal to at least twenty-five per cent. Of char
ges now exacted from our people by the only
existing avenue to market. In addition to this
reduction resulting from our connection by rail
to New York, an opening for our grain and
fruits will be established by this road to uavi
gable water at point within easy reach of
ocean or bay steamers or sailing vessels, by
which our fruits and grain can be forwarded
cheaply and promptly to all the markets North
and East of us independently of all other rail
roads, If producers will estimate the cost of
compare it with the amount of freight payable
and paid by them in each year, to railroads
now in operation, for bus, five years, they will
find that the saving in transportation alone Of
the productions of the farm and orchard du-
ring those FIVE years will pay the whole cost Of
building our road. But if the transportation
shall be reduced but one-fouTth, and it is pro-
BILE the reduction will be much greater, it is
manifest that every producer who sells fruit
and other produce in the city markets will save
in the net proceeds thereof within five years,
t sum sufficient to repay him the full amount
t Of his proportionate share of the whole cost of
the work we propose to open to public use.
. Mr.. c., in closing his remarks, predicted
that when this road shall be completed to the
a Delaware Bay, Smyrna will become town of
: the first importance, and all along the line of
s the road land will be better cultivated and i'm
proved, and all farm products command more
markets. will be opened up to the producer, and
: instead of sending our produce to market, we
y shall find persons ready and anxious to take ii
1 from our door.
Q Mr.. Stockly, Secretary of the Company
: thought the necessity and importance of CON
S structing this road was apparent to everybody.
/, Only few years ago we had no railroads nol
d steam communication with Philadelphia OIL
y New York, and were deprived of the great ad
nfa nf fhooo rkafo for tho colo 81
J. fruit, grain and other produce-the old stage
l. coach and sail vessel being our only mode o
l. communication. lie well recollected the or
grnization of the Kent Steamboat Company
and the great advantage and facilities it gave
y to this community in having direct intercourse
Of with Philadelphia for the sale of many article
Of of farm produee-berries and other fruits tha
III had been neglected or perished for want of
I'd market. And who will say this whole com
s. munity has not felt the influence of that enter
ne prise2 1t was the entering wedge of all tn
) Improvements that have followed and will We
follow. Then the Delaware Railroad was con
structed, opening up the whole peninsula iron
a one end to the other, offering inducements an
la facilities for shipment of all our products {
L. market until its capacity has been overtaxe
Is and our productions increased to such an eJ
tent as to demand other avenues of commun
ice cation. Instead of Philadelphia being our onl
ay market for the sale of our fruit and other pre-
ducts, New York steps in as higher and be
o. ter bidder, and it is to reach this market an
az the markets of the East by a more direct ar
y independent route that the construction of Il
- Del. Bay Railroad has become not only for OF
nO interest, but a necessity. Mr.. s. stated tn
it had been fully demonstrated that if this ros
ia 'he had been built 20 the Del. Bay every farm
iN who had bushel of corn for sale this Mnt
could have realized from FIVE to ten cents p
the bushel more than he was obliged to sell for,
i = vessels could load there for New York or Be
ode ton wnen tney were prevented from loading
and Philadelphia or New Castle. ..-.
lse. MIR. j. II. Clements thought the importan
of constructing the road as soon as possible "
not fully realized by our citizens. He did Z
" know that ne could say anything that woy
of n,oo rod tn1 peHP,c 81 Tue hecessty u Du.
TIA ee1 - -" ao;. 20. ie r. VOC Iu.ty e'.'
So . neu ~ "ao iol seil pfeseIvA'lon
rally oughtto become interested and subscri
of literally to the capital stock of the Company
4 AZ once so that the Directors might make tn
ner contracts for the construction of the road
the soon as the weather will permit. The Dir
tors were anxious to do something, and
hoped they would be able to commence w
ntry, NJ aH Sne oS. was oS oIS u I'll tne sropgu,
he T. W. = pal sa.U :it az T, Auem nls q
will could do more, he thought, talking pryai
ould by inducing persons to subscribe than max
speech. de was man of action rather Il
words, and he had determined to see the r
gOte built i ii sunk every dollar be had. isi 7
D.J. Cummins being the next 10 add