The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-07-30

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siness the Lehigh road would contri-
butte, also came to Mr.. Packers assis-
tance, and made large advances on its
stock and bon DIS.
The Lehigh Valley railroad was fin
ished and delivered to the company on
the 24th of September, 1855, and was
put Immediately in operation. It's
| coal freights, which in 1857 amounted
to 100000 tons, in the year 1866 exceed
ed 100000 tons 635, 900 of which were
delivered alono its route from Mauch
Chunk to Easton to works which the
railroad itself had called into existence.
The addition which it brought to Asa
Packers fortune can only be stated by
millions. Within three years after
the opening of the railroad from
Mauch Chunk to Easton, with connec-
tions which made a railroad route
from the valley to Philadelphia as well
as New York, Mr.. Packer suggested
the extension of line of railroad into
the valley of the Susquehanna, and up
that valley to the great table-lands of
| the State of New York, there to con-
meet with the New York and Erie
Railroad. This would bring the An
| thracite coal region within the system
of roads leading north and west to
Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and also
afford direct route by connection
with the Catawissa and Erie roads to
| the Great West. Asa Packer has
| lived to see the whole of this stupen-
dous conception realized. 1t is not
possible to calculate the benefit which
it is destined to confer upon the whole
country. 1t will set the wheels of ma
chinery in motion thousands of miles
III the interior as well as at the tide wa
ter, and bring about in a great section of
country that diversity of employments
essential to the highest development
of the people.
! On his return from a trip to Europe
| in 1865, Mr.. Packer announced it his in
tention to found in Lehigh Valleyan e.
! EDUCATIONAL institution which shouldsup-
ply to its young men the means of OBJ
tanning that knowledge of which he had
in early life felt such profound need.
| The branches of education to which it
was Mr.. Packers design that the insti-
tuition should be especially devoted
were civil, mechanical, and mining en-
gineering; general and analytical
chemistry; mineralogy and metal
lurgy; analysis of soils and agriculture;
architecture and constructions all
branches of knowledge of exception
al value in the Lehigh Valley. In
carrying into effect his purpose, Mr..
| Packer gave woodland park sixty a.
cres in extent, situated on the borders
of South Bethlehem, and 100000 in
money. This institution known as
/ the Lehigh University, was formally
/ opened Sebtember /, 1866, and its sue
cess has realized the intelligent and
beneficent purpose of its founder. By
| its character it is made a selfsustain-
ing institution; intended to reach both
rich and poor with its advantages; its
free scholarships being offered as prizes
to be competed for by all the students.
| No sectarian bigotry limits its benefi-
! cent influence to single religious de-
nomination, but those of every creed
| find welcome to its halls. On the
23d day of November, 1865, at a dinner
| given to Mr.. Packer at Bethlehem, as
public acknowledgment of his prince
| ly gift, at which many prominent men
of the State were present, John w.
For ney paid the following tribute to
the guest Of the day. Here is char
aeter and coreer for youth and man
hood to study. Here is a lesson to the
one to move on in the path ofimprove-
ment, and a stimulent to the other
never to despair in the darkest hour
of disaster and misfortune. We
pick out Asa Packer as the min
er picks out a piece of Goa
to show the value of the precious de-
posit from which it is taken; we pick
him out to show what can be won by
personal honesty, industry, and kind
ness to men, by courage in the midst
of bad luck; by confidence in the
midst Of gloomy prophecy; by modes
ty in prosperity; and by princely gen.
erosity when fortune comes with both
hands full to realize just ambition"
Among his immediate friends and
associates, Mr.. w. H. Gatzmer, the
President of the Camden and Amboy
Railroad, bore high testimony to the
energy and ability with which Mr..
Packer had carried out his great min
ing and railroad enterprises, and ac-
knowledged that although Pennsylva-
MA is only his adopted State, few of
her sons have done more to develop
her mineral resources. Mr.. Packer en-
joys to the fullest extent the conf
dence of the community in which he
lives. This it has shown by electing
him to public Office whenever he
could be induced to accept it. He
served his neighbors several years in
the General Assembly of the State, his
services there ended with the year
1913. He was then elected Judge of
the County Court, which position he
held five years, and hence he is famil-
iarly known as Judge Packer. More
recently he has represented his dis
trict for two successive terms in the
Congress of the United States, and his
friends insisted on presenting his name
to the late National Convention of the
Democratic party, as a candidate for