New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-09
THE MIDLAND RAILROAD-YEW-JERSEH.

THE MIDLAND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
We have tried to make our readers aware
that a new Railroad from this City to the
Great Lakes, through the heart of our State,
is now in process of vigorous and rapid con-
struction. at cost of some $2O,0OOOOO. 1t
trayerses Northern New-Jersey, and passes
thence through Orange, Sullivan, Delaw are
ChenangO, Madison, Oneida and Oswego Coun-
ties, to Lake Ontario, while fork at Norwich
pursues a more westerly course to Auburn
and will doubtless in time be pushed thence
to Buffalo. This great work originated Win
the farmers along its track, who needed more
direct and less expensive communication with
this City, and who have, by bonding their
towns and by personal subscriptions, obtained
the requisite means, without dime OF state
aid. OF course, this has been uphill work, for
the amount required was large in proportion to
their means; and, now that they have done 80
much, it is naked justice that the property ana
business of this City, which are to be largely
benefited by their success, should lend them
helping hand. New-York ought to contribute
S5.OOOOOO of the S2O,OOO0O0 required; and, II
our capitalists would do this, the road would
be completed and running through trains next
year.
Appeals like this were made for the Hudson
River Road; yet very few men had to carry
that road on their own shoulders, with little
sympathy and no help from the mass OF our
real estate owners and great merchants who
supposed that. though the enterprise would
benefit our City, the stock would prove dead
loss; yet that stock has already paid for itself
in dividends and is now worth nearly double
its face. And every Railroad leading out OF
this City is good property, except where its
managers have stolen it poor. Then why should
the Midland drag along, and bear so heavily on
the neighboring farmersi They have nobly
done their part: now let the City do hers. She
is to share the benefits, and she should cheer
fully share the burdens
We took a run up the line of the Midland
last week, to the upper end of Pompton Plains,
ten miles above Paterson, where three small
rivers unite to form the Passaic. Here we
found considerable portion of the track
graded, and large force of men and teams at
work extending the track westward We be-
lieve it is intended that cars shall be running
through to the foot of Shawangunk mountain,
in Sullivan County, early next season.
POmpton Plains are scarcely ten miles from
Paterson, and will soon be within an hours
ride of Wall-st.; yet they have hitherto
been so secluded that few New Workers ever
saw them. They form q wide, fertile, and
beautiful valley, peopled wholly by farmers,
whose fields and buildings testify to abundance
and comfort, yet who have hitherto been pTac-
tically further from this emporium than Pough-
keepsie or Bridgeport is Their village of (at
mosO thirty houses is probably little larger
than when Gen. WashingtOn's army wintered
in its vicinity: ten years hence, favored by the
Railroad it will doubtless have increased ten
fold. For this rich, beautiful plain is traversed
by generous mountain streams, affording ample
water-power just abOve the ridges which
rise gracefully on either hand are half
covered with excellent timber; lands
on every side are held at moderate
prices and the whole region wears an
aspect of quiet and moderation, as though I'M
conscious that the snort of the Iron Horse is
about to awake il to q new and more stirring
life. The Midland Railroad is the magician
destined to diffuse the activities of Paterson
along the valleys of the rapid streams which
here unite to form her great water-power.
Few years will be required to work signal
transformation after the trains shall be running
hence to New-YOrk three or four times per
day, and to 0swego and to Buffalo at least
twice. Apart from her Farm Produce, her
Water Power, and her Timber, Northern New
Jersey embosOms great Mineral wealth, which
Railroads are soon to make available for the
&c, ind