The New York herald., 1869-08-25
THE NEWBVRG AND NEW YORK R,ILRoAD.

James Fisk, Jr., Gives a Little History Of
the Erie Railroad Since He Became Comp.
trol!er-What the Company Has Done and
Intends 10 DO.
Newburg on the Hudson, was in q delightful
state OF excitement yesterday the Inauguration
OF the Newburg and New York Railroad, which
shortens the travelling route to this city from the
former place BY several miles. The road IL famil
iarly known as the Shoit Cut,n SO called from the
fact that II cuts across the mountainous country to
the west OF West Point cutting or about twelve
miles OF the distance formerly travelled
via Newburg Branch, GreycOurt and Ere
to Jersey City. To state the case mathematically,
the short cut may be considered the base Of an
irregular triangle; the Newburg branch is one OF
the sides, the Erie between Turner's and Greycourt
being the other ana Greycourt the apex Of the
triangle. Though Incorporated under the name Of
the Newburg ana New York Railroad the snort cut
really extends only from Wallis Gate, on the New
burg branch to the Erie. mile south Of Turner's.
AS the Erie, however s sole proprietor Of the route
trains run through from NewOurg to Jersey City.
The road was projected and surveyed in 1901
by MIR. William Sneeden, now lessee and
manager Of the Raritan ana Delaware Bay Railroad.
In 1885, when the Erie road passed under the man
agement of Gould, Fisk and Company. through the
efforts OF Homer Ramsdell, the road was put under
COutIdCt. iuc COutIdCtUIS WcT6 GtltT Vi NcW-
burg, and Valentine L. Larry OF Hudson City, N. ].
Ground was broken August Is, 1868, and the road
was turned over to the Erie Company complete
August %, 1869. The cost was something over
$500 900. The road is twelve and sixteenth miles IN
length. The road is OF the same gauge as the Erie.
aI ponea an wfI weThng I'M sx
nfty-six feet to the mile. Some Of the widest most
picturesque mountain scenery in the country is
famous Cornwall region. now 80 ravorite summer
resort for New Workers. There are four
dnn, Ave stations along ne line and
One object gained by the Erie in building the road
the 'headng ofn Of the scheme for building rail
to Jersey CITY The distance from fis6kill station
on the Hudson River Railroad, opposite Newburg,
to Thirtleth street depot New York city, is sxtyone
by the Newburg and New York Railroad, is sixty.
TWO and half miles, 1t will be seen from these
figures that the west shore scheme ia efectual!y
done for In 30 far as reducing the distance Dy rail is
concerned, and as to traffic there are but two or
three important points on the west side of the river
hardly nav to ballS west shore railroad, with its
heavy rock cuts and generally unfavorable route.
The completion Of the road was yesterday ceie-
the directors and officers Of the Erie Railroad, and
large number OF invited guests on special train,
left Jersey City for Newburg about nine O'Clock in
the morning, and on 1ts arrival at the junction OF
the new road with the Erie. 1t was met by train in
which were the Newburg digntaries. After the
usual sautattons Of the day and the usual welcomes
Newburg, where carriages were awaiting the arrival
OF the guests, who took a drive through the town
Burton on their way. In the afternoon banquet
was had at M0ores Opera House, which was In
every respect magnificent affair, thanks to the skill
and sdUOir Jdi,e OF Mr.. Edward COzzens, who had
charge Of the victualing department on tile Occa-
sion. Speeches were made IN answer to various
toasts by Messrs. Ramsdell, J. J. Mone Mr.. Fow-
the speech Of Mr.. Fisk, which was made in re-
or Of
feature Of the day. After relating funny anecdote
about certain gentleman he knew OF he said that
Ss w Uee BY FISK
would be very badly DONE but the new road, he
Thought W. pther judged In this way by croakers,
aould & CO. ought to be right in the short cut n
q sss1E'Ia i Mnsa
great thorOughare and be subject to the powers on
each side OF 1.-THE pennsylvania Central and
the New York Central. He fisk had not
been in the board ten minutes before he
discovered there was project on foot to lock two
corporations together against the interests OF the
family. Haughter. He was the bad man IN The
play and Gould helped him out. loud laughter)
They Fisk, Gould Il Coz found on taking posses.
sion Of the road, first and foremost, very dusty
treasury, with very little money In It, and the STOCK
holders very different kind Of men from Newburgers
o % C cSess Widows Th
first move was the proposal 70 sell five millions
Of dollars In bonds He couldn't vote for
when the proposal Was carried nobody wanted 70
take the responsibility Of dsposing OF the bonds and
SO he sold them. From the 1rst sale Of
he he got ten millions al and sna a hall Of dol.
lars and Commodore Vanderbilt. lLaughter1 II
his hearers did not believe him they could ask
Superiatenent Riddle, for he really needed money at
that tune. Every dollar Of that money was used in
way that ip the future would rebound to the pros.
mons e eSeS m On
and Eren gave that road the means to construct
the road from the east to Newburg. He considered
three thousand another, would in time make New.
burg the toLgate to millions, and an all-imporant
place to the Erie road-second to none along Its
great line In working as 1t had done to make the
burg was concerned, the Erie company did
pEs place Rs Where o. mUns e S% only S
would pass through without ever touching New
York. When the company was intent upon its great
II had to get new engines, new cars and new rails
It found II needed money. lie didn't 10 and ask his
mother MOT ior iI-tau2nter and he knew II he got it
he'd certainly get itrghty anyhow, and so ne kept
selling bonds. The company had paid out during
the last thirteen months $1,000, 900 more than the
dollar had passed into the road in the construction
Of new road beds and cars and, getting ready
the work tnat, there was to do and all this had
was their duty 10 do so. Comments were
made about the company but that had nothing to
W Win t lOT III CUuLluueu Ill same 10 get the
road in good order, well equipped, and even when
some people wondered why Fisk and Gould didn't
60 up they couldn't help that. tLaughter.j The
Erie road, he knew was doing good work for the
poor man who has children to feed. It brings him
barrel Of fonr thousand miles from ChicagoJ for
eighty cents and freight from the same place
to New York for twenty-five cents q hun.
dred. II u,s couldn't pay dividends on that,
applause.) He did not care how many lines II bad
to compete against, for 1t could carry freight a.
cheap and last as long as any one OF the powers on
either side Of Is The company, would 60 on with
their work. and legislation-which was a very handv
thing If one was hard pressed-it would Obtain n
needed, and II Legislators forced their favors on fhe
COMPANY 1t woud receive them-(laughter)-for he
felt convinced that LEGISLATORS outside OF New York
always took tneir due proportion, but the New York
Legislature was quite-another thing. Houd laugh
ter.l Mr.. Fisk then referred to the next elccton
for officers OF the Erie read and intmated that The
present regime would be reelected, even IL il did
not ltse'l mold the majority OF the stock of
he road, and that tho company would meanwh,le
continue to control the road and work il accord.
ng to their own ideas OF what was right He then
'poke OF the late accidents on the road. which he
'ontended did not happen through the company's
ault, but through the plots OF the man Bowen and
ne neellgence OF an engineer and remarked, In a |