Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-04-29
CORRESPONDENTS.
Woodbury. Letter,


Woodbury. Letter,
EDIroRs OF TnE BEDFoRD ISQuIRER-
GeRtlemea:-I notice 10 your lastissue thai
your quiet town has, lately, been visited BY
Gen. Geo. B. Mcclellan who in company
with others is looking alter the Rail Road
and Mineral interest in Bedford and adjoining
township. wonder If anybody was ''inter
rogated'' dnring the Generals stay? Nc
doubt there were a great many officers round
about that time. Engineers, / learn, are tc
survey and locate the road from Mt. Dallas to
Bedford al an early day and, judging from
the men who are at the head Of the move
ment, "the good time coming so long
looked for by your people, is near a, hand.
Ifyour monied men win only make united
effort, the road can be put under contract
during the present year, not only from Mt.
Dallas to Bedford, but through, toBridgport,
But my object in writing the present letter is
not so much to speak of your local interests
as it is to speak of the railroad and their
movements in Norrison's Cove. Several
mineralogisis from Philadelphia, ard doubt
less in the employ Of some eastern company,
spent portion Of last week with as, examin-
ing the various mineral beds in the cove.
You may be sure they were, ,interrogated, but
to little purpose. They were here on busi-
ness and attended to that only. They ex-
pressed themselves highly satisfied with the
minerals, and felt confident that at no re-
mote day a rail road would be constructed
from the P. C. R. r. through Morrison S
Cove. Some months ago two routes were
proposed; one from Holhdaysburg to the
"gap, thence by way OF Martinsburg to The
Leather cracker ore beds, three miles north
east of Woodbury. borough. The other from
Newry to the gap, thence by way Of
Bloomfield furnace to Woodbury..
Two propositions were made BY the Penn.
sylvania c. R. R. company to the people Of
Newry and Hollidaysburg. The first was,
that If the people Of Newry raised $50, 600
the road should be built from that point to
the gap; distance about three miles; the
other, asking the people Of HolEdaysburg to
raise $4,000, and they should have the road
from their town to the Gap, distance of six
miles. Both places raised the amount asked,
and the Pennsylvania C. r. R. company ap-
pointed committee to examine the routes
and report their choice The one from
Hollidaysburg has been selected, and is now
being surveyed. The P. c. r. r. company
is to have exclusive control OF the road, giving
bonds they hold against branch road leading
to Ebinsburg, for the amount raised at Holli-
daysburgh. Said bonds will be due in 1881,
bearing 6 per eentum interest
So much Of the road being established, it
remains to determine what route is to be
taken from the Gap southwark The survey
made by ". H. Whitehead, known as the
Whitehead survey, seems to be the most
practicable.
The first seven miles of this survey, and
the one likely to be chosen by the Pennsyl-
yania central company, from HolIidaysburg
to Rodnum Furnace, he estimates at $1,000
a mile or at $40, 900; the next four miles from
Rodnum Furnace to mine bank or Bloomfield
at SI2, 600 mile or at s4s, 900; from Bloom
field to Woodbury., FIVE miles, at $4,000 a
mile or at S24 500; making the total cost Of
the sixteen miles S12I, 800 This survey
runs through or close by the following valua.
bic ore lands, yiz.-Cowen's ore bank,
Bloomfield, Lidy's Syster's, and the lately
discovered rich veins in Leather cracker
which alone, are estimated by miueralogists
to contain over S7,O0o,0Oo worth of ore.
Nine miles Of this route can be made without
any damages, as the farmers, are willing to
give the right Of way free
The Martiusbnrg route is three miles longer,
the damages heavy, grade more difficult, and
no mineral fields until we reach Leather
cracker, and even this one can be reached
cheaper by the Whitehead surrey than by the
latter.
The advantages Of this road 70 the people
Of Middle Woodbury, South Woodbury. and
Hopewell, should the road be continued on
through the Pattonsyile gap, are so many
and varied that time and space viii not allow
an enumeration in this letter
In conclusion, let me say, that ''the rail
road, is all the talk 10 Woodbury., but 1t is by
no means "aH talk" Our people are sub
scribing literally and ere long the books, in
stead of being opened for subscription, will
be closed, aud the opportunity to take stock
will be past. More anon.
"SoLo.''