The New York herald., 1870-02-07
The ERIE RAILROAD.
observations Here and There Upon the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Made and
Contemplated-0pinions OF People
In the Matter - History Of
the Atlantic and Great
Western Railroad.

Ino recent report OF jay Gould on the management
OF the Eric Railroad has doubtless given people
clearer idea OF the condition OF this important thine
tnan they possessed previously. Not less instruc-
i've was the last strike. which has been Q
positive benefit to the company. II has enabled
them to get rid OF class Of men who were at all
times ready to quit work on some slight pretext or
other and it has demonstrated to all employed that
the present management OF the road 10 not to be
trned with As an instance OF this spirit the strike
OF the brakemen and conductors may be instanced
They were swept away and new class or men en-
ployod. In the matter Of the conductors large Pc
cuniary saving was effected-sometning like $4,000
more than the previous average having been turned
into the treasury Of the company the month after
they were discharged. Some or the conduc-
tors, on salaries Of 800 per month, lived
et the rate OF ten thousand year, had their own
handsome houses and horses and made their nomi.
nal wages run wonderfully far. Jim Fisk believe ir
was who perceived that healthy change would be
that OF exchanging one Of conductors for another
and no did so, with consequences OF an eminenty
SATISFACTORY character The old conductors, OF
course. had numerous friends and acqualntances at
every Doins on the road and when they were dis
charged they had many sympathizers and the road
had many enemies.
THE ERIE MANAGEMENT.
the management OF the road Is a matter
Unlcn Is an important coroary OF the late strike.
AT enis particular time, when so much attention
is directed to the Erie Railway and the report
wnich Jay Gould bias made excites so much
interest by the figures it gives OF progress
and prosperity, the actual Impressions OF one
who has travelled carefully over the road,
soppping at various points and conversng with
people more or less connected with may be OF ad-
vantage in forming an estimate of what TINS great
highway is like and what has been done for il.
There is no question that IL Is vastly improved
from what it was three or four years ago. and that
US future prospects look brighter day by day. One
hundred miles out from Jersey City the traveller,
standing at the rear Of the train ana looking at the
track over which he is being rapidly wirled, is re-
minded OF an English railway in the broad, firm ana
carefully packed road bed and the high smooth,
solid ana unsplintered steel rails. This is one i'm.
provement OF very material Importance penslye
no doubt in the start but cheap and every way more
profitable in the long run.
Tnen there are the cars, which at one time in the
history OF The Erie Railway were mean looking and
vcry uncomfortable for passengers but are now GER
tainly equal u not superior 10 those OF any other
line. There, for instance the drawing room coach
already described which for luxury on wheels bears
eaytnlng tnat ! am acquainted with. You fad the
Station houses are OF an improved ORDER Those AT
Ssquehanna, Elm1ra and Hornellsville are decidedv
nAe. Some are OF stone at the first mentioned
place ana, on small scale, are as luxuriOusly an
pointed as the Grand Opera House itself where the
3esttve Fisk relgns amid the princey surrondinUs nr
walnut furniture pencllled IN gold. The bridges ana
culv0rts are being overhaued; IRON rs taking the
place OF wood and the length OF the double track Is
bein9 extended: At this point the Erie suffers one
uep0t commensurate with its large and rapldly
increasing traiic. Buffalo being one OF the
s nrnens rya s Pons between the Erie and
fropostlons nave been made from time to time TO
construct g grand union depot for the Erie Lake
lines run side by side here this would be an adml-
rabe arrangements and afford every convenience and
accommodation TO the travelling public. But the
Central being already provided With q pretentious
structure, prefers to stand a!oor from its dreaded
compettor Nothing remains. then, bur for Erie
10 Dud uepOt OF It's own and that has been deter
mined upon by the present management. II the
plan exhibited to your correspondent be carried our
IN all us elaborate details the projected depot VIII
be one OF the architectural ornaments To this CITY ri
magnificent intentions. 1t will be broad gauge
building par eIcelence and the waiting rooms wlll
rlva the saloon coaches In the magnccnce OF their
appointments. The existing passenger depot is a
standing reproacn on the old management,
and the sooner 1t is improved upon the sooner .tEe
passenger traffic from this point VIII increase The
workshops at this point are not so extensive as at
Jersey City or ~ ssusquenanna. They are used for re-
oars but II necessary adapted 70 the original
construction OF rolling stock There was a time
was necessary to buy and borrow engines In differ
ent quarters, but now this Is all changed they have
duRc capacity AZ SuSQueOannA TO build all tho loco
motives they need, and they do 80, ana at Elmira
cars are constructed on scale commensurate with
the wants OF the company. Here they have . car
snop where repairs can be carried on extensively
1t Is curious TO witness the transformation which
ono OF the disabled vehicles OF travel undergoes
o nos ar i may be poor
over that to-day comes In TO get renovated and ls
sent out TO morrow the very counterfeit presentment
OF the workmen. They wash, scruD ana paint 1t
anew, mend the broken places, ana take the faded
plush seats and by some process restore the color to
amOre daZling crimson than IL was originally.
TnE TRANSFER OF FREIGHT.
In his report jay Gould speaks Of the arrange
ments made Ior exchange OF business mere with the
Lake Shore road. This fnd to be the exchange or
reIgnt IN bulk from the cars OF the Lake shore mar.
row gauge TO those OF the Erie broad gaure Hlther
to corn from the West, when not shipped by canal
went by rail In bags but now it is brought
here IN bulk and shovelled quickly from one
set OF freight cars to the other, tey lay side by
sIde Another style OF transfers IS from the boats
OF which the Erie Company owns twenty-slx. by
river shore, towering up great height In the air
ana looking like dismantled cathedral Under It's
ponderous trunK--a good name for the apparatus
which dips into the hold OF boat and swallows up
the grain--the rropellers cast their moorlngs and
discharge their cargoes. The corn disappears from
the boat In quick time and drops into freight cars
drawn up inside the elevator house These pro-
pellers twenty-six in number are each or consider
able size somewhat larger than the steamers be-
tween New York and Newburg. In the season
OF their usefulness they py to every place
of any Importance on the lakes They reach
AWAY up O Lne ulUeS Oh Lake superior ana
bring down these mountain piles of ore That burden
the docks around here They feEch down every thing
Of commercial value, and are indeed great iusti-
tuition taken collectively. The freight thus brought
to the Erie Railroad Is something enormous, and to
the farsighted vision OF Jay Gould is the road In
debted for the addition. Looking around here first
at the geographical position and next az the concen-
Fation OF lines OF communication, 1t is to fore
cast great future for Buffalo The present concep-
tton OF the Erie Company Is to make II great depot
TOR coal brought from their own mines and shipped
by their own boats to thousand places the
lakes. To do this erectually they have determined
to extend their frontage 5000 feet and increase
depth OF water to nfteen feet./ Here the boats
Will draw up, and BY an inclined plane the
cars VIII be made to carry the coal 10 an elevation
from which 1t Will be shot ike flash or lightning
into the awaiting holds below. The improvement
under way is OF an arduous nature, an immense
coner dam having to be erected and vast body OF
water pumped out for the purpose OF blasting the
rock in the bed OF the river.
The freight houses OF the Erie Company are large,
commodious brick buildings the principal one being
56Ox200 feet, and well calculated TO convey AN idea
Of the immense freight business that flows this way
eastward.
OPINIONS OF THE PRgsEsr MANAGEMENT
Talking with gentleman, who was one OF the old
onft tha rio rnat hn Iyrnt ryara