Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-04-16
The Union Line having ialalIed tho
nh;.cfa that fhis Comnanv had In x,;avv

isfaotory 10 its employers, 1t is graft.
flying TO be able TO state that Il has
been so efficiently managed that II has
also proven o pecuniary success to It's
shareholders. Their profits have, how.
ever, been mainly derived from trans
portation over the extended system OF
railways West Of Pittsburgh and East
OF Philadelphia, under contracts Of
their own procurement, with the Com.
panies whose roads their cars ira
versed. The high rates Of transpor.
tation that prevailed during the re.
bellion yielded very profitable results
to the line, as well as TO your Compa.
ny-the through rates over the Penn.
sylvania Railroad in many cases hav-
ing been twice those charged upon its
local freights. @ T
1t will also be remembered In this
connection that neither law nor pub.
lie opinion would at tho time have
permitted the assumption of powers
by your Company that would have
enabled II TO establish a transporta.
tion line to meet successfully the OBJ.
ject that your Company had in view.
When tho Penna. r. r. Co. com.
mencod business West of Harrisburg,
(ts then eastern terminus) under the
influence Of the narrow policy which
then governed the management OF the
State Works, it was enjoined from
running its cars over the Philadelphia
and Columbia Railroad, q work built
by the commonwealth especially to
afford equal facilities to all that would
use it. A more enlightened view OF
the subject prevailed, however, in the
Supreme Court, and the injunction
was dissolved.
In reviewing the facts which in
duced the confirmation Of the contract
entered into with the Union Line,
your Board is fully satisfied that the
best interest Of the Company was pro-
NOTED by the adoption of the report
OF the Road Committe referred TO, and
that the results Of the operations of
the Transportation Company have
been highly advantageous to your
Company.
To draw line tl.at should regulate
the interference of corporation with
private enterprises, even where direct
y authorized by its charter 10 do so,
is matter of extreme delicacy, and
the power should be exercised with
great caution, and disposition to bear
the ills that they bring upon the cor
poration and public-which are not
without their compensating advant-
ages-rather than deal harshly with
established interests.
The Board still believes that where
cars have to traverse extended lines
of other and different railroads, that
il is best for the interest of the railway
company, where such lines arc neces-
sary, that they should be owned by
private corporations or individuals
and run under proper special contracts
with those controlling the railways to
be used.
The extent of the Western connec-
tions and the rapid increase of the
local and through tonnage of the Penn
sylvania Railroad has not only pressed
upon your Company the necessity of
increasing the facilities of its own line
by the laying Of additional tracks,
without which the traffic of the past
year could not have been aocommo-
dated, but it has also pointed out the
necessity of an additional line across
the mountains that separate the wa
ters Of the Mississippi Valley from
those of the Atlantic; to be built es-
paoially for freight. and designed for
cheap transportation at slow rates Of
speed.
The route adopted for this purpose
has been pointed out in previous re-
ports, and the Line is now being con-
structed, with the assistance OF this
Company, by the Allegheny Valley
Railroad Company, connecting that
Company's Road, at the mouth Of Red
Bank Creek, with the Philadelphia
and Erie Railroad, at point 12O miles
west of its eastern terminus at Sun.
bury.
This line has no gradients against
the traffic exceeding rise of three
tenths in a hundred, or less than six
teen feet in mile on straight lines
reduced proportionately upon curves.
Its route abounds thro'hout the extent
with cheap fuel, consisting Of varieties
Of bituminous coal in unusually thick
beds, embracing the best coking Goals
for iron smelling, blacksmith, gas Goals
and camel coal-the latter being the
most accessible, Of that variety, TO tho
Eastern markets.
This slow Grade Line" is in rapid
progress of construction, and will be
opened for use this year or early next
spring, When completed, and its con-
nections made with the West, it will
be possible for freights TO be carried
at much cheaper rates than they can
be conveyed by any OF the proposed
canals between the Mississippi Valley
and the East.
The Branches OF your Railway have
not, in the aggregate, yielded much
If any, direct profit to this Company,
but they have added materially to the
prosperity of the State, and the Main
Line revenues. Where built by other
companies, they have been leased to
this Company, to be operated by it at
cost, that their proprietors may be
saved the outlay that would otherwise
be required for roling-stock aud other
equipment.
The Railroad opened between Lew
istown and Sudbury, on the Susque-
hanna river, tho past year, has been
thus operated. This Line, though 10
traverses n good agricultural region,
and said to contain much undeveloped
iron ore, has not secured sufficient
traffic to meet its running expenses,
leaving the interest upon its bonds,
which have been issued TO the extent
of $1,000, 900, wholly unprovided for.
The traffic of the Line is, however, in
creasing, and may at future period
yield profit equal TO it's expenses
and the interest upon its indebtedness.
All the Branch Lines recently pro-
noted by this Company in Ponnsyl.