The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-04-09

oPeIaleu Dy one company, ana reacn
ing from New York city to Lake On
taro, with branches to various point.
in New York and Pennsylvania, the cou
bined capital and cost of which is proba
oily one hundred millions of dollars, auG
transporting altogether nearly three mil
lions OF tons Of coal every year. The
Warren road was on account of its geo
graphical position, an important link ir
the great chain. and so intimately was il
connected with the large enterprise in
which its projectors had long been en-
gagged that without its construction their
plans could not have been crowned with
complete success On the first day oil
October, 1916. in the wilderness of Penn
sylvania, at place then called
sLocUM HOLLOW,
afterwards known as Harrison, and sub.
sequently, when containing a dozen or
twenty houses, named Scrau ton, the site
of the present fourishing city of that
name, was organized by the Lackawauua
Coal 4 Iron Company ; the foundations
Of their FIRST miles having been laid over
twenty seven years ago The proprietors
at that time were Col George " Scran
ton, j Joseph ii. Scranton, Seden Il. Scran
ton, John [. Blair, Wm E Dodge, Anson
G. Phelps. Roswell Spraguc, l.. l. Stur
ges, Deter 4 Miller, and George Buck
ley. From that day when these men of
strength laid the foundation of Scranton
and set in operation the furnaces and
railroad mills there, until now, they have
70 ha H. i
most successful works of their kind
in the country and what was then an
obscure and unknown village, has be
come.
THE THIRD CITY OF PENNSYLVANIA,
with population of fifty thousand souls
The same company bought and rebuilt
the road from Owega to Ithaco, and open
ed 1t for business on the 18th OF Deccm
ber, 1919. In 1850 81 they built the
road from Scranton to Great Bend, then
called the Legget's Gap Railroad, which
was opened for business in October, 1851
thus securing by meaps of their New
York and Erie connection, ou outlet for
their coal and iron
In the fall of 1852, Mr.. Blair and Col.
Scranton had conference of several
days length at Scranton, during which
plan was formed to separate the Legget's
Gap, or western division of their road
from tha Iron Company ard consolidate
the former with new company TO be or
ganzed and which was to construct a road
to the Delaware river. The latter was
first called the Cobb's Gap Railroad At
the suggestion of Mr. Blair, the appro
pirate and characteristic designation of
the Delaware, Lackawanna Il Western
Railroad was given to the consolidated
road The proposed plan being accept
able to all parties, it was arranged that
COLONEL SCRANTON
should attend at Harrisburg and secure
the necessary legislation, while Mr.. Blair
should locate the road, procure the right
of way and have all things in readiness
for the opening of work in the spring
all of which was done Books were open
ed, the necessary amount of stock sub
scribed for, and building of the road put
under contract aud driven with the en-
erEy Characteristic of the parties. so that
the entire line, including tie Western
road with its Delaware river bridge, the
Vass Gap tunnel, and the Temporary track
through the Van Ness Gap. was opened
for business on the 10th of May, 1856.
Iu this last work they received the as
sistauce of many Of the strong men of
New York, among the most efficient of
whom was Moses Taylor, who took and
has retained a large interest in the var
e, i II
panies Col George W. Scranton came to
Belvidere from Connecticut over forty
years ago, when almost boy. He was a
good and great man, retaining the re-
spect and esteem Of all who knew him
throughout long and active career, and
whose deaf. was universally aud deeply
lamented. His brother, Selden T. Scrau
ton, came to Belvidere in 1888 or 1884.
and obtained situation as clerk for Mr.
Henry, then operating the old Oxford
furnace, which had been worked before
the revolution Soon after, when Mr.
Henry left the furnace, Mr.. Blair assist
ed the brothers Scranton to rent it. Cir
cumstances afterward made it necessary
Tor both Of them to 90 to Slocum Hollow
now Scranton. Several years later they
bought.
THE PROPERTY AT OXFORD.
to which Selden returned and has since
erected furnaces and iron mills now in
operation there. At the present time
the property there, including the mines,
furnaces and mills, are the most valuable
iron works in the state; and Selden L
Scranton and his company have done more
to develope the iron interest in Warren
county than any other men of the present
generation.
Mr.. Scranton, Mr. Blair and William
e. Dodge alone remain of all those con
neeted with the Slocum Hollow works of
1916, as directors the latter two are the
Only ones living who have been directors
in all the associated railroad, iron, and
coal companies from their organization
until now.