Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-09-01
4 CONNECTING LINK.
from President ms
CFeery-An Escape from DIscrimIna-
1lOm.

| vi IN AlC1NAOn from EEE0l0enA W.
CVeery-An Escape from DIscrimIna-
IlOn.
We give place to the following commu-
niration from President M'Creery, Of the
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad COmpa-
ny, showing means Of escape from the
railway determinations which have been
causing so much dissatisfaction among our
business men and manufacturers:
OFFICE P. & L. E R. R. Co,
PITTSBURGH, Penna-, Aug. 2, 1876. !
To the Citizens of Pittsburgh:
Now that it has been settled in the pub
lie mind that competing line of railroad
must be built TO the northwest, | would re-
| speetfully call your attention to some i'm
portant facts in regard to this line. The
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad is or
ganized under the general railroad law of
Pennsylvania The location is one of the
best, taking as il does the margin of the
Ohio river to Beaver, up the Big Beaver to
New Castle, then up the MahOning to
Youngstown, Ohio. All this line is on the
best possible grades, and, as will be seen by
! reference to any correct map, very nearly
| straight. This line will connect directly
| with the Baltimore and Ohio in Pittsburgh,
and with the various roads at New Castle
and Youngstown, four in all, viz: at New
Castle with the New Castle and Franklin
Railroad to the oil regions, Meadville, Buff
falo and Erie; at Youngstown with the 7.
S. & NJ. S. r. R., to Ashtabula HarbOr di
rect. and to the whole northwest and north
east. With the narrow guage to Painesville
on Lake Erie, and Atlantic & Great West
ern Railroad direct to Cleveland, the West
and Southwest, reaching at once, through
these great lines an immense expanse OF
country not now reached by any of our
railroad lines. With these connections in
and about Pittsburgh, and the valleys on
this and the other lines, our cars will run
into 135 iron works, and 35 glass manufae-
turing establishments, besides hundreds of
other large works of various kinds too nu-
merous to mention here. 1t will be the di-
rect line into the coke regions for the Ma
honing and ShenAngo valleys, Cleveland,
and the great west and northwest. 1t
strikes lust below the city, and at Saw Mill
run, the great South Side coal fields. un-
euualed for quality and quantity in this or
any other country, so far as is known. Its
entrance into the city is all that can be
wished, either for the manufacturing or
commercial interests OF Pittsburgh. The
location of the line has been thoroughly
made, and has been examined carefully by
some of the most eminent engineers of the
country: notably by Mr.. James L. Ran
dolph, chief engineer of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, and Mr.. c. Latimer, chief
engineer of the Atlantic and Great West
ern Railroad Both of these gentlemen
have testified, in the highest terms. to the
judicious location, easy grades and great
advantages of this line. As a rule, its
grades are insignificant. In four places,
and for short distances, a maximum of %
feet has 10 be overcome. The grades Of the
Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad are
about 80 feet
When the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Co. straighten their Chicago line, near
Mansfield, it will make this line two miles
shorter than the Pennsylvania Company's
line, or 466 miles to Chicago. It's mana
gers, from the first, have accepted the fact
that no independent line can be held by
private parties; that sooner or later the
small lines must be absorbed by large ones.
as has been the case heretofore with all
Pittsburgh roads. They have labored earn
estly to make this link in through line
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and at the
same time a competing line to and from
Pittsburgh. To so arrange matters as to
pIONCIlb lOS dDoOA pItOu O1 any Olb6I luJtIOoG
has been their aim, and they believe that
that endwill be fully accomplished.
The entire cost of this line through to
Cleveland will not exceed One-hGlf the
capital stock of the Cleveland and Pitts
burgh railroad, with 20 miles shorter dis
tance, and but half the grades. 1t is well
known that the Cleveland and Pittsburgh
Railroad has been immensely profitable.
Why shall not this be one of the best pay
ing roads in the country, with our business
prostrated, eastern cities shipping through
our city at rates often not one-haf what
we pay? With a discriminating policy,
which, as we all know, is sapping the very
foundation Of our wealth and industry, is
it not time for US to move? One million of
dollars from our citizens will secure this
line and these advantages. The time re-
quired to build this road is one year.