The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-03-30

THE PENNsYLvANIA RATLRoAD.-Mr
David Williams, former citizen of this
place, having been raised here, bnt for many
years connected with the newspaper press
in other parts of tie State. gives In the
Mffi;ntown Tribune, of which for more than
n year past lie has been the writing editor
some Interesting local "reminiscences of the
early days of railrUadng in this county
Which we reproduce for the edificatiOn of our
readers. Ii is proper to say that the rcmi ais
cences here gi ven were drawn out hy few
brief facts recently publ shed in he Altoona
Mirror III relation to the wonderful progress
of the great thorouQhftr. above named, and
III The course of which ;he writer took oc-
rasion 10 say that notwithstanding 1.-THE
Pennsylvania railroad was opened from Phil.
adeipliia to Columbia in 1881, horses were
not dispensed with as motive power until
1886. Although there was continuous con-
nection with Pittsburgh early rs 1884, it
WAS mainly Ivy canals and by mountain por-
rages l, 400 feet high, which cost S14, 800, 600.
The Peunsylvan a railroad proper, from Har-
risburg 10 Pittsburgh, was only incorporated
thirty years ago with 81 ,5o0,OO0 capital"
Persuing the subject still further, Mr.. Will
lams, as we have already intirpated, tells
what he krows about railroadiug in Shis
county nearly if not qnite forty years ago.
He says;
The writer Of this. when mere lad. saw and
rode on the first passenger car that passed over
the road, meeting 1t. with many Others, az viii
more, then Jefferson, on what was called the
The motive power was horses, between the in
cllned planes, and although in a short time To-
comotives wcre placed the road, the equine
propeiInQ power was still long retained on the
shorter levels between the planes, of which
there were ten. From plane No. to johns
town, the cars generally made the distance IF
three miles on the down grade, and at n rapid
gait too. At the tertDini of the old Portaga,
Ho:lidaysburg and Johnstown, ell her living or
ether freight was transferred to passenger and
freight boats, of the former there being three
lines-Leechs =, Good Intent. and Pinneer--aiId
they were all generally crowded with passen-
who preferred this improved means of
travel to the old numbering stage couch. II
the cars ut this time. and indeed Tor several
years thereafter, happened TO be detaiD ed he
yond the usual hour, the passengers were
housed as best they couio he FOR the niyh at
some of the hotels aiOuY the rOute-norabe e
among which were the Old Summit House and
that at the loot oi Plane 2. at one time kept by
conductor popularity known 10y the apppliatton
o: Long Bob The subsequent history OF
the road, with its many changes-wiping out
the greater part of the old Portage site, vii h
its famous tortuouS windings of Horse Shoe
Bend, and then regarded as Impossible grades
toy which the steep ncclivities of the Alleghe
mes ha We been reduced TO the pract ica cOnve-
niencies valley ievels-is familiar to every
reader in the state. In all other respects, the
thorougbfare have been in keeping with the
engineering acbievemo nfs and business direc-
tion W hch have placed the Pennsylvania Rail-
road at the head of thos. of the worid-at once
the pride of all Penusy lvauians and the wonder
of al who have sver passed over IL, at almost
lightning speed and with home cOnvenieuces
between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.