Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-07-27
A Pt!IROAD WAR.
The Ridgway Adooeate records the
fnllowino

Tho Ridgway Adpocdte records the
following:
Several years past the citizens OF
Ridgway have been alternating 10.
tween fear and hope in relation to the
building OF railroad from Alton,
M'KeAn county, TO Falls Creek, in
Clcarfcld county, Surveys have been
made, plans talked Of, aud at times
rumors have been rife that the con
tracts had been let for the grading Of
tho road All the railroad building
has ended in talk until recently. The
last week in June and the first week
in July there seemed TO be storm
brewing again in relation to the rail
road, aud for once talk seemed to be
taking shape. All the idle men about
were hired, prices ranging from Sl.4O
to $500 a day. Parties Of surveyors
were rushing hithor and thither, until,
TO q casual observer, the woods seemed
TO be alive with railroads and railroad
men. The widest of rumors were
anoat One day 500 men were going
at once to work on the grading, and
the next gang of Hungarians were
coming then that Jay Gould was 60
ing to build road. Shanties for the
accommodation of workmen were hasti.
ly constructed, along the proposed line
from Johnsonburg TO the mouth Of
Toby. The Hungarians came, lots of
other men came, and on Monday Of
this week the work of grading on two
railroads was actually commenced.
A company, chartered under the
name of the Howard Hill Improvement
Company, OF which Gen. Thos. Il, Kane
was the leader, built a section Of road
several miles long, ending at Johnson
burg, about nine miles west of Ridg-
way on the p. a. H. Railroad. Recently
the name of this company has been
changed to the New York, Lake Erie
and Western Coal and Railroad Com.
pany, (Which name, it will no doubt be
observed, sounds strangely like tho
New York, Lake Eric and Western
Railroad Company, still another com.
pany). OF the new company, General
Thos. l.. Kane is President. The Erie
road is supposed to be furnishing the
money for the new enterprise. This
supposition is strengthened by the fact
that the Chief Engineer of the Erie
road, o. Cbanute, was here few days
ago, looking over the road. This com
pany proposes to build a road from
Buttsville, MKean county, which is
near Alton, and the southern terminus
of the Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh
road to Falls Creek, a point on the
Low Grade road in Clearfield county,
sixty-two miles from the mouth OF Red
Bank. Then they propose to construct
branch road from Brockwayville,
Jefferson county, TO the Dagus mine
in Elk county. They have commenced
grading on Dickinson's fiat, near the
house at the head of the race, and pro
ceeding in o southerly direction down
the Clarion river. i'll. Murphy is the
contractor for this grading and has a
gang of twenty Hungarians doing
work under the direction OF Michael
Luby. About twenty-five rods of the
road is graded already for the ties
The work of grading is being pushed
right along. This road will be obliged
TO cross the Clarion river near the
head OF Dcknson's race and across by
Osterhout's tannery.
The Pittsburgh and New York, a re
Gently organized company, is building
the rival road This organization is
following the surveying parties with
gangs for grading, and have done, and
are doing, considerable work on the
hillside on the west bank of the Clar.
ion from the head of Dickinson's race
to a point opposite Osterhout's tannery.
Tom Miller and II. S. Thayer each
have gangs of diggers, and Jim Rhlnes
has charge of squad Of axemen. This
morning, when we passed along the
line, they were working as busy as
as nailers. And all day long the sound
of axe and pick may be heard along
the rugged hillside II Is an impossi'
oiilty 10 oulld TWO roads on tn's SIDE
hill, and as both companies want to
run along there u 49, IN measure, the
battle ground oil inc hght' Ihe titts'
burgh ana New YORK roaa mas lhe ad
vantage, as tney Dought OF james NC
Farland, DR.. Bordwell, and others own.
ing iand Oh the hi,l' not only Tue right
oi way, out inc iahd IN lee sim Ple'
They also have possession, when IS
supposed 10 90 ABOUT h'he points OF the
law
At Johnsonburg there seems to be
much bitterness, as the men of the re-
spective roads are working side by side.
1t was rumored ono morning that one
| aida huik a ahantv QlOgn IN the nj her q
lines. The side opposed TO the build.