Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-10-02
Nanraster fntelligenrfr.
TUESDAY EVENING, OCT, 2. 1893.
Tuc Colebrock Valley Opening.

The COlebr00k Nalley auu eho So'h-
wall Il Lebanon railroads were opened
Yesterday by the passage of train loads Oh
invited guests along their extent ana
brief addresses in the Lebanon court
house. The road being local one those
present were of its neighborhood. The
Philadelphia journals appear to have had
no knowledge of 1t, as they had no rep.
resentatives present and no report OF 1t
is printed save in the Times; which one
of the INTELLIaENCER staff seems 10
have taken compassion upon and iur-
nished the well-written account which
we publish. Yet the new railroads form
a very important link in the railroad
communication of the state, connecting
rs they do by an independent line the
Pennsylvania railroad with tie
Lebanon Valley, which is under
the control of the Reading railroad.
1t was built to give to the Cornwall ore
and iron connection with the Pennsylva-
MIA road, 1t having heretofore been
dependant on the Reading. Such de-
pendance did not suit the temper or the
judgment of Robert III. Coleman, tie
young man who owns thirty-one Of the
ninety six shares of the great Cornwall
ore bank, which the founder or his
family acquired, and TO whom seems to
have descended in all its force the great
energy and sagacity which enabled his
ancestor to hand down this great pos
session TO his family. The original
Coleman came to Colebrook, it is re-
lated, fresh from the old country with
his pack upon his back, and was
brought by his guiding star to the hos.
pital door of Peter Grubb, the fox hunt
ing iron master, fond of ease and good
cheer, in whose employ he soon rose to a
confidential position, and finally became
possessed of five siXths of the great iron
mine which had been the Grubb's birth
right. This acquisition was made without
taint upon the integrity Of Mr.. Coleman,
who was by nature too strong and rest
less man to stay below anybody in the
company in which he was placed. He was
a man of most notable force, and
very particularly distinguishable for
his disposition to have his own
way. This intolerance of opposition ap
pears to have been fairly inherited by
the family representative who has come
so honestly also by his energy as one Of
the roads, about six miles long, just
opened, runs parallel, from Cornwall to
Lebanon, to the old road built by the
Cornwall owners to connect their mines
with the Lebanon Valley railroad. The
new road was built by young Mr.. Cole
man only because he was resolved to
control the entire line connecting the
two great railroads of the state, and he
did not have controlling interest in the
old road. AS he can afford to indulge it,
his policy was a very good one and his
co.tenants in the Cornwall mines need
not feel aggrieved. AS they too can af.
ford it., their movement to extend their
six miles of road from Lebanon, south
ward, to a junction with the Reading *
Columbia at Mannheim, is judicious
one. Though it does not have the ad
vantage of connecting them with the
Pennsylvania system, yet it opens into
much better country than is traversed
by the Colebrook Valley railroad, and is
a much shorter line in the new direction
sought for by the Cornwall ores. The
Lebanon Valley furnishes the best natu
raj line East andWest for the traffic from
Cornwall while Mannheim, reached with
less than ten miles of road, opens Corn
wall in straight line to the Susquenan.
ma at Columbia.
Since the Pennsylvania railroad has
undertaken to reach up the SChuylkill to
Reading, with an ultimate intention OF
occupying also the Lebanon Valley, the
desire for a connection with it which
prompted the undertaking of the COe-
brook Valley road, would have been
satisfied without the building of that
road. 1t is now suggested that The
Pennsylvania road may want to use the
Colebrook Valley to connect its Schuyl
kill Valley line with its main line. To dc
so however it will be necessary to greatly
lower the grade of the ColebroOk VALLEY
across the mountain. 1t is now eighty
five feet to the mile. Such reduction
would probably entail greater cost thar
the enterprise would warrant. Whether
without such connection the ColebrooL
Valley will have paying trade is yer,
doubtful, as it passes through a thinlN
peopled district, and will have its chic
owners iron for its main reliance. TC
his great operations an Independent lin,
Of railway was a necessary security anG
in this view the road may be worth III
cost to him. The boldness and energy
which he has displayed in its cOnstruc
tion is at least creditable; and we caL
safely say that if many of our wealthy
citizens were possessed of the tithe of The
public spirit and intelligent zeal to us,
for the best the talents with which they
have been blest, which this young mar
OF less than thirty years Of age hal
already shown 80 abundantly, the stat,
would be the great gamer by it. w,
wish to him the great prosperity in al
his undertakings which he eminentll
merits.
Mr.. NILES in the House made speecl
about apportionment. We do not know
uhaf Mr. Nilas .ata 81. ..,o hama 80,