The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-13

The discussions throughout involved
points of practical work and if the members
of the Convention faithfully carry out the
plans and suggestions set before them, great
advancement will be made in the coming
year by the Lutheran Sunday Schools Of
Somerset County
H. II. FLICK,
CLARA HANNux,
HATTIE SruTzMAN,
Pub. Committee.
The following minutes of the railroad
meeting held in the Court House Friday
evening, were furnished US by the Sec
retary:
There was public meeting of the citizens
ofSomerset on Friday evening, June 8. 1888,
pursuant to a call by the municipal authori-
ties, to consider, and if possible devise means
to induce the managers of the II. & W. r.
r. TO locate the line of their road through
this Borough. There was large attend
ance. The meeting was called to order by
Judge Baer, and l.. C. Colborn elected chair
man, and III. S. Endsley, Secretary. Upon
taking the chair Mr.. Colporn briefly stated
the object of the meeting, and then called
upon Judge Baer to give the same further
elucidation. Judge Baer said, in part
"The object of this meeting is to get at the
Railroad officials, to cultivate their good
will, to show them that the citizens of SOM
erset are in full sympathy with the line, and
if possible, to induce them to locate the
railroad through Somerset. or as near as
possible. My idea is to have committee
of citizens to wait upon the proper officials,
to represent the advantages of route
through Somerset, and invite them to bring
their road this way. / understand that the
Board of Directors are welded to the Crest
route, or Watershed route, which passes
through the county some three miles north
of Somerset, but by slight divergence they
could take in Somerset, and | think with
little, if any more grade, and making the
distance little if any greater. An effort
should be made to see Messrs. Barnes and
Sayers. They have ordered rights of way to
be taken ON the L line, and all have been
secured in this county except three or four
but though rights of way were ordered and
taken, yet that does not definitely settle the
route. Persons high in authority say that
the route is to be determined, and only de-
termined, when Mr.. Vanderbilt returns from
Europe Chief Engineer Barnes has in
structed Mr.. J. G. Ogle to meet him in Bed
ford with rights of way tomorrow. So,
while the road itself is fixed fact, yet the
precise route is debatable, undetermined
subject. Now, l do know that the railroad
officials are much impressed with this loca-
ton. Mr.. Sayers has said that Of all desira-
BILE points between New York and Pittsburg
this was the most desirable for q Summer
resort, and by proper effort We might have
the road built through here. Other parties
are making strenuous efforts to have the
road go elsewhere-south of here, for in
stance; a tremendous pressure is being
brought to bear to have it take in the Georges
Greek region, and Senator DAVIS West Vir-
linia coal lands. 1t can do no harm to ap-
point a committee and have them go to
Bedford TO see Mr.. Barnes and any other of
the Railroad officials who might be there.
have no assurance that we could get them
here but it's worth the effort. think the
capitalists would favor this route.
Col. Roberts, of Pittsburgh, engineer of the
and Atlantic and Pittsburgh and
Western Railroads, when here was driven
out and shown some of the fine portions of
the county, and was delighted and astonish-
ed to find that the character of tie country
along the line of the Pittsburg 4 Connells-
vile Railroad was not indicative of the
Of the great body OF the county,
and that Somsssss county possessed some of
the most pleasant scenery and delightful
he had ever seen.
At the conclusion of Judge Baer's remarks
C. H. Fisher moved that Judge Baer. Gen.
Coffroth and Col. Scall be appointed COM
mittee to go to Bedford to see Col. Barnes.
The motion was agreed to.
Col. Ed. Scull then spoke as follows: "The
railroad people will unquestionably build
this road for their own advantage. Now
suppose We go to these gentlemen and ask
them to bring their road here, it seems to
me that We ought to be able to hold out
some inducements that would be of weight
wi b them. Just now. / do not know of any
motive that We could hold out that would
be powerful enough to induce them to
change the route so as to pass through SOM
erset. 1t strikes me we should be going
down TO Bedford without sufficient knowl-
edge of the different routes surveyed and
the advantages and disadvantages
of each. The matter should be studied
and the advantages of this route
placed prominently forward, but We must
first learn those advantages. l am heartily
in favor of the route through Somerset
Col. Edie said that one thing the people of
this place did know, that - & - engin-
eers in 1888 ran an experimental line for a
railroad through this town and across the
mountains and Laurel Hill. |
Why could not that old survey be found?
Those eminent engineers said the route was
practicable, and was good one. Let it be
hunted up.
Mr.. George Tayman, of the Somerset
House, spoke in favor ofopening \ snhscrip-
ton to raise money to secure the right of
way from the point of divergence through
Somerset, to where the original line was met
again. Mr.. Tayman said the passenger and
freight traffic of this town would pay the |
railroad people well for bringing their road
here He knew the number of people that |
could be induced to come here in the sum-
n,er months, and it was ENORMOUS.
On motion Of Judge Baer . committee Of
two was appointed to wait upon Engineer
J. Imbrie Miller and invite him TO come to |
the meeting and give such information q
he would be permitted to give in reference
to the different routes. grade, etc. The
Chair appointed Judge Baer and James L. |
Pugh, Esq. At the request Of Judge Baer
his name was Withdrawn. and that Of Capt. |
c. J. Harrison substituted.
J. G. Ogle, Esq, upon being called on,
said: As far as my knowledge goes, the |
route TO be adopted Is the northern line, but |
this line through Somerset i also practica-
BILE. The differences Of the grade in the two /
routes is not more tnsn four fee4, but the
route through Somerset il over mile FAR j
ther. In years time, with the thousands
upon thousands Of cars passing ovsf this