Smyrna times., 1885-11-18

that there was about this time a line
of barges run through the Chesapeake
& Delaware Canal that carried passen-
gers from Chesapeake City to Della
ware City, connecting at each end with
steamboats, from Baltimore and Phila-
delphia. But this was of short dura-
ion.
Shortly after the disaster to the Kent
the steamboat Zephyr was placed on
the river and bay between Philadelphia
and Dona Landing and passengers
were transferred from the mail at
Dover and forwarded in hacks to Dona
Landing about seven or eight miles
from Dover. This line continued for
several years, and carried quite num-
Der of passengers from the landing and
stopping at Duck Creek and other
points on the bay and river to accom-
mOdate passengers at these places.
The lower end of the Peninsula was
still without any increased facilities for
reaching the Northern cities until
steamboat line was established be- |
tween Philadelphia and Lewes, having
a pier built out in the bay at Lewes,
and also at Benefits, to take on and |
land passengers and freight. This con-
water Railroad was built.
In 1849 Judge Harrington and |
others formed a company and obtained |
a charter for the Delaware Railroad. At |
first this road was designed to run |
from SefOrd to MahOn's river or DOna |
Landing and part of the road bed was |
graded between Dover and the Land |
ing, but they subsequently had their
charter amended so as to connect with
the Frenchtown road at Delaware
Junction and by way of New Castle
connect with the Philadelphia, Will
mingtOn & Baltimore Railroad near
Wilmington. The Delaware Railroad
in it's inception had the disadvantage
of passing through q section of country
of limited capital and though much as
the citizens might desire to see the
road built they had not sufficient sur
plus funds to spare to build it, and as
there were no coal or iron mines or
large manufacturing establishments to
give promise of business it was diff
cult to induce capitalists to invest in
the stock, though Judge Harrington
worked night and day to induce them
to do so, and finally induced some of
the Philadelphia, Wilmington Il Balti-
more Company to take an interest in
the matter and through him and them
the road was built. If any credit is
due to anyone it is to Judge Harring-
ton, for through his unceasing and un-
! tiring efforts the success of the enter
prize is due more than than to any
other. The citizens of the State owe
| him a monument.
/ l.,i.l
down to FELTON, in January 1856.
Later in the same year the cars were
run to SeafOrd and soon connected
with steamboat to Norfolk, but the ice
was such an obstruction that this ter
minus was soon abandoned and the
road continued to Crisfeld. Since then
it has been extended to Charles City,
the nearest available point on the
Chesapeake to Norfolk. This extern
sion has been but recently finished to
Charles City and is meeting with all the
success its OriginatOrs could expect in
the way of travel and freight. 1t has
been published that one hundred thOus-
and barrels of sweet potatoes have
gone over the road this season and the
season not yet over. Freight and
travel will both increase year by year
as has been the case on the main line.
In early years of the road two cars
were sufficient below Dover and gen.
orally plenty of room left.
The road, with all Of its branches, is
now managed by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company and we now have
all rail to Philadelphia and New York
and have four trains daily each way to
Philadelphia, and each train carries
on an average more passengers than
f the single train did in the beginning,
thus showing that increasing the facil-
tiles for travel increases travel. The
: present season has been a busy one
with the railroad, yet they have han
: died the freight thus far with admira
: BILE promptness, but it is a question o.
} time and very short time when there
5 will have to be a double track or {
2 competing line. Three or four years
/, from this time, if there is a crop o
peaches it will be impossible to handle
= them on a single track. We need NJ
? competing line If the Pennsylvania
4 Company will act literally toward!
: their patrons, and double their track
Y with additional branches, for it is eVi
/ dent that if one line can do the bust
= ness they can afford to do it cheape
4 than two could do it. But will they
= do it? Corporations are like office
e holders if they get hold of a gOoC
e teat they will not let go until com
PEELED to do so. See what cOmpetin;
: lines do in removing the crops of tn
a far West. A hundred pounds of whea
o are taken from Chicago to New Yorl
for nj
/ bushel, but little more than it costs tn
h farmer here to send it to New York
n One-fOurth of the distance and tina
s over n road with scarcely perceptibl
g grade for the whole distance, while tn
n freight from Chicago has to be haule
q over heavy grades, taxing the lOcOmC
n tives to their utmost capacity and in
y posing heavy service on the road bee
"a which must have cost for cOnstructiO
a four or five times as much per mile a
+ the Delaware Road. Capitalists NJ
4 itching to have an opportunity to bull
II a parallel line through Delaware, bJ
70 they will itch in vain. The Pennsy
fo vania Company has studied human ni
,e ture to some purpose by furnishing
a free pass to the Legislature and SEM
n ing them on free junketing expedition
O. to Baltimore, Washington, NOrfOll
IN New York and elsewhere, with frC
of roast beef, free wine and other gOC
things they do not, nor need not e.
,o pect any uafriendly legislation. 1t
nT of course done for purpose, as ever
~ one knows, otherwise they would issl
- free passes to other associations, Fl
=. instance temperance meeting whit
81 81 is really and truly philanthrOpic in
W character, the members of which {
" " not receieve three or four dollars d.
to for doing nothing as the Legislator
W men do but frequently contribute tn
10 - much of their own funds to the nec'
70. Ie sary expenses of the meeting.
.oi would seem much more in the line
nu ~ Justice that they should have free pa
~ '.l, es, but they do not get them; tn
,y. ,vy have no votes on railroad charters a
iaU I are of no use to the railroad cOmpa
ny ~ except to fill a seat and pay for tick
~. ~ but as we intimated, we want no L
NY friendly legislation. All we ask is s
pSc iicient railroad facilities and liberal
We in removing our crops at the low
% at paying price.
the We need railroad from Dover
hin Rehoboth, tapping the Junction re
cen at Milford. This would be about eq
~ IN q dO1hla fraOlx helOW DOVpr rpli