The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1886-11-18
Written for the Lewisburg Journal
by G. ii. Shriner.
COUNTY HISTORY.
THR BIG POLITICAL BATTLE IN NEw
BERLIN A GEHEIsATIN AGO.
DIXON, ILL.,, Oct. 9th, 1856.

OF my life, was often reminded by
the older citizens Of tho great fight
we had in Now Berlin more than O
generation ago, about the 100000
railroad bonds. Thinking that
some Of your younger readers, Of
the present generation, might feel
an interest in il, 1 will write you a
brief and truthful history Of that
omorable battle--"to vindicate the
truth OF history" Something ol
this kind is needed, for the truth
has been grossly perverted, by one
historian at least, but not intention
ally feel certain, as that writer was
absent from the county during that
eventful year, and he made spocial
request OF me to put tho truth on
record.
The Legislature in 1852 passed. a
law authorizing County Commis-
sioners to subscribe for stock iu orr
der to build railroads, and to issue
county bonds to pay for said stock
Jno. Wilt. George Ileinbnch and
Simon Herrold we're then County
Commissioners. Wilt and Helm
bach subscribed for two hundred
thousand dollars worth OF stock in
the Baltimore & Susquehan ma
Railroad" of which company Wm.
f. Packer, afterwards governor, was
president This road was TO go
brough Lowisburg, whore the
|"Vanderbilt,' or Reading road now
is. Of course, Lewisburg was
deeply interested in this road, for
tho North Central was not then
in existence but the rest OF the
county, especially that part now
constituting Snyder county
thought they had no interest in tho
road, and were dead against this
subscription. The Hon. VIM. f.
Packer, president of the new rail.
road company, was very popular iu
Union county, especially with tho
Democratic party, of which he was
called the "War Horse" and he GER,
tainly WAS the most powerful stump
speaker over heard and | have
heard Clay, Webster, Douglas, Linz
coin, Silas Wright, Andy Johnson,
and last, though not least, Ellis II.
Schnable. Well, Packer was invited
to Now Berlin to make speech on
the grandeur and glory Of railroads
in general aud especially his Balti-
more and Susquehanna road, aud
its great advantage to Union county.
This was, think, in April, 1852.
Packer came and mado OF course, an
able and elegant speech. l wa,
called out after Packer, but only
made O few brief remarks, Just
enough to show that endorsed all
he had said in favor of railroads, but
that l was opposed to this 5000, 900
subscription. ! did not try to
make speech,for l did not want to
show my insignificauoe alongside of
Packer, but | did want to keep my
self all right on the record. I had
a great affection for Packer long be.
fore he was governor, when he was
a mere printer's devil, like myself
In 1849, when he was elected State
Senator, against Andrew G.. Curtin,
then the Wing canidate, now the
great Congressman from your dis.
tr,ot, | canvaased the district with
Packer,and it was hard for me- to go
against his interest, for Packer then
was poor. After the meeting he
said to mo : "Well, you have put
Yourself on tho record now as
against this subscription, but dor I
for my sake do anything more
against it," l should have mentions
cd that was then holding an Office
in Philadelphia under Gov. Bigler,
which Packer had supported me for,
and repeat it was hard for me to
oppose what he thought was his in
terest bat / was q Democrat from
principle and conviction, and I
thought, aud still think, the law
authorizing three county officers to
mortgage whole county, without
the consent or knowledge of tho
people, not only anti-Democratic,
but Infamous Well, at the in-
stance OF that lionhearted old Dem.
ocrat, "Uncle Billy Forster who
beat Ner Middleswarth for the Legs
islature go years ago, l wrote call
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