Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-17
wAsH1NGToN's HEADQUARTERS, BEDFORD.

in 1862. That was only eight miles from
Bedford, and the citizens of Bedford, then
lull of enterprise, raised money and them
selves completed the railroad branch to the
town of Bedford in 1901. Cumberland,
Md, was within 30 miles of Bed lord, and
the Bedford people, seeing what an advant-
age an extension of the road to that citv
would be to them, expressed publicly an
earnest desire to have the line extended
southwark.
Through Much Tribulation.
"The Cambria Coal and Iron Company
mad about agreed to float bonds for the ad-
ditional 80 miles OF road, when the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad offered help, and the offer
was accepted. Under the stipulations they
Grst took control of the eight miles of road
already built from Everett Cor Mt. Dallas),
and then completed, at their own cost, the
line to Cumberland Between Bedford and
Cumberland there Is not a bridge, tunnel.
nor cut worthy the name. 1t was the
80 miles of railroad ever built in the United
States. The whole branch line, as COM
pleted between Huntingdon and Cumber-
land, is known as the Huntingdon and
Broad Top Railroad. it started out as late
as 1871 free of debt.
"Three or four years ago, however, DUR
ing the South Penn Railroad litigation, the
astounding fact was made known that these
50 miles of branch railroad in Bedford
county was over $4,000, 900 in debt The
Pennsylvania railroad put this statement
forward as an argument against the build
ing of the South Penn Railroad, which, if
completed, would have been parallel line.
The Pennsylvania road asked if one line
could not be supported in the district, how
could two competing lines hope for exist
ence?"
A Big Coal Business.
"Is that true? Has the branch road no
traffic, or how did it get so deeply in debt?
1.-The road has as much traffic as anv single
line of railroad could wish for. 1t has a
freightage as large if not greater than any
branch railroad in this State. 1 vouch ior
it that if you could get the books of the COM
pany into your hands you would find that
from ZOO, 900 to 500, 600 tons of coal from the
celebrated George creek fields of MARYLAND
pass over the line every year to the main
line at Huntingdon. Recently 1 was offered
coal at 80 cents ton on the cars at Dudley,
so miles distant Here In Bedford the same
coal sells for 81 Is per ton. That shows the
enormous rate of freight on coal for 30 miles
Passenger rates are so high that the fare from
here to Huntingdon, 81 9S for 81 miles, is
greater in proportion than the fare
from Huntingdon to Pittsbure, some
freight, but it is refused. We
have great orchards here, but actually the
apples rotted last year for want of a market.
The railroad could have vastly more traffic
if it was able to handle it. The road ought
to be coming money"
Produce Rendered Worthless.
L
roads, farmers and farmers markets." 1 in
quired.
81 will show you, sir. These farmers in
Bedford county are working hard every
day to raise produce.
"a single round about line of railroad
with high freight rates, and an overcrowded
traffic, prevents them IRON finding markets
outside. They come into the town OF Bed
ford, singly and individually, to dispose of
their products. Shopkeepers will only take
their stuff at one-third off, because every
shopkeeper will say to farmer I have no
way of shipping produce, and your butter,
eggs and apples are perishable.'
what is the result? Why, L have bought
the best butter in Bedford 1 ever saw any
where for z cents per pound. Eggs for
cities, sell here dirt cheap. This is not the
worst, either. An account is kept with the
of the goods delivered by the
farmer. The farmer will come in turn to
him for the necessaries of life such as
clothes, shoes, farming implements, etc.,
and when the farmer buys these neeessaries,
the shopkeeper is compelled to charge him
one-third more than the things can be
bought for in cities, excusing himself by
setting up the meager railroad facilities and
high rates as the difficulty under which he
labors In stocking his store.
Farmers Have No Money.
IA clergymen here takes it as compliment
when some well-to-do parishoner tenders, as
his share of church dues, bushel OF pota-
toes or barrel of apples. There is practi-
call no money among farmers here. They |
trade their produce still for store goods. |
These long trains of freight wagons you see
still trade with farmers all through this |
county on that primitive basis. Without |
money, therefore, how can farmers pay their |
road taxes in cash, and without cash our |
roads can never be made whole"
where is the remedy?"
This generation must suffer a little for
the coming one, suppose, as we are taught |
1y the fathers. And here is the remedy:
Let the State take charge of country roads.
Let it renew all these old turnpIkes and |
build new ones. With com paratiysly little |
expense that might be easily accomplished, |
Then let the old-time Conestoga wagons be |
n fraioht xvoonz.