The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-04-18

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original survey Of the Philadelphia and
Columbia railroad. He was afterwards
Assistant Engineer on the Camden and
Amboy Railroad and Chief Engineer Of the
Georgia Railroad which was 213 miles
long, the longest road at that time which
had been built, Contracts were let on
July 49, 1871, for the first construction
work for the road West from Harrisburg,
and ON September |, IS49, the first division
of the road, from Harrisburg to Lewistown
81 miles long, was opened for business,
and just one year later the gap was closed
from Harrisburg eastward, making a con-
tinuous rail line from Philadelphia to the
| Portage road The line from Johnstown
to Pittsburs was completed in 1852. Con-
nection between the Eastern and Western
Divisions was made by using the Portage
road over the mountains, and on December
| 10, 1852, cars were run through from
Philadelphia to Pttsburg The company's
road over the mountains was not completed
until February Is, 1854, when it was
formally opened, and trains were run from
Philadelphia to Pittsburg without using
the inclined planes.
THE PURCHASE FROM THE STATE
1t has been stated by competent authority
that no railroad was ever built which cam
menced with better engineering. The
wisdom of its chief engineer in the location
of the route has been abundantly shown by
the lapse Of time. Mr.. Thomas was elected
to the Presidency of the company in 1852,
and continued in that position until his
death, 81 years afterwards. The state on
August /, 1857, sold and transferred its
main line to the Pennsylvania Railroad
company. In 1861 the company leased the
Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad for
term of 500 years which gave it a through
line under its own control from Philadel
phia to Pittsburg.
CONTROL OF ROADS By THE LEASING
SYSTEM.
The sytem of leasing railroad properties
for long periods commeNeed with the road
above referred to- In 1862 the Philadel-
phia aud Erie railroad was acquired under
a lease for like term, and in 1871 the
United railroads of New Jersey. This
policy was continued for many years while
the rates for money were high and the
company had insufficient capitol for pur-
chasing outright. This system has been
departed from in late years, and roads are
controlled by purchase of stock, notably in
the cases of the Northern Central railway
and the Philadelphia, Wilmington and
Baltimore railroad.
THE LINES WEST OF PITTsBURG.
1t was foreseen that, to bring traffic to
the road and compete for through travel,
the control OF Western lines to act as feed.
ers must be secured. The Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne and Chicago railroad was one Of the
first to receive financial assistance from the
Pennsylvania railroad in aid Of its con-
structiOn, and many others have been
brought under the control of the parent
line in the same manner, until the miles of
lines controlled by and tributary to the
Pennsylvania railroad west OF Pittsburg
and Erie far exceed the mileage east of.
those points. For more convenient control
and operation, these lines were all placed
under a new corporation called the Penn
sylvania company in 1871, with capital of
81, 900, 900, two-thirds of which is owned
by the Pennsylvania railroad company
GROWTH OF THE SYSTEM.
The two great corporations have gone on
adding railroad to their systems nearly
every year showing large increase in
mileage, until the number Of miles Of road
bed owned and controlled now reaches
nearly 1000 miles. The result Of this
policy commenced under the administra-
ton of J. Edgar Thomas and continued
under that of his successors, Thomas A.
Scott and George B. Roberts, has been to
contribute materially to the stability and
prosperity of the Pennsylvania railroad.