Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-01-12
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY By THE &A.
Good Weather and Pros
peets for the CI1inter.
lIITTIE TALK ABOUT R. R. lIpRoTEIEHTs.
WHAT ATLANTIC OWES TO THE RAIL
ROADS AND WHAT IT WOULD BE
WITHOUT THEM-tsEENG THE GOV
ERNoR"-CoUNTY SEAT ADVANTAGE

WITHOUT THEM-"sEEING THE GOV
ERNoR''-CoUNTY SEAT ADVANTAGES.
The fine weather at the beginning
of last week no doubt Occasioned the
large increase in the number of winter
visitors. All the winter hotels have
been well patronized all along, and
business is picking up all along the
line am glad to say. AS stated in
previous letters, much building and
rebuilding is going on and the great
work of the West Jersey and Sea
Shore Railroad has furnished en-
-plOyment to our people, the results
of which cannot be over estimated,
And this reminds me OF the talk
shortI after the death of the late
Presid 1nt of the Pennsylvania Rail
road, Mr.. George Roberts. 1t is well
known that Mr.. Roberts was great
friend to Atlantic City, and was
always ready to second General
Sewell in all his efforts. Athis death,
l don't know how it came about,
but it began to be rumored that Mr..
Thompson, his successor, was not in
favor of any large Out-lays in this
section. This was very discouraging,
and if it had been true it would have
been serious. / went to work to see
what could learn about the situ-
alton, and soon found that the whole
story was false and that Mr.. Thomp-
son was as ready to help Atlantic
City as Mr.. Roberts had been. Ny
readers will remember that / then
stated that the large contemplated
improvements by the company
would go on and now we see for
ourselves that the statement was
correct. While on this subject will
relate some things that i was told
by an official OF the company. / do
it with great pleasure as it reflects
great credit on General Sewell, Mr.
Thompson and others of the COM
pany. The ''hard times" of course,
bad been felt by the company and
some of the officials thought it un-
wise, to go on with the improve
ments contemplated until better
times were at hand. Immediately
Senator Sewell, seconded by Mr..
replied that now was the
time especially for the reag0ng stated
for delay-as the situation was like
this. First, the company was fully
able to stand the financial strain,
and secondly, the time was never
likely to come when the expending Of
large sums of money would be such
a GOd-send to thousands of men
many of whom would otherwise
want for the necessaries of life. They
also contended that it would show
to the world the great confidence
that the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company had In the future of Attain
tic City. Hence it was decided to
the finest double track railroad in
the State. together with other i'm
provements involving from four to
five million dollars when completed.
The men who are doing this for
us are the men who, now and then,
ask Council for some concessions like
the double tracking of Georgia
avenue. Is it, any wonder that
Council bodily grants these requests?
How long do the fault finders and
GROWERS think they could stay in
Atlantic City if the railroads were
taken away?
There is no place in the country
SO completely dependent upon the
railroads as Atlantic City. Just
imagine what it would soon become
if the rails were taken up and the
roadbeds destroyed. We got little
inkling of it only a few weeks ago,
when we were cut off from all COM
municatiOn by the great storm and
all trains ceased running for several
days. A few daring yacht captains
ventured across the Bay, with our
milk and meat supplies, and a few
passengers came up our streets as
wet as drowned rats-the Editor OF
the Pleasantville Press among the
number, remember. What do you
think property along the Beach front
and our main avenues would be
worth if we had that kind OF COM
munication all the time ? Knowing
that the whole outfit would not sell
for enough to pay the taxes if rail
communication was cut off it
makes me tired away up to the top
of my old bald head when | hear a
lot of people eternally denOuncing
the railroads, and their very bright
business managers,
These men never ask for anything
that is not right, and they are
always ready to pay for what they
get and always in a legitimate way
and seldom If ever by bribery as some
people want to insinuate. Millions
for defense but not one cent for
tribute is the motto of the Pernsyl-
vania officials. Now please don't
think, my readers, that / am asked
or instructed or even requested to
write about railroads in this letter,
/ do SO for two reasons, one Is In the
hope that people may see what they
owe these same roads, and another
reason Is to, In q small way, show
at least my own appreciation of the
men who have done and who arenow
doing SO much for us. Perhaps the
time may come when we can do
without the railroads and fly
through the air, but until that day
arrives count me as q friend Of them
The political field seems to be
rather quiet and with the exception
Of some delegations going up tC
Trenton to bother the Governor and
tell him a lot of lies, / hear but
little of interest. OF course the usua
rumoFs Ut deals and counter deals
are plenty, but they are stale lies
and treachery is the usual stock il
trade OF the average politician,
don't take much stock in what heal
| on that line, but wait until / see TO
myself, and then tell my readers wha
/ know,
The removal OF the County Seat
| find Is being discussed from the stant
point, stated in my. last weeks Jet
ter OF Senator Newell, to wit: tina
Atlantic City will get more benefi
from the removal, no matter II the
aresplaced at Pleasantville, than wi
| any other part Of the County, Pleas
antyille not excepted. | find tn
| general conclusion to be that be