New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-08
TIE OLD NORRIS AND ESSEX.
VETERAN CoMMUTER TELLS ABOUT
RAILRGADING IN IT'S EARLY DAYS

VETERAN COMMUTER TELLS ABOUT
RAILR0ADING IN ITS EARLY DAYS
Vincent p. King Of the oldest commuters %
the Morris and Essex branch ~ the Delaware.
Lackawanna and Western Railroad. has ridden over
the old Morris and Essex from the time OF its
construction to the present DAY. He remembers
when II was started and all about the primitive
methods and conditions which prevailed. lie gave
a Tribune reporter many interesting facts abous
ITS development
The Morris and Essex Railroad begun IN
1855 he said and finished In isSs being among
the FIRST steam railroads IN this country The nrst
terminal al MorristoVu was ~ Mspe-ave. ara
DE Hart-st. The rolling stock consisted % Few
passenger and freight and two small ocornos
tives, which were named the orange and the Es-
sex. Afterward another locomotive, named ths
one and sometime two cars the baggage beng
carried IN box or boat under the cars Ihers
were no Saratoga trunks and few travellers cars
ried more than a portmanteau or small hair Trunk,
with a paper bandboN for the woman hat sno
fortunate II the bandboX reached its destination
without being smashed
The building IN Morristown which served Tor 9
ticket Office and freight shed had on II a bell.
This rung half hour before the train start
ductor would ring the last bell. then look down
the street and beckon 70 any tardy PASSENGER -
traln. Sc 10 hurry '"'' "1''''' .
THE rails were thin strips OF ron nailed to wood:
en- strinspieces. which sometimes became loossnea
by the wheels and turned up az the END IN f.ons
Of the wheels. being forced up through tne hcSs
conductor whore they could sit N safety TO ayo.o
those days were called The running time was noe
fast Trains would stop for passengers sny 1905
along the line upon signal The trains ran 80 ~
pleasure without waiting FOR them 10 stop. .,,,
the tender with water. At each end q the loco
motive strong iron hook was fastened 70 whien
post and prevented the engine from moving ethics
way: then portion OF the track under th7 sngls
driving wheel was depressed 2 few inches. and q
crank connected with the pump IN "sn wss
hooked a large wheel, steam turned on ara 80
THE railroad engineers were continually annoyed
run them down. as It was an even Oh nee that ths
cows would upset the engine x they anne IN con-
tact There was nothing the engineer could 30
but stop the train and drive the COW ~ the rack.
At the bssginnins Of is existence the r2ad req
f. connected with the old Nev-Jersey Railroad.
now the PennsyIyahia r0Sa al ,,,b bo-se. and ina
passengers landed In New-York NJ Cortandt-st: IN
1877 the road was extenaed 10 pSy,,,,.b,rg the
IN is53 the New-IArsey Railroad built hrtdg,
oyer ne Taesaic near The Broad-st station. and
cars were taken 70 Jersey city direct by special
In the panic Of 1857 the Erie Railroad Company
was engaged in building tunnel through bers r,.
! and was unable to complete the work. Edwin A.
! Stevens OF Hoboken. agreed 20 advance the neces
! sarv funds on condition that the company wotHi
give him the right Of way through the tunnel fo-
! any cars or trans he might wish 20 run a. ~,
then had no road the Erie company readily granted
| the concession Mr.. stevens then bought coz,
J t-oIling Interest IN Tie Morris and Essex ara
| built a connecting road from Hoooken 70 He"ars
| through the tunnel He afterward soid th''
| branch 10 the Morris and Essex Company
! I'm 1865 STR Morton Peto. an engineer and con-
| tractor with several capitalists came from Ens-
land in search OF field for investment Lney cor
! trolIsd the Atlantic and Great Western haiIroau
! and succeeded IN inducing the Morris snd EsssSS :
directors lease their roai 70 me A.,s'su yresd
| 70 nav n 10 per cent dividend on the MOTIFS . sn'
| l. II . no
| ern road failed Sir Morton Peto ana nls asso
cistAs succeeded IN unloading their western Sc =
LIZ. ba1ora the crash came " asserted tins !.
tbev leased the Morris and Essex Dranch 20 oostsr
| mn the Atlantic and Great Western stock
TN 1876 the Morris and Essex tunnel uhaer nn
tyiiI vas dug and the right 70 run cars tnrouE !
w. Erie tunnel was given up. The road was
! sfterysrd merged with the Delaware LackawenhA
"Heretofore il mas never been the policy OF ,ns
cornanv 70 induce people 70 invest money N holiss
~ bnsness along the lire. but under the rev MAJ
= seement OF Superintendent Russell chah eoS We
,sken placs and many improvements are ,oohea
ror In the service which VIII make ne pulnms -
/ a, The towns along the line one OF JUS strohs7's
| features"