The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-01
First Train Ran on Pennsyl-
yania Railroad a Half
Century Ago Today.
SKETCH OF THE ROADS DEVELOPMENT
The Enterprise Had Many
Trials in the Early Part
of It's Existence.

o'clock p. NJ, the first scheduled passen-
ger train on the Pennsylvania Railroad
started from in front of the Portsmouth,
and Mount Joy Station at Harrisburg and
proceeded on it's westward Journey.
9TH Jersey City News is Indebted to
Mr.. J. Elfreth Watkins. official historian
of the who since the close of
his duties at the Worlds Columbian Ex-
position in 1898, has been actively en-
gagged in preparing the yoluminous his
tory of the railroad covering the half
century, 1866, for the following infor-
nation concerning the circumstances
which eliminated in the formal opening
of the first link In the ~company's great
chain of transportation lines on Septem-
Der !, 1S49. The efforts to secure to the
State of Pennsylvania the trade of Pitts
burg, the Ohio Valley and the newly set
tied western territory, which began early
in the century. were followed by the
granting of the first railroad charter in
Pennsylvania, on March 81, 1923, which
gave authority " to incorporate a COM
pany to erect a railroad from Philadelphia
to Columbia. in Lancaster County"
The prosperous farmers along the line
Of the proposed railroad were. however,
W 1Qltf I'd SiiE WILL tkAC ~ ~
travel AFFORDED by the famous Lancaster
turnpike that the efforts of job Stevens,
the protector of this railroad. who had
also secured the first railroad charter in
American for a railroad from Trenton
to New Brunswick. New Jersey, eight
years before, again proved futile and 1t
was not until April 1884 that in compli-
ance with the act of March "a, 1928. a
single track of railroad, 81 miles long,
built by and at the expense of the Com
monwealth was opened for traffic between
Philadelphia and Columbia.
AT Columbia connection was made with,
the main line of the canal to Holidays
burgh, situated at the foot of the Ale
ghanies, where passenger and freight were
transferred to the cars of the Postage
Railroad. which were drawn over the
mountains for a distance OF thirty-six
miles by a combined system OF horse
power on the levels, and steamdriver rope
traction up five inclined planes on
the eastern slope and down five other
planes on the western side Of the Q
tain to the level of the Conemaugh River,
at Johnstown, where another transfer
was made from car to boat.
From Johnstown the western division
of the canal led through Blairsville ana
Salisbury to Freeport on the Allegnany
River and along the west bank to Alle-
ehanv city ind thence by an aqueduct
over thel latter river to Pittsburgh.
This chain of alternate links OF land
and water system or transportation was
built by the State of Pennsylvania, the
exnenditure for which to October 81. 1884,
amounted to nearly $40, 600. 900 for the fol-
lowing lines
Lengths in miles;
Observation-Disclosures to Columbia. 81 81
Canal1Coiumbia to Hollidaysburg,..- ~
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TO johns ss
r. own.1 to Pittsburgh. 1o5
ss4
During the decade, lss5-45, the inability
of the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania 70
nroperly manage this complex system,
for the building and reconstruction OF
which the State accumulated a debt OF
GAG 900. 600. an amount greater. at that
fine. than the national debt OF the unlted
states. was fully demonstrated The fu-
tility of attempting to conduct traffic reg
ularly. rapidly and economically over a
line composed of a crooked railroad, a
canal subject to frequent disaster iro9l
food. a mountain railroad embracing ten
| inclined planes and a second canal SIT
mated on the western slope OF the noun
tain and subject to early closing owing
| to the frosts of the winter, had also be-
| come more and more apparent
The reverse which had been so disas-
trous to the commercial interests OF
pb,,aaelphia caused by the financial crisis
az 1897 and the J~ackson-Biddle contest
| which resulted in the failure OF the emit
| cd states Bank in 1899 had compelled the
| citizens of the Quaker City to be patient
| in adversely, but the revival in business
| between the years 1910 and 1874 put the
merchants Of that city and the adjacent
towns in a position to demand better
| transportation facilities for fear that the
| railroad from Baltimore then being built
westward by private capital might be
extended to Pittsburgh and thus rot
| Philadelphia of her commercial suprem-
| acy.
This feeling grew rapidly and the large
" attended conventions held In the inte-
| rior Of the State and the public meetings
at the Chinese Museum, Philadelphia, late
In 1876 and early in 1916, when addresses
-.
were made by the most prominent citi'
zens of the community, together with tht
powerful influence brought to bear on ths
members Of the Seventeen Legislature
which convened at Harrisburg January
6. 1916, eliminated in the granting of {
liberal charter to the Pennsylvania Rail
ROAD Company on April 10, 1916. The fiji
tieth anniversary of this important even
was celebrated at the Academy of Music
Philadelphia, in 1896, by a gathering O
officers and stockholders Of the company
unprecedented in numbers and enthusi
asm.
This charter was put into full force OF
February "a, 1S47. when the financial con
ditions of the enactment having been com
piled with, Governor Francis r. Shunl
issued the letters patent which gave ina
authority for the organization Of Thu
company, which took place March 81
1sa7. when the first Board of Director
elected the day before assumed contro
Of affairs, under the direction Of Samue
v. Merrick. first president Of the com
pany, who served In that capacity unit