The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-08
STATES FIRST RAILROAD CHARTER
Mr. Francis b. Lees Interesting Ac-
count of the Grant.

Mr.. Francis B. Lee, of Trenton, con-
tribute to the Railway World an inter-
esting account of the first railroad charter
ever granted by the Legislature of New
Jersey. The projected road was never
built, at least under that particular
charter, and the ancient document had
escaped the attention of every anti
quarian and historian. until Mr.. Lee,
poking about, as he always is, in the
dusty archives of the State, hit upon and
brought it to light.
In the early development of our civiliza-
ton great postroads and highways were
found to be necessary, and among the
most important of these was the great
highway across New Jersey, built in 1886.
In that year., says Mr.. Lee. an act was
passed by the Legislature of East Jersey
providing for the repair of the road from
Indians Ferry New B~runswick) towards
Burlington. The road was designated in
the statute, as "a part of the great
thoroughfair of this Province from New
England, New York, ETC., to the west
ward From the termini of the road at
New Brunswick and Trenton or Borden
town, waterways We're employed IN the
the Raritan to New York, and on the
Delaware to Philadelphia.
A trip, that is now made in two hours
between these cities, then consumed two
days. A regular line OF stages bet weea
these termilli grew out of the use of the,
road, and by 1877 a Wagon ran from
This vehicle, according to the Weekly
Mercury was. fitted up with benches
and covered over, SO that passengers may
humble beginnings developed with pro-
digious strides as population and business
increased. There finally came a demand
- ----- II, ~ Ahta
traffic than the stage lines afforded, and
this demand materialized in the railroad
charter Mr.. Lee has u~nearthed. The Leg
islaIure of 1875 created "a ompany ito
erect a Railroad from the river Della
ware, near Trenton, to the River Raritan,
at or near New Brunswick" Thus am
charter was the first Of its kind ever
granted by the State of New Jersey.
The statute first directs that James Ew-
ing, Pearson Hunt and. Abner Reeder
subscriptions for erecting a railroad,
passing and repassing, not more than
four rods wide, from the river Delaware,
near New Brunswick The act proceeds
very much in the language and plan of
the Camden and Amboy charter, to pre-
scribe the methods and rules under which
the road shou4~ be built and operated.
The Commissioners chosen by the Legis-
lature to lay out the road Were John
Rutherford, Mahlon Dickerson and Rich
dIu AlllSblit VII q ~ LUX Z
gard to the situation and nature of the
ground and the buildings thereon, the
public convenience and the interest of
the stockholders, and so as to do the least
damage to private property"
There is no evidence on record that the
Commissioners ever acted and filed any
report.
The corporation was empowered to
make. erect and establish a railroad,
passing and repasSing, and which road is
to be composed of either iron or wood for
the running of the wheels, and which
running part is to be fixed on a solid
foundation, impervious to frost. not liable
easily to be removed 1t was further
provided that the middle path Of said road
was to be composed of some hard sub
stance. of either stone, gravel or wood.
SO as to be good at all seasons of the
year. In no part of its progress shall the
road rise above an angle OF two degrees
above the plane of the horizon. The COM
pany could also ''erect. make and estab-
iish all works. edifices and devices as
might be necessary, as well as purchase
lands and tenements.
Nowhere in the act is the motive power.
BY which the road was to be operated,
mentioned, but there Is conclusive In
herent ground for believing that 1t was
to be steams