Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-09-07
THE NEW RAILROAD.

The new railroad from Butler to
Panxsutawney is Jim Dandy. 1t Is
a first class. up-to-date, perfectly built
ard thoroughly equipped road, with no
grade on it exceeding one in one-hun-
died. A ride over it is a supreme pleas
ure; and as it opens up what has hereto
fore been to most of Us a foreign and
unexplored country, and withal very
interesting one we should all take
ride on it at the very first opportunl-
ty.
The chief engineering features OF the
new road are the magnificent bridge
over the Allegheny bridge about
half mile long and one hundred and
fifty feet above low water, from which
the cars of the Valley R R. below look
small-and the great tunnel mile or
so west of Punxsutawney. which saves
a run of six miles around hill, though
the tunnel is but little over a half
mile in length Then there Is some
pretty scenery along the Mahoning,
which empties into the Allegheny few
miles above Mosgrove and also at what
they call Devils Gulch-but the great
est natural curiosity on the route Is the
the great sand bank on the top of the
river hill, this side through which the
railroad cuts 2S feet without reach
ing bottom, and on the top of which
stand great rocks and trees. One can
not help wondering how all that sand
got on the top of hill two-hundred
feet above the level of the river.
Quite number of the people of this
county and great crowds from Arm
strong county took advantage OF the ex-
cursion rates, last week, to see both the
road and the town with the long name.
On Thursday morning train consist
ing Of tour coaches, two baggage cars
and big engine, left Butler with about
sixty people, and few got on at Fenel-
ton and Craigsville; but when the train
stopped at Moss Grove, the station on
the other side of the river two or three
hundred people, who came up from
Kittanning ON the Valley, climbed up
the steep bluff and boarded it, others
got on at the little stations along Pine
creek, while at Dayton, the centre OF a
fine farming country in the eastern edge
of Armstrong county, near where Indi-
ana and Jefferson counties corner,
great mob was awaiting the train, and
three more coaches were added to it to
accommodate them.
Punxsutawney was reached after
three hour run, including the hat-hour
wait at Dayton, and we took a look at
the town-a big coal mining town locat-
ed in a valley. with one paved street
about mile long and with street cars
ON it: and several good hotels. We
mic ht add, also, that it is the home of
the handsomest editor in Western
Pennsylvania-the Hon. William ..
Smith-who edits a Spirited weekly,
After dinner at big brick hotel of
the strange name of ''Pantall," we Wis
tied the Fair-a sort of horse race and
fake-all concern on the top Of a dusty
hill, where everybody stood or sat IN
the sun. All were talking about the
terrible accident of the previous day.
The races were nine-tenths OF the
Fair and Charley Jamison of Butler,
with his thirty horses was capturing all
the prizes
After being thoroughly heated and
saturated with dust we took look at
the town, and the neat and complete
iron mill, and sauntered about till train
time.
The Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg
r. r. comes into Punxsutawney from
the north. passing through Bradford;
the Vanderbilt interests from the east
via WilIiamsport and Beech creek, and
the Penn'a from the south, leaving the
main line near Altoona, and passing
through Bells Gap. This new road,
which the owners call the Allegheny &
Western, is the towns first western out
let, and with it's traffic arrangements
with the Z. 81 w enables the b. X. d
p. to run through trains between Ro-
chester n. Y. and Pittsburg and by the
way these trains will not stop between
Butler and Pittsburg. This new road
also and the cut-offs at Butler and Rel
bold. give the B. X. & p. freight and
passenger facilities with the b. q .. to
Chicago, and with the Bessie to the
lakes. 1t is about 50 miles long, IS
built for heavy hauling, and our esti-
mate of the cost is from two to three
millions of dollars. 1t was not built for
fun, and besides the convenience as a
direct eastern outlet, it ought to lie, and
undoubtedly will be, of immense indus
trial advantage to Butler, as every
great railroad interest in this part Of
the continent, excepting the Wander
bilt, is now represented here.
1t makes this town a great railroad
centre, and this with our available ter
ritory and abundant supply of both coal
and natural gas, should make Butler Il
great manufacturing town.
1t will be some day.