Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-05-28
Birth OF a Gr.a. American Railroad.

Birth OF q Great American Railroad.
May II, 1908, marked the Fiftieth Anni-
versary of the incorporation of the New
York Central Railroad; fact interesting
for the consolidation of the ten separate
small roads into one line, that formed a
continuous route from Albany on the east
to Buffalo on the west, was the beginning
that made possible the enormous in
dustrial and commercial development ip
the country contiguous to it.
Articles: of agreement :were fled May
IL, 1853 the first Board of Directors was
elected July 9Th, and the whole line de-
livered to the new company August lst,
1858; insuring better service, more com
plete connections between all points, and
more general stimulus. to development
thans was possible under. separate and
rival corporations This also opened the
way for the consolidation of the New
York Central Company with the Hudson
River Railroad in 1862 which: event
presaged that era of wonderful progress
direct line from the ocean to the inland
seas, known as the great lakes, and
brought distant territorieL into close con-
nectioh with the seaboard.
1t is picturesque fact that this line
traverses the one break in the whole Ap-
palachian chaintbetween the Gulf of Mex
leo and the St. Lawrence River, and it
would seem as if Nature meant this to
be roadway for travel. Certainly the
Indian found it so, for the Mohawk trail,
the pathway of the confederated Iroquos
tribes, is almost identical with the New
York Central Railroad of to-day. This
trail was also the pathway of war during
the French and Indian and the Revolu-
tionary Wars, and later, in its offering of
easy travel, it lured the pioneers of the
West to the Mohawk Valley, which is SO
rich to-day with the product of agricul-
tural industry, on to the broad and fallow
fields OF the Genesee, to build up and
develop the traffic of the west upon the
great lakes.
1t is far cry indeed from that primi-
tive little line of the New York Central
OF fifty years ago to the great Railroad
of to-day with its Twentieth Century linn
tied, speeding like the wind. carving its
passengers on luxurious palace cars, over
smooth roadbeds, with a scarcely percepti-
BILE jar, and fifty years of progress could
not find a better Illustration than is re-
lated in an interesting letter of remi-
niscences written by Mr.. Joshua Wilber,
of Lockport, New York, describing rail-
The writer says 1--WE took the cars
on State Street in Albany; these cars
were drawn to the city line by horses,
for locomotives were not then allowed in
the city. The cars were of the ancient
pattern, entered by doors on the side,
WIN sSatS dItDSS Lue car, the passengers
facing each other, as in the old-fashioned
stage coaches
THE speed was tremendous-about
twelve miles an hour. Arrived on the
ridge opposite Schenectady. our cars
were let down an incline plane, secured
to large rope cable, the other end being
attached to flat cars weighted with stone,
which were drawn up on a parallel track
as we went down. At Schenectady we
changed cars and travelled west to Utica,
reaching there in the afternoon. That
was then the end of railroad travel.
"A canal packet was boarded which
landed us in Syracuse next morning.
There arother packet was taken for
Rochester, Itch we reached early the
following day third packet brought
us from Rochester Lockport in six
teen hours.
The time consumed IN coming from
New York City to Lockport was nearly
four days, being on the move all the
time: except the night spent at Albany.
Not long after the roads built from
Albany westward, and from Buffalo east
ward met, and continuous line was
formed, but with many changes of cars
and other inconvenience.
Then the Hudson River road was
opened, and Buffalo and New York
became neighbors."