The Colfax chronicle., 1903-07-11
n,rth Of . Great American Railroad.

Nav II. 1903. marked the Fiftieth Ami
versary Of the Incorporation OF the New
YORK Central Railroad; q fact interesting
in the history of the State OF New Y ork,
for the consolidation OF the ten separate
small roads into one line, that formed
continuous route from Albany on the east
to Buffalo on the west, was the beginning
that made possible the enormous m
dustrial and commercial development IN
the country contiguous to 1t. -,
Articles of agreement were hled May
II, 1853, the first Board of Directors was
elected July 9th, and the whole line de-
livered to the new company August ist'
1858; insuring better service, more com,
piete connections between al points, ana
| Z more general stimulus to development
than 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 1869, which event
presaged that era Of wonderful progress
in the undeyeloped west, for It created :,ssca :
| direct line from the ocean to the inland
seas, known as the great lakes, and
brought distant territories into close con-
| nection with the seaboard.
1t is q picturesque fact that this line
traverses the one break in the whole Ap
palachian chain between the Gulf OF Mex
leo and the St. Lawrence River, and II
| III
be a roadway for travel. Certainly tn.
Indian found it so, for the Mohawk trail
the pathway of the confederated lroquoii
tribes. is almost identical with the New
York Central Railroad of to-day. Thi
trail was also the pathway OF war durinl
the French and Indian and the Reyolu
tionary Wars, and later, in its offering Q
easy travel, it iured the pioneers OF tn
West to the Mohawk Valley, which is @
rich to-day with the product of agricul
tural industry, on to the broad and fallov
fields of the Genesee, to build up an
develop the traffic of the west upon tn
great lakes.
1t is far cry indeed from that prim
tive little line of the New York Centrs
! of to-day with its Twentieth Century lin
tied, speeding like the wind, carrying il
passengers on luxurious palace cars, owe
J smooth roadbeds, with scarcely percept
bic jar, and fifty years of progress coul
| not find q better illustration than is r.
lated in an interesting letter of rem
niscences written by MT. Joshua Wiioe %;
! road travel in New York in 1899.
r The writer says: I'VE took the ca
.. on State Street in Albany; these ca
! were drawn to the city line by horse
: for locomotives were not then allowed
the city. The cars were of the anciel
pattern, entered Dy doors on tne BIO
with seats across the car, the passenge
facing each other, as in the old-fashion'
stage coaches.
J "The speed was tremendous-abo
{ twelve miles an hour. Arrived on q
!, ridge opposite Schenectady, our q
= were let down an incline plane, secur
to large rope cable, the other end bel
e attached to f1et cars weighted with stor
. which were drawn up on a parallel ira
:. as we went down. At Schenectady
y changed cars and travelled west to Uti'
d reaching there in the afternoon. III
II was then the end of railroad travel.
a "a canal packet was boarded viii
- landed us in Syracuse next mornil
y There enother packet was taken
n Rochester, which we reached early
4 following day. A third packet brous
!" us from Rochester to Lockport in 6
:, :, teen hours.
II "The time consumed in coming fr
c. New York City to Lockport was nea
N four days, being on the move all
~ time. except the night spent at Albany
Il mot long after the roads built fir
Albany westward, and from Buffalo es
ward met, and continuous line Y
formed, but with many changes of c
and other inconvenience.
" Then the Hadson River road /,
n opened, and Buffalo and New Y
re became neighbors."