Woodville Republican., 1903-05-23
BirtA Of q Great American Railroad.

May II, 1908, marked the Fiftieth Anni-
versary of the incorporation OF the New
York Central Railroad fact interesting
| in the history of the State of New York,
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 in-
dustris and commercial development in
the country contiguous TO it.
Articles of agreement were filed May
| II, 1858, the first Board Of Directors was
elected July 9th, and the whele line de-
lyered to the new company August Let,
| 1853; insuring better service, more com
pete connections between all points, and
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 undeveloped west, for it created
s-as, known as the great lakes, and
brought distant territories into close con-
neetion with the seaboard
1t is picturesque fact that this line
trayerses the one break in the whole APP
palachian chain between the Gulf of Mex
leo and the St. Lawrence River, and it
would seem as ii Nature meant this to
be a roadway for travel. Certainly the
Indian found it so, for the Mohawk trail,
the pathway Of the eonfederated Iroquois
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-
tlonary Wars, and later, in its offering of
II Al
West to the Mohawk Valley. which is SO
rich to-day with the product of agricul-
tural industry, on to the broad and fallow
helds 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 lin
tied, speeding like the wind, carrying it's
passengers on luxurious palace ears. over
smooth roadbeds, with scarcely percepti-
pie jar, and fifty years of progress could
not tlnd a better illustration than is re-
lated IN an interesting letter Of remi-
nlscences written by Mr.. Joshua Wilber
OF Lockport, New York, describing rail.
road travel in New York in 1899.
The writer says: I'VE took the cors
on State Street in Albany; these cars
were drawn to the city line by horses.
tor locomotives were not then allowed IN
the city. The cars were of the ancient
pattern, entered by doors on the side
with seats across the car. the passengers
iaclng each other, as in the old-fashioned
stage coaches.
The speed was tremendous-about
twelve miles an hour. Arrived on ths
ridge opposite Schenectady. our cars
were let down an incline plane. secured
TO large rope cable, the other end being
attached to fiat cars weighted with stone
whicn We're drawn up on parallel track
as we went down, At Schenectady we
changed cars and travelled west To iTt;c.
reaching there in the afternoon Thai
was then the end Of railroad travel
canal packet was boarded which
nded landed ms in Syracuse next mornino
nhere another packet was taken for
Rochester, which we reached earlv ~
following day. A third packet brousbt III
US from Rochester to Loekport in s;x.
=, The time consumed in coming from,
New York lity to Lockport was nearly
iour days, being on the move ali ~.
time, except the night spent al Albanv
Not long after the roads built fror,
albany westward, and from Buffalo aas.
ward met, and a continuous line was
formed. but with many changes ~ vas vas
and other Inconvenience ~ N'u
Ihsn the Hudson River road WA.
opened, and Buffalo and New yors
became neighbors." AorA