The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-06-16
THE SUGGESTED
ERIE SHORT CUT.
Twenty Miles Distance Could Be
Saved-Why the Erie Was
Kept Out of Wayne-Why
the jefferson Charter
Mas SnpIppU

Was Secured.
The recent visits of prominent
Erie people to Honesdale, with some
hints as to their object, leads con-
siderable interest to the revival of
current talk of short cut being
pushed through Wayne county,
with view to materially lessening
the distance between New York and
the west, and of course erecting
corresponding decrease in schedule
time on the main line.
That this project was very seri-
ously considered when the Erie rail-
way was first built, and has been
proved feasible by careful surveys
from time to time subsequently
made by the Del. & Hud. Co., and
other parties interested, and the
reasons why all plans in this direc-
tion have thus far failed of realiza-
tion, are set forth in the following
history of the movement from the
outset.
In 1882 the Legislature of New
York granted charter to the n.
Y. & Erie Railroad Company with
authority to construct railroad
from the city of New York through
the southern tier of the counties of
the State to Lake Erie.
In 1S41 the Legislature of Penn
sylvania authorized the company to
construct the road through a por-
tion of Susquehanna county. In
1914, the company, finding it in
practicable to build their road on
the New York side of the Delaware
river without interfering with the
works of the Del. & Hud. canal,
proposed asking permission of the
Legislature of Pennsylvania of
1S45 to come into this state and
construct their road on the western
bank of the Delaware river in Pike
county.
The people of Wayne county,
knowing that the Susquehanna river
could be reached by a better and
shorter route by following up the
Lackawaxen river, and so passing
through this county, called series
of meetings at various places in the
county to take measures to induce
the Erie company to come through
Wayne county.
For reasons, not then understood,
the Del. & Hud. Canal Co., opposed
the movement. They sent their
friends and employees to the vari-
Gus meetings that had been called,
and by them every plan that was
proposed was voted down, thus Civ
ing the meeting an appearance of
hostility to the measure.
The Erie Company submitted
their proposition to the Legislature
of Pennsylvania, which assembled in
January, 1S45, and asked permis-
sion to build their road through a
portion of Pike county. William
II. Dimmick Ohe elder) who was
the attorney OF the Del & Hud. 4.
Co., was then in the Senate, and
through his influence the applica-
tion of the Erie Company was re-
jected.
F. b. Penniman and G.. S. Minor
had attended the meeting called at
Prompton to favor the application
of the Erie Company, and when
their application was rejected by
the Legislature, Mr.. Minor said to
Mr.. Pennman that if the Erie peo-
pie wished to come into Pennsylva-
mia and would come through Wayne
county, they should have the au-
thority necessary to build the road.
The next year the application of
the Erie road was renewed, and
although William H. Dimmick was
still in the Senate he allowed the
bill to pass without any opposition,
and the Erie company received au-
thority to build their road through
a portion of Pike county. Mr..
Minor was still determined to OBJ
tain from the State the authority
to build the road through Wayne
county, but Mr.. Dimmick was still
in the Legislature and no suitable
opportunity seemed to present it.
self till Calvely Freeman, of Mount
Pleasant, was elected representa-
tive.
Then Mr.. Minor drew up the
charter for the Jefferson road. In
order to carry the bill through the
position, he called it the "Jeffer-
son" road, taking his idea from the
Washington Coal Company, which
had just been chartered. He be-
lieved that if the people of this
section saw a notice of the bill they
would think it appertained to JEFF
ferson county, while if the people
of Jefferson county noticed it they
would see that it was nothing that
affected them. This shrewd scheme
of the brilliant young lawyer, now
with all others associated with him
in the movement, long since dead
was communicated personally to
the writer by Mr.. Minor. The bill
passed without attracting any at
tention.
After the charter was drawn uI
Mr.. Minor delivered it to Mr.. Pen.
niman, who sent it to his brother
Hon. Edward Penniman, then g