Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1909-01-21

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Taylor, George Bodine and A. l..
Detrick named as incorpOrators, and
the expressed intension of building
from Muncy up the creek to La
porte, and thence to a connection
with the State line and Sullivan at
Bernlce. Meylert was president
of the company, Joshua Bow was
treasurer and b. M. Ellis, secre-
tary and III. r. Mehrling superin-
tendent. Muncy offered little en-
cUuragement to the scheme and the
southern terminus was changed to
Halls. Work was begun in 1866,
and in 1867 nine miles of road were
built northward from Halls, to a
point three miles beyond Hughes
vile. So far the work had been
easy and comparatively, inexpen-
sive, but when the foothills of North
Mountain had been reached the mon
ey was all gone and the Phila-
delphia capitalists would not fur
nish another cent. In 1872 the Cata-
wissa extension of the Reading was
built up to Williamsport, and con-
nection made at Halls with the am
bilious little road that was headed
for the mountains. 1t is not sur
prising that this little strip of road
was financial white elephant and
in 1881 it was sold by the bondhold-
ers under foreclosure proceedings and
the company was then reorganized
under the title of the Williamsport
and North Branch railroad and Ben
jamin Welch became the general
manager. Work was resumed in
1856, and dash made for the heart
of the mountains, and the long wish
ed for coal fields. The road was
carried as far north at that time as
Noidmont. There was no Nord-
mont when the Railroad stopped at
the gorge of Muncy Creek because
there was no money with which to
build bridge, and the little ham,
let sprang up around the blunt end
of the railroad and was given the
scandinavian name that signifies
North Mountain.
Thus things rested until 1898,
when another reorganization was
effected, this time with Buffalo par
ties holding controlling interest in
the stock. John SaterfieId and
Henry Taylor undertook the fnanc-
ing of the road, and the company
was organized with II. c. McCorm-
ic, of Williamsport president; John
Satterfield of Buffalo, vice president,
and j. Henry Cochran and Seth II.
McCormic secretary and treasurer.
Work was resumed and in the fall
of 1893 the road finally reached a
junction with its northern twin, the
State line and Sullivan, at a point
that used to be called Dohm's Sum-
NIT, but was changed to Satterfield
i'm compliment to the man who was
furnishing the money.
Meylert had long since died,
and what ever ambitious project
was on foot with the little North
Branch at that time was defeated by
the sudden death of Satterfeld and
the refusal of his heirs to continue
in the scheme. The Lehigh Valley
had required the State Line and Sui
livan In 1885. and about the time of |
the reorganization of the William
sport and North Branch, the Read
ing railroad had effected lease of
the Lehigh Valley, whereby they
became absolute masters of the road,
and it was freely said at the time
that the completion of the North
Branch was but the completion of IA
Spur between two great
of the Reading and that ii
was to form part of Il grand trunk
road from Philadelphia to Buffalo,
and that the Reading would run
through trains in the competition
for western traffic. About the tine
the road was completed to Satterfield
the Reading defaulted in it's pay
~ ants on The Lehigh Valley lease
and the two roads became separated
and their interests diverged.
The renewed activity of the Will
Transport and North Branch affairs
would indicate that large moneyed
interests have again seen the possi-