Evening journal., 1913-04-17
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Peculiar Connection Be-
tween a Railroad and
Oysters
BY Holland

The late Cyrono Scranton, who
was the promoter. builder. and for
twenty years the manager of the
Shore Line Railroad, now an import
ant link in the New Haven Railroad
system, invited me to be his guest
upon an excursion Of the once widely
known military school of General
William II. Russell, Of New Haven,
TO Boston. II was in the early sum
mer OF 1871
The days excursion was very tire
some. although the visit to General
Benham. then In charge Of the forti-
fcafions of Boston harbor. was ex
tremely interesting The return from
Boston to New Haven was made in
the evening Shortly after the train
left Providence, Mr.. Scranton came
into the smoking car and threw him
self Wearily in the vacant seat by my
side. We began chatting about the
railroad management and Mr. Scran-
ton told me many of the difficulties
which he experienced when construct
ing the railroad, then known as the
Shore Line. He said:
There were some compensations.
/ remember how encouraged ! was
by a visit I had from Dan Holt, OF
Baltimore. I ought TO say to you
that his name was Dan. not Daniel.
and that, / think was his fathers
and his grandfather's christian name.
| had known Dan Holt years earlier
when I was a young man. He wab
born on a farm which this railroad
now skirts at East Haven. Conn.
suppose that Dan Holt had as much
TO do with causing the decision to be
made to build the Baltimore ano
Ohio Railroad over the Allegheny
Mountains as any other man.
1T is queer how many big things
start from little beginnings Dan
Holt was a clerk in a hardware
store. either in New Haven or just
out of New Haven. He went to Bal
timore. | think about the year 1880
Though his business as a hardware
dealer he came into contact with the
men who we're putting up food in tin
cans and then sealing IL Theoretically
by a secret process.
Nov Dan Holt in his boyhood
became familiar with the oyster busl-
ness, which was then and has al
ways been a large trade in that part
OF East Haven which is called Fair
Haven. It occurred to him that he
could put oysters, obtained from the
Chesapeake Bay, in these cans and
then seal the cans. provided he
owned the process. In some way he
got money enough together TO buy
this process and he began the busi-
ness of packing oysters in tin cans
THAT business increased enOr-
mously Holt found a cheaper way Oh
getting the oysters i'm the West,
or that part OF the West which was
beginning to be very thiclSly settled.
He packed the oysters in ice and
sent the tubs by the newlybuilt
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to the
point whore IL ended just this side
Of the Allegheny Mountains. From
that point he shipped them by wag-
ons over the mountains.
well. when IL was suggested that
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad be
extended over the Allegheny Noun
tains so as 10 reach steamboat navi-
CATION on the Ohio river there was
good deal OF inquiry as tn the
amount Of business that could be
furnished
Upon investigation IL was found
that Dan Hollis oyster wagons would
furnish a very handsome business. at
least for trains going to the West. ana
this computation did a good deal
toward influencing the directors in
their decision to carry the railroad
over the Alleghenies
while the road was under con-
struction, Dan Holt made a visit to
his old home in East Haven. About
that time the surveys for the Shore
Line Railroad we're being finished.
Dan was so delighted to know that
this railroad was going TO run very
close to the farm upon which he was
born that he hunted me up and ex-
pressed his qualification to me- He
told me that Baltimore and Fair
Haven we're the greatest oyster
shipping centcrs. 7 think he said. In
the world, and that the shipping OF
oysters to the West had done a good
deal to persuade the directors of the
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to give
out contracts for the extension OF
that road over the Alleghenies. II
was a curious freak of destiny" con-
/ tinued Mr. Scranton, that shortly
]
/ Holt was injured in an accident and
so badly injured that he died within
a year or two"
I could not resist reminding Mr.
Scronton that his brother, p. s.
Scranton. one Of the famous fami-
lies that founded the city of Scranton
Pa, was almost instantly killed by
an accident on the New Haven rail-
road, of which Mr. Scranton was at
that time president.
In this case. oysters we're the indi-
rect cause Of his death. Mr.. Scranton
had stepped from the train az Norfolk
station to leave a pail which was 70
be filled with Norwalk oysters. oi
which he was very fond. He was to
take on the pail upon his return tc
New York that afternoon. His foot
slipped as the train was starting from
the station. after he had deposited the
pail with the agent, and his body wen'
directly under the wheels
Yes" said Mr. Scranton. "I hat
not thought of that. but can tell you
something else: My brother and Oar
Holt were old-time friends"
Copyright. 1918. by f. J. Edwards. All
rights reserved.