Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-25

Duttu DTtuXC ACTOSS Ju-
niata to Accomplish Their
Object
Mount Union, Pa, March 49,
Along the entire tentative route of the
proposed William Penn Highway,
there is no town more interested and
wide awake to the advantages the
road offers than Mount Union. Yet,
according to the route mapped out for
ratification later, the town itself will
not be on the highway. The boule-
ward, as now routed, will pass along
the Juniata river shore on the opposite
side from Mount Union and this Is
exactly what the citizens of this busy
| town do not want. They are anxious
to have the highway pass directly
Through the center of their town, not
simply for the sake of having the great
road in Mount Union but as an accom-
modatton to the hundreds of men
who are employed at the Aetna Pow
der works a little more than a mile
! below the town. OF course, to bring
the road through Mount Union would
necesstate the construction of q
bridge across the Juniata River at a
point just below Allenport and oppo-
site the property of the powder conf
pany. 1t is understood. too, that the
| powder company would be willing to
share in the cost of building a bridge
which would give its employees living
in Mount Union easy access to their
work.
Powder Works Year Old
Less than year ago work was
started on the Aetna Powder works
and during the summer of 1915 men
were engaged in the manufacture of
trAlz 4 -
the plant lived in Mount Union, lit
tie more than mile from the works,
and the company constructed a foot
bridge so that they could cross the
river to and from their work. During
| the present winter, ice carried away
a section of the foot bridge and then
the men were compelled to find other
means of reaching the plant. Some
were able to cross in boats while
| others used auto trucks and crossed
the county bridge at the west end of
Mount Union, going from there to
Newton Hamilton and thence to their
work. BY this route they travelled
seven miles. Then again there were
others who found conVeyances which
| carried them through Allenport, along
the road to Orbisonia and thence to
Newton Hamilton where the river
was crossed. This route covers nine
miles. Because of this trouble the
Pennsylvania Railroad company de-
cided to run q "jitney" train from
Mount Union but because of the laws
regarding the running of trains near
powder plants, the men are still COM
PEELED to walk almost a mile after
leaving the train and then in addi-
ton they must pay ten cents a day
train fare. The Mount Union Refrac-
tories company, located close to the
bridge over the river which was used
Il
trains entering Mount Union until
new route was established. recently
purchased the old bridge and planked
1t so that it could be used as a pas
sage way. The refractories company
built homes for its men on the oppo-
site side of the river and the bridge
was purchased SO that the men could
get from their homes to Mt. Union to
work. Then it was found that en-
ployes of the powder plant were also
using the bridge and some more diff
culties arose. A few days ago the
bridge was reopened as a toll bridge
and now some men are using 1t and
walking to the powder plant, a mile
away from the bridge. Vehicles find
an almost impossible road to the pow
der plant after leaving the bridge so
that almost all necessary traffic to the
works from Mount Union goes by way
of Newton Hamilton, either seven or
nine miles.
Have 1t Planned Out
And 1t is Just because of this condi-
ton that residents of Mount Union are
so much interested IN having the Will
liam Penn Highway pass directly
through. instead of past the town on
the opposite side of the river. Men
interested in the movement here say
that the road, after passing through
Long Hollow, above McVeytown, could
be swung across to Newton Hamilton,
by way of a culvert under the railroad
in that town. From Newton Hamilton
there is a road to the homes of the
foremen and officials of the powder
plant and this, Mount Union men say,
could be put in good condition. From
that point, it is understood, the pow
der company would favor the con-
struction of road along the edge of
it's farms, which adjoin the powder
plant to the river. Just opposite
this point is an island, owned by Gre
CORY and Barben, and the idea is to
bridge the river there, with one span
from the powder plant side to the is
land and another span from the island
to the Mount Union side. There the
bridge would meet a good stretch of
road which runs through Allenport
and continues on to the main street
and the center of the business district
of Mount Union. A part of this street
is already paved and the remainder
will be paved during the coming
Spring. To get out of Mount Union
a traveller would pass through the
subway at the Pennsylvania Railroad
station and then follow along the
river to the county bridge just west of
the town. cross it and continue on to
Mill Creek and Huntingdon.
Would Mean Saving
If Mount Union residents can induce
the William Penn Highway advocates
to sanction the change in the route it
will readily be seen that with the
bridge below Allenport, men residing
in Mount Union and working at the
powder plant will be able to get to and
from their work over good road and
they would not have to walk any
farther than they do now and in ad-
dition they would not have to pay toll
or train fare.
The cost of building an adequate
bridge over the Juniata would be a
big item and would, no doubt require
a special act in the Legislature, but,
it is understood that the powder COM
pany is willing to pay a big share of
the cost of construction. The rea-
son for the offer as advanced unoffi-
cially Is that the company does not
believe it will be able to keep the
help IL now has If the men have to
continue to travel under the present
conditions OF course not all of the
1900 men employed at the powder