The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-04-06

cents 70 pI.lU lOl ltu-HOuI udE. llc
grading was all pick and shovel work
wheel barrows and horse drawn carts.
The first bridge below Friendsville was
Il wooden trestle across the river,
whence the track was laid on the west
bank of the river into Pennsylvania.
Three laborers-George limbaugh,
at the south end of the Buffalo Run
bridge when a work train, running
late, left the track, one car crashing
into another in front.
FriendsvilIe Celebrates
In the autumn Of 1899. soon after
the railroad was opened for traffic to
Friendsvil!c the town staged grand
celebration attended by more than
thousand people. An excursion train
ran from Confluence. j. Bayard
Henry, president, and Joseph L. Craw-
ford, Secretary Of the Yough Manor
Land Company, addressed the assem-
bled guests a barbecued OK (not well
roasted) was served by colored chef.
Liquor flowed freely. Noah Humber
son and Ira Friend ran a foot race.
w. W. Savage caught the CREASED pig.
William Selby and Jack Teats con-
tested in cross tie making. Enos Sines
was one of the "fiddlers" at the dance.
Sponsors and Parent Companies
The construction Of the c. & O. R. r.,
was originally urged by the Yough
Manor Land Company which owned
large tracts of virgin land in the
Valley, The chief object Of the pro-
meters was the development Of the
lumber business Tho the name indi-
Gated that the line would connect Con-
flucncc and Oakland, it is not probable
that the B. 4 O. r. 4. Co., ever seri-
ously considered connecting its Main
Line at Oakland with its Pittsburgh
Division al Confluence. For several
years, however. the inhabitants of the
upper part Of the Valley had hopes.
The Oakland Republican" of Novem-
Der ,, 1889, reported a public meeting
and the appointment of a committees,
headed by Daniel +. Offutt, to urge
The extension Of the line, which had
then been completed to Friendsville.
The father OF the c. & @. r. r. Co..
was the State Line & Oakland Rail
road Company. incorporated in Mary
land, February %, 1889, by Geo. W.
Haulcnbeck, Geo. d. Johnson, Geo. d.
Penniman, Herbert r. Preston and
Edward J. Silkman-all officials of
the b & O. X. r. Co. Subscribers to
the stock of this company were the
Yough Manor Land Company, 200
shares, John X. Cowen and others, 40
shares. The mother of the C. & o.,
was the confluence & State Line
Railroad Company, incorporated in
Pennsylvania, April %, 1899.
These Companies merged to form
the Confluence & Oakland Railroad
Company on April ,, 1890.
Lease to the b. & o.
The new c. & o. r. r. Co., promptly
leased its property to the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company for 999
years, dating from January /, 1890
The B. & O. soon acquired all the stock
of the C. & O. and operated the line
until abandoned.
Operation of the X. r.
During the early history Of the
C. & O. r. r., two mixed freight and
passenger trains operated daily over
the line, but as the timber resources
Of the Valley were depleted the selv-
ice was reduced to one train daily and,
finally to one train per week.
. Friendsvilles first station agent
was Irwin Beals. He was succeeded on
November s, 1890, by Harry J. Black,
a young man from Confluence, who
married Susan May Friend, and served
as agent and telegraph operator until
April 8, 1912, when the station was
closed.
Friendsville became the chief bust
ness center and shipping point on the
railroad. In the forest two miles up
the valley at the end Of the line, the