Ontario & Western Observer
Autumn 1972 Vol. 4, No. 2
New York and Oswego Midland Railroad
Between Lake Ontario And The Atlantic
Part 1
by GEORGE C. SLAWSON
(Ed. Note: This article, we feel, is one of the most important historical pieces of O&W information that we have come across to date. It is a history of the New York & Oswego Midland Railroad compiled by Mr. George C. Slawson in 1942, The original is a typewritten 23 page saddle bound notebook containing many photographs and a roster of the N.Y. & O.M. Mr. Slawson acknowledges the assistance of the NYO&W, R&LHS, Railroadians of America, Stevens Institute of Technology, Gerald M. Best, Walter Lucas, Captain Winfield W. Robinson, Archer L. Weeden and H. J. Gabriel. The present generation of O&W fans should be grateful to these men and, of course, to Mr. Slawson for his time consuming effort in recording the following information for future rail historians.
We are indebted to members W. Stanley Mumford and his parents, Elwin and Mrs. Mumford, who found this material and so generously shared it with us.)
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The New York & Oswego Midland Railroad was incorporated in September 1866, in accordance with papers drawn on December 13, 1865, and filed on January 11, 1866. It was planned to run through the counties of Oswego, Onondaga, Madison, Cortland, Chenango, Otsego, Delaware, Ulster, Sullivan and Orange in the State of New York, to the State line of New Jersey and thence to a point on the Hudson River, opposite to the City of New York. It was also planned to construct an extension to Buffalo from Norwich.
It is the purpose of this article to give the history of the railroad, without dwelling on the financial or the political skeleton of the project; difficulties of building, resulting in construction costs totaling $26,284,294.04 instead of the estimated $12,000,000; the volume of business; or the efforts made to solve (unsuccessfully)
the financial trouble that beset the line, including its step-child, the New Jersey Midland Railroad.
This history, therefore, properly begins with the grading work, which was started at Norwich, N.Y. on June 24, 1868, and consisted of a stake-driven with great ceremony - at the East Main Street crossing to mark the site of the Railroad, after which ground was broken and a few sods lifted by visiting dignitaries. Plows and scrapers were immediately set to work and the beginning of an embankment formed, Crews were soon at work at various points--from Oswego, southward; from Oneida, northward and southward; and from Norwich, northward. The crews working toward each other from Oswego and Oneida met at Constantia, while the crews working from Oneida and Norwich met at Cole's Cut, north of Eaton. The underpass below the New York Central Railroad at Oneida was made in May 1869.
During 1869 construction also started southward from Norwich and northward from Middletown. From Middletown to the New Jersey state line at Unionville it was arranged to operate over an existing railroad, the Middletown, Unionville and Water Gap Railroad, a six foot gauge affair, necessitating the installation of a third rail, the broad gauge being required for interchange with the New York, Lake Erie & Western (now the Erie). The Southern or New Jersey portion of the railroad presented tremendous difficulties because of overlapping charters of unbuilt railroads, and it was not until 1870 that order was brought out of the chaos and construction started on a supposedly separate railroad, named the New Jersey Midland Railroad., whose bonds, however, were guaranteed by the New York end Oswego Midland.
Beginning in April 1869, the Rhode Island Locomotive Co., began delivering locomotives, and delivered a total of fourteen wood burning 4-4-0 engines by the end of the year (#1-14). All of these were named as well as numbered, the names being either for counties or towns, through which the right of way passed.
This practice continued as long as the N.Y.& O.M. was in corporate existence, although six locomotives (including one from the New Jersey Midland) were not named according to this system, and will be noted in the proper places in this article, The first passenger train on the main line was run between Oneida and West Monroe on August 29, 1869 for the transportation of hop pickers. It was drawn by locomotive "Delaware," #4, Edwin Williams, engineer, and James T. Purdy, conductor.
However, at about 9:30 the previous evening, the first locomotive was run on the corporation at Norwich as the result of a wager. This noble act was performed by locomotive "Madison", #2, Pat Crain, engineer. A few days later, the same locomotive and engineer ran over and killed a pack peddler at Norwich- the first fatal accident on the railroad. On November 26, 1869 regular passenger and freight service was started between Oswego and Norwich (106 miles). In the mean-time, and coincidental with the main line, the Utica branch was in the process of construction.
This was built under a different name - the Utica, Clinton & Binghamton-and was completed from Utica to the N.Y. & O.M. at Smith's Valley (now Randallsville), nineteen miles north of Norwich, in time to bring twelve cars of Knights Templar and Masons from Utica and Waterville to a Masonic Banquet at Norwich on October
8, 1869. New York & Oswego Midland equipment was always used on this line. By December 1869, the N.Y. & O. M. possessed fourteen locomotives, two hundred and seventy five freight cars, twelve passenger cars and six baggage and smoking cars.
The year 1870 saw the delivery of eight more locomotives to the railroad, all of them built by Rhode Island, the first six being wood burners and the other two coal burners. The wood burners were soon converted to coal burners and by the end of the following year, wood was no longer used as a fuel. These eight locomotives consisted of four 4-4-0's (#15-18), two 2-6-0's (#19-20) and two 0-4-0's (#21-22).
Construction was pushed ahead in this year, both on the main line and the branches. The main line was extended southward from Norwich to Sidney Plains, and northward from Middletown to the Shawangunk mountain range near Bloomingburg, where the necessity of a long tunnel held up construction. While the tunnel was being bored one of the locomotives assigned to construction work was laboriously hauled over the mountain by horses, and construction continued on the other side of the uncompleted tunnel. The branch from Middletown to Pine Bush, known as the Middletown & Crawford Railroad, came into being during this year, as did the Rome extension of the Utica, Clinton & Binghamton. The Auburn branch, the line intended to run from Norwich to Buffalo, was well under way, working northwest from Norwich.
In the following year, 1871, sixteen more locomotives arrived on the N.Y.O.& M., the first six purchased from Rhode Island, and the other ten being the first installment of a thirty-six locomotive order placed with the Baldwin Locomotive Co. The six from Rhode Island consisted of four freight moguls (2-6-0) (#23-26) and two yard engines (0-4-0) (#27-28). The Baldwin locomotives were all 4-4-0's, (429-38) with the sole exception of one 2-6-0 (#33). The last of these (#38) was a very light engine with an extremely fancy inspection body, including bay window effects behind the boiler and a large glass window in the front, the stack being divided to permit a better view. However, this did not prove a very successful idea and the conventional long straight stack was soon installed.
During this year (1871), construction went ahead slowly on the N.Y. & O.M. main line. Proceeding southward from Sidney Plains, it was necessary to bridge the Susquehanna River, construct a large trestle (at Maywood), and, because of the expense involved, work was started on a double switchback over Northfield Mountain, thereby eliminating an expensive tunnel. Proceeding northward, the Shawangunk Mountain range was still holding up progress, although the lone locomotive working on the north side of the mountain made heroic efforts to lengthen the line over which nothing ran besides its own trains. Work on the branches, however, progressed more rapidly.
The New Berlin branch came into being, and the Auburn branch was extended to DeRuyter. During the spring of 1871, the second fatality occurred on the N.Y.& O.M. when a handcar caused the death of a man on the Auburn branch. This branch was opened to traffic on July 28, 1871 when the first passenger train left Norwich for DeRuyter. This train was hauled by locomotive "DeRuyter", #15, Emery H. Card, engineer, and David Shattuck, conductor. Although chronologically incorrect, the history of this branch will be carried on at this point by stating that in 1872 the rails were laid into Cortland, where connection was made with the Ithaca & Cortland RR which had been completed between those two named towns in 1871.
By lease agreement, the N.Y. & O.M. operated over the Ithaca & Cortland to a point west of Freeville, where it branched off to the north toward Auburn, its contemplated goal still being Buffalo. It actually reached the heights of Scipio Center, some twelve miles south of Auburn, and never progressed further. Trains began to operate between Norwich and Cortland effective June 5, 1872, and on October 30, 1872, a "grand free excursion" operated as far as Venice, a few miles south of Scipio Center. Over 5,000 people turned out for the free ride, and, as the N.Y. & O.M. had insufficient passenger equipment to handle such a gathering, flat cars were pressed into service. By December 16, 1872, regular passenger service to Scipio Center was effected, but lack of patronage soon caused a curtailment. Sporadic service, almost entirely freight, continued until 1879, when the portion of the line from Freeville to Scipio Center was sold to O.F. Peete of New York City for $25,000. The portion of the line from Cortland to DeRuyter was leased to the Ithaca & Cortland, and the tracks on the remainder (Norwich to DeRuyter) were torn up, marking the end of the Buffalo extension.
While all this activity was going on with respect to the N.Y. & O.M., its step-child, the New Jersey Midland, was slowly growing up. This road, unlike the various other railroads which were organized, built and swallowed by the N.Y. & O.M., always maintained a more or less separate entity, although it had an interlocking directorate, and made no pretenses that it was not a part of “the great Midland system."
Construction started on the New Jersey Midland in 1870, and during December of that year the first locomotive, #1, arrived and performed ably over the four miles of track then in existence, being used largely for construction work. This locomotive was a wood burning 4-4-0, being the first of two similar locomotives which were purchased from Rogers Locomotive Co. It was originally intended to name these locomotives the D.C. Littlejohn" and the "C.A. Wortendyke" after the presidents of the N.Y. & O.M. and the New Jersey Midland, respectively. It was then decided to change the names to "Passaic" and "Bergen" after the two counties through which the road ran, but although #1 was named the "Passaic" in accordance with the amended plan, #2 was delivered on April 5, 1871 with the originally planned name of "C.A. Wortendyke." Both of these were changed almost immediately to coal burners. Also during the year 1871, three more Rogers coal burning 4-4-0's, intended for freight use and therefore equipped with smaller drivers, were delivered to the New Jersey Midland (#3-5). These were named after towns on the line. These five locomotives comprised all the power purchased directly for the New Jersey Midland, and as they were insufficient for the rapidly- extending line, several of the Baldwins delivered to the order of the N.Y. & O.M. in 1871 (1.e.; #29 "Sussex", #30 "Minisink", #33 “Franklin", #34 "Hackensack", #37 "“Sandburgh" and #38 “Crawford" and perhaps others) were actually delivered to the New Jersey Midland tracks, which did not yet connect with the N.Y. & O.M. Perforce, they remained on the New Jersey Midland until the two railroads were officially joined, via the Middletown, Unionville & Water Gap, on April 2, 1872, after which they were used more or less interchangeably. These Baldwin locomotives were not lettered "N.Y.& O.M." as had been the Rhode Island locomotives, but were lettered "N.Y.Midland R.R." apparently for the purpose of lending emphasis to the connection between the two railroads.
Construction on the New Jersey Midland was completed at the end of November, 1872, when a connection was made with the New Jersey Railroad and transportation Co., (Pennsylvania Railroad), the last three and one half miles to Jersey City being over their tracks.
With the joining of the two railroads, a new complication arose as there were now two sets of locomotives bearing numbers 1 to 5, inclusive. This problem however, had been foreseen, and the New Jersey Midland engines were renumbered #70 to #74, although they retained the "N.J.M. Ry" lettering and were usually used on this section.
Since the locomotives were not made with an extended front end smoke box, each was therefore fitted out with a long straight stack, but, because of the hazard of fire along the right-of-way, diamond stacks were installed as better spark arresters on most of the locomotives. According to the June 18, 1872 issue of the Paterson Daily Press, "Three Midland Railroad locomotives had their smokestacks knocked off at Jersey City yesterday by low bridges and gates. The engines presented a wild spectacle as they came puffing along, headlessly, and passed through Paterson to the repair shops at Wortendyke."
Also during the year 1872, construction was progressing on three other portions of the “railroad system." The Montclair Ry., an abortive effort of the N.Y. O. & M., was put in operation from Newark, N.J. to Greenwood Lake, crossing New Jersey Midland near Pompton. This line was planned to continue to northward to Middletown, but the intervening mountain range proved too great an obstacle and no further construction was done on it, although it did provide an entrance to Newark on the N.Y. O. & M. The long awaited tunnel near Bloomingburg (Shawangunk Mountain range) was completed on February 2, 1872, and, as a result of the track laying that had already been done on the north Side of the tunnel trains could operate to a point a little past Liberty. The branch to Ellenville was also started this year, and was completed the year following. Working southward the rails were laid to Hancock Junction (Cadosia} where an uncompleted tunnel held them up. The branch from Walton to Delhi was nearly completed, too,
A considerable number of new locomotives were delivered to the N.Y. & O.M. during 1872, Baldwin was supposed to deliver two locomotives a month on their order, and did deliver a total of twenty within the year, although not always at the Specified rate. These were #39 to #58, and were divided into four classes: eight were 4-4-0's (439-42, 44, and 54-56), one was an 0-4-0 yard engine (#46), and the balance were 2-6-0 freight locomotives, except #48 and #53 which were 2-8-0's, and unusually heavy power for their day.
It has been stated these latter two were for pusher service over the Northfield Mountain Switchbacks, although this may not have been the actual case. The Rhode Island works also delivered five locomotives, two being 2-6-0's (#78, 79) and the other three 4-4-0’s (#80-82). The N.Y.O. & M. arranged to purchase three small light 4-4-0 locomotives from the McKay Iron & Foundry Works (not McKay & Aldus, as sometimes claimed) which had been built for the order of the New Jersey Southern Railroad, and which were apparently never delivered to that road, although they were complete even to painting.
These bore the names of "Hamilton", "Wawciagin" and "Neskeglowitt" and were numbered 75, 76 and 77 respectively by the N.Y. O. & M. During the same year, a right of way dispute came to a head, involving Mr. Rogers of the Rogers Locomotive Co., part of whose land was crossed by the New Jersey Midland. This argument was intensified because Mr. Rogers, the local press and the citizens of Paterson (site of Rogers Locomotive Works) were openly annoyed because the N.Y. O. & M. was not buying its locomotives from a "home industry."
The reason was simple. The locomotives were perfectly satisfactory as attested by the five purchased by the New Jersey Midland, but the financial stipulations did not appeal to the NY&OM. However, in order to help settle the dispute, Mr. Rogers agreed to more liberal terms whereupon two locomotives were ordered, and were delivered late in 1872.
These were the #69 "Rip Van Winkle" and the #79 “Ramapo." These last five locomotives mentioned were not named after towns on the right of way, and, together with the New Jersey Midland "C.A, Wortendyke," formed the six exceptions previously mentioned. The purchase of these Rogers locomotives formed another duplication of number, this time with respect to #79, and even though locomotives went by name rather than number in these days, the Rhode Island #79 was hastily changed to #68.
Shortly thereafter two events took place which are recorded by hearsay only. The first event was a number shuffle as the result of a comedy of errors. Locomotives #78 and #68 (the former #79) similar engines, were in the repair shop at the same time. Reputedly, some mechanic, whose education in reading had not sufficiently progressed for him to have mastered the intricacies of Rule G, placed the front plate of 378 and #68 in error. As a direct follow-up, the headlamp of #78 was installed to agree with the plate, and in due course #78's tank was attached, and the engine put on the road. By the time the error was discovered the #78 (nee #68) was far afield.
As the only remaining step necessary to complete the transition was to change one small number on each side of the steam dome, this was done on the road, and the office records changed to agree with the new order of things. In the meantime, the original #78, having fallen heir to all the accoutrements of the #68, took that number for its own, although it was rechristened, coming out of the shop as the "Utica" instead of the "Cortland."
END OF PART ONE
Due to the length of the original manuscript and to the fact that we like to cover a variety of interest in each issue, this history of the Oswego Midland will be in at least two parts.
Ontario & Western Observer
March 1974 Vol. 4 No. 4
Part 2
The second event was much more serious. The N.Y. O. & M. had become more or less reconciled to wrecks; small ones, such as derailments, etc., being the ordinary run of the day, and wrecks resulting in loss of human life being not too unusual (about two a year). But now occurred a really serious wreck which resulted in the complete demolition and removal from the roster of locomotive #13 "Norwich."
This must have been quite a wreck, because other wrecks, such as New Jersey Midland #1 (N.Y. & O.M. #70) “Passaic" falling through the Saddle River Bridge, or #58 "Rockland" and #36 "Middletown" meeting head-on, with a resultant fourteen dead or injured, did not prevent the locomotives from being repaired and put back in service.
It is regretted that no records are available to give the details, but according to old time employees of the successor railroad, #13 "Norwich" apparently blew up somewhere on the Northern Division. Then came 1873! This year marked the final rise and the complete downfall of the New York & Oswego Midland Railroad, the latter being commonly attributed to the depression of 1873, although this probably did no more than hasten the end.
The two ends of the railroad finally met at Swirling Eddy, N.Y. on July 9, 1873 and the line from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic at last became a reality. The first through train, a freight laden with flour, left Oswego on July 10, 1873, reaching Jersey City twenty four hours later. The first passenger train left Jersey City on August 18, 1873, reaching Oswego the same evening. On September 19, 1873, almost exactly one month after passenger service had been inaugurated over the completed railroad, a Receiver for the New York & Oswego Midland was appointed in the person of Mr. Abram S. Hewitt.
Notwithstanding the precarious financial situation, twenty one locomotives were delivered to the N.Y. O. & M. in 1873 before the Receiver was appointed. These consisted of six 2-6-0 engines (359-364) comprising the final installment of the thirty six locomotive order placed with Baldwin in 1871, and fifteen locomotives from Rhode Island, five of which were 4-4-0's (#85-90 except #89) and eleven 2-6-0's (91-101). The. first of this group, #85, was named the "Norwich" to take the place of #13 which had passed out of the "Middletown" picture. The #89 "Oakland," had been ordered built; and even painted and lettered, but since a flaw developed, it was not delivered with the others.
By the time the defect was remedied, the debacle had overtaken the N.Y. O.& M., and the locomotive never did come to the railroad, being leased instead to the Boston & Providence Railroad, and later sold to the Providence and Worcester Railroad as their "Columbus."
It was obvious the N.Y.O. & M. planned a roster of exactly one hundred locomotives, more for advertising and probably bond prospectus purposes than any real need for this many locomotives. With the destruction of #13, an additional locomotive was required to fulfill this plan, and whether from superstition or not, #13 was not replaced and thus gave rise to #101. Excluding the #89, which had supposedly been completed, five more locomotives were on order from Rhode Island and in the process of construction. Two of these were to be 2-6-0's and the others 4-4-0's. These would have been assigned to the numbers never filled on the roster--to wit: #65-67 and #83-84-and would have brought the total to exactly one hundred locomotives on the active roster.
Like the #89 "Oakland," none of these five locomotives were delivered and the roster was therefore six short of its goal. Hence, when the Receiver took over, there were ninety four active engines, and a memory of #13 "Norwich" which brought the total roster for the New York & Oswego Midland Railroad to ninety five.
Immediately following the appointment of the Receiver, the active roster began to shrink rapidly from its affluent group of ninety four. The first in-road in the total was made by the now orphaned step-child, the New Jersey Midland, which did not go into receivership at the time the N.Y.& O.M. did. The New Jersey Midland promptly took back the five locomotives (#70-74) which they had contributed to the total, and early in 1874 sold one of these (#72 "Pequannock") to the Middletown & Crawford Railroad which had also been orphaned and was without any power or rolling stock of its own. The New Jersey Midland also took over the Middletown, Unionville & Water Gap Railroad, and thus had a railroad from Jersey City to Middletown. The Rogers Locomotive Works promptly reclaimed its two locomotives (#69 and 2nd #79) which were unpaid for.
The 2nd #79 was later leased to the New Jersey Midland as their #85. The Rhode Island Company in turn, during February 1874, repossessed five of their unpaid-for locomotives (#85-88, 90) and immediately resold them to the New Jersey Midland where they were renumbered (#80-84) and renamed. The Rhode Island Works
also completed the five locomotives the N.Y. & O.M. had on order with them and sold them to the New Jersey Midland (#75-79), as this latter railroad was sadly in need of motive power.
The Baldwin Co. also had an unpaid bill outstanding, and they took back #48 and #53 (the large 2-8-0's) which went a long way toward liquidating their claims. Thus, within six months after the start of the receivership, fourteen locomotives disappeared from the roster, leaving a total of eighty. This was more than enough, as few trains were operated and business, without an important terminus, was practically defunct.
About 1874, tax collectors all along the line hit upon the brilliant idea of seizing trains for unpaid taxes, and only trains carrying mail cars were safe from seizure. Since freight trains are not normally mail carriers, this prevented the operation of the only type of train that could conceivably bring in any revenue with which taxes could ever be paid, and such an impasse was reached that it became necessary on February 27, 1875 for Mr. Hewitt, and his lately appointed co-receiver to issue the following statement, which was prominently posted on all stations and other buildings where it would be sure to attract the tax collectors' eyes and at the same time give much food for thought to the citizens of the towns along the right-of-way:
"To the Heads of Departments and all Agents of the N.Y.& O.M.R.R.
"The Receivers of the N.Y.& O. M.R.R. regret to announce that in consequence of the levy made by tax collectors upon the property of its shippers, as well as the unwarranted seizures of so large an amount of its rolling stock, and the consequent cessation of shipment and travel, that the operation of the time table No. 7, November 25th, 1874 will be suspended on and after midnight of Saturday, February 27th; 1875. Hereafter such trains will be run as circumstances will permit. Certain persons will be designated by the heads of Departments to remain in the employ. Cash will be furnished the Superintendents to pay for such services. All other persons will cease to be employed after the above date.
"As soon as practicable the amounts due the employees will be made out, and Receivers' Certificates issued therefor. The value of these will depend to a great extent on the good condition of the property, and it is strongly to the interest of the holders of certificates to prevent depredation and waste. The co-operation of all the employees is therefore requested in preserving and protecting all property, by every means in their power.
"J.G. STEVENS,
"ABRAM S. HEWITT, RECEIVERS."
At the time this order was issued the N.Y. & O.M. employed from 600 to 1,000 men, who had not been paid since November, 1874 except by script. The rolling stock consisted of eighty locomotives, 30 to 40 passenger cars, 25 baggage, express and mail cars, 500 to 600 box cars, 500 flat cars, 1300 gondolas, 100 coal jimmies, 20 stock cars, 5 snow plows, "and other cars. All the rolling cars are in decent shape...and...enough....to do three times the amount of business it (the N.Y. & O.M.) had ever had to do."
From an operating deficit of $347 in November 1874, it had an operating deficit of $37,000 for the first three weeks of February 1875, besides having considerable property attached for non-payment of taxes.
The railroad remained closed down for about a month, and brought about two very definite results. The result was that the New Jersey Midland, which until then had been hanging on the verge of utter bankruptcy, as shown by the statement that "the notes and checks of said company, even as low as $15, have gone to protest," was placed in receivership, whence it emerged in 1880 as the Midland Railroad of New Jersey, and in 1881 was reorganized as the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad.
The second result was that the various tax collecting authorities were convinced that the wrong approach had perhaps been taken on the subject of obtaining money from the N.Y. & O.M. and a more harmonious solution was reached, thereby permitting trains to again be operated.
About the only repairs the receivers made to the locomotives during their tenure of office were minor ones, such as repacking of cylinders and necessary adjustments, although they did occasionally consent to painting in an effort to make a good appearance. Mr. Hewitt did not approve of names on engines, and whenever one was painted the name was omitted and considerable more prominence given to the number.
But on the subject of repairs, he was firm. The N.Y. & O.M. had a profusion of locomotives and it was cheaper to run one locomotive until expensive repairs were virtually needed, place that particular locomotive in storage and take another.
This method was well gauged, and the supply of locomotives and the receivership itself ended at about the same time. Somewhere in the period between 1875 and the termination of the receivership locomotive #7 disappeared from the roster, although whether sold or wrecked isn't known.
On November 14, 1879 a sale at foreclosure marked the end of the New York & Oswego Midland Railroad. From this sale emerged the New York, Ontario & Western Railway, a railroad without an important terminal, and the possessor of seventy nine engines, mostly in bad repair.
Oswego Morning Post
December 5, 1882
The N.Y. O. & W. Railway
Years ago the Midland road rated very low in the estimation of Oswego people. Regular trips were not made, and grass flourished between the ties. Today not a better road runs out of Oswego than this Midland, under the name of the New York, Ontario & Western. Its total length, 250 miles, is in a good state of repair, particularly between Norwich and Middletown, where the track is laid with steel rails.The regular running time between Oswego and Middletown is ten hours, where close connections are made with the “Erie” or the “Jersey Midland” for New York, sixty-six miles distant.
In January or March at the latest, this company will complete an extension of the road from Middletown to the Hudson River and thence to New York. The country all along the line is exceedingly picturesque. After the first hour from Oswego, we reach Oneida Lake, and for twenty miles ride along its shore, passing from Oneida into Madison county. The hop region, where many improvements are being made on farm buildings give evidence of the “boom in hops.” Near Norwich we find ourselves upon the east bank of the Chenango Valley, and for hours it affords us a constant panorama of beautiful scenery.
Bridge one thousand feet long and in places 165 feet high, tunnels a mile in length, etc., give evidence of the great cost of the road. In some places hills or cloud capped mountains 3,000 feet high can be seen. Near Walton, a zig-zag course of four miles accomplishes but one mile, and this is a grade of 110 feet to the mile. Suggestive and attractive names, such as Mountaindale, Summitville, etc., are given to the pretty villages along the road.
Remembering D. C. Littlejohn
