Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.djvu/74

COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES 45 in spite of the engineer's report the canal commissioners favored the Sunbury terminus, one of their number, Gcn. Daniel Montgomery, being particularly active in Sunbury's support. On February 7, 1829, a meeting was held at the home of Christian A. Brobst (a son of Christian Brobst), Catawissa, to "protest against the activity of said Gen. Daniel Montgomery he being a canal commissioner, in furthering Sunbury’s claims as a terminal against the report of the engineer in favor of Catawissa." Mr. Brobst was chosen president of the meeting and Joseph Paxton and Dr. Isaac Pickering, secretaries. A committee was appointed to see that the Catawissa route got a fair show, the committee to attend the meeting of the canal commission at Harrisburg. The committee was as follows: Col. Joseph Paxton, William McKelvy, Joseph Brobst (a son of Christian), Dr. Harman Gearhart and Dr. Isaac Pickering.

The project of the State building the railroad fell through, but the Catawissians did not give up the idea, but turned 10 Philadelphia capitalists and business men with whom they had business connections. Two years later they succeeded In interesting Philadelphia capital and the Little Schuylkill & Susquehanna Railroad Company was formed.

In the charter granted by the Legislature on March 21, 1831, Charles Sidney Coxe, George Troutman, Thomas Reeves, Jr., Robert and Nathan Smith and George W. Tryon, of Philadelphia; George DeB. Keim and Mathias S. Richards, of Reading, Berks county: William Audenreid, Kurd Patterson, of Pottsville, Schuylkill county; Christian Brobst and Joseph Paxton, of Catawissa, Columbia county; and Wm. McElwy (McKelvy) and Ebenezer Daniel, of Bloomsburg, Columbia county, wore appointed commissioners to open books for stock subscriptions.

By 1835 sufficient money had been raised by stock subscriptions and the financial support of a Philadelphia bank (either the Bank of North America or the Bank of the United States) to start the work.

One provision of the charter was "that the said road shall not be more than four rods wide, and shall not pass through any burying- ground, or place of public worship, or any dwelling-house, without the consent of the owner thereof, or any outbuildings of the value of three hundred dollars, without such consent."

Edward Miller was appointed chief engineer and he came to Catawissa early in 1835 and started the survey. The first right of way secured was of John Fortner, whose farm (Franklin township), now owned and tenanted by his granddaughter, Miss Alvarctta Fortner, extended down to Catawissa creek. The survey began at the west line of the Fortner property.

Chief Engineer Miller built the house known as the "Monroe House" at the comer of Second and South streets, and the office of the company was located there. The property is now owned by Oliver Miller, of Aristes.

The work continued during 1835-36-37-38, the right of way being secured, the grading completed and the bridges erected, the line ending at what was later known as the Lehigh Valley switchback, below Ryan’s tunnel, at the foot of an inclined plane starting midway between Lofty and Ryan's tunnel and ending half a mile below in the Quakake valley, where the Wilkes-Barre turnpike crosses the Little Schuylkill river. It was the intention to continue the line through the Quakake valley to PhiLidcIphia. The grade of the plane was 10 feet 9 inches, to the one hundred feet.

The bridges were wooden lattice-work, the timber being sawed by sawmills set up on the ground. Not a bolt or spike was used in any of the bridges, the framework being put together with wooden pins.

Not a rail was laid on the right of way, however, though a quantity had been prepared and stored at the foot of the inclined plane. The stringers were sawed out of logs to a suitable size and a strap rail of iron nailed on the top. The old plane, graded in 1838, is plainly traceable today from the trains passing that point on the Reading.

A locomotive was built in England for the Little Schuylkill & Susquehanna Railroad Company, but was never used as no track had been laid. It was stored at Philadelphia until the Catawissa, Williamsport & Erie Railroad was built, it weighed about fifteen tons and was called the "Catawissa," and was about the size of one of the little "dinkeys" used in later years by superintendents. It was never run practically, except on the C. W. & E. Railroad, where it was used for a short time to haul the officials Over the road, having been first overhauled by Harry Clayton, of Tamaqua. master mechanic of the Little Schuylkill railroad.

In 1838 the bank that had financed the road failed and the work stopped, not to be resumed until 1853, when it was taken up by a new corporation, the Catawissa, Williamsport & Erie Railroad Company, chartered in 1850, which took over the property of the Little Schuylkill & Susquehanna Railroad Company,