USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York > Part 23
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During this season of excitement, the question of a more strict observance of the Sabbath, was another theme for discussion in the streets, debate upon the platform, and discourse from the pulpit. Public journals espoused the cause-some for it and others against the wisdom of the course pursued by its advocates ; public meetings were held throughout the country and a call for a convention was made to be held in Auburn, on the 13th of February, 1828, at which twenty-two delegates appeared. A few of those delegates had been
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engaged in stage business, and the remainder known as men of extraordinary zeal in matters of religion.
The citizens of the village were astonished to find as the result of the deliberations of this body, the appointment of commissioners to establish a line of stages from Albany to Buffalo which should travel six days in a week only; to which line of stages the persons present as members of the convention and as individuals, pledged their patronage, support, influence and exertion, declaring it to be the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that it must prevail.
The commissioners so appointed were John T. Norton, of Albany ; Jonathan Crane, Schenectady ; Elizur Goodrich, Abram Varick, and Edward Vernon, Utica; William Brown, of Auburn ; William Tilman, Geneva; H. W. Taylor and Walter Hubbel, of Canandaigua; A. Champion, William Atkinson, Josiah Bissell, of Rochester, and Thaddeus Joy, of Buffalo. A convention was also held in the city of New York at which two hundred and fifty delegates were present, two-thirds of whom were clergymen.
This convention formed and organized a grand national society for promoting the observance of the Christian Sabbath, based upon the principle of requiring from each member a pledge in writing to patronize those lines of conveyance by stages, steamboats and canal boats, which travel six days in the week only, to the exclusion of all others.
Subscriptions were circulated through the state and large sums of money raised for a new line of stages between Albany and Buffalo, to be called the Pioneer Line, which was in due time placed upon the route, not, however, before offers were made by the proprietors of the old line, to sell out their entire stage property, and retire from the business, leaving the field open to the new line, but their offer was rejected and the gauntlet thrown down for the terrible stage war that followed.
The old line proprietors consisted of the following parties, viz. : Jason Parker, A. Shepard, S. D. Childs, and S. S. Faxton of Utica;
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Isaac Sherwood of Skaneateles; J. M. Sherwood of Auburn; C. H. Coe of Canandaigua; Adams & Blinn of Rochester; B. D. Coe of Buffalo; E. Phillips of Syracuse; S. Goodwin, Madison; William Storey, Cherry Valley ; Asa Sprague of Schenectady; and A. Thorpe of Albany.
Auburn was the grand central battle ground for the rivals, for during the ten preceding years, lines of stages had been placed upon the new and improved lateral roads leading to Homer, Ithaca, Levanna and Aurora, as well as to Oswego and other points in the northern part of the county, so that here a large amount of travel concentrated to take passage east and west by the through lines. The Pioneer Line interest obtained control of the Western Exchange hotel, the best then in the village, and hoped by refusal to accom- modate old line passengers and by turning Sherwood's horses from their stables into the street, to steal the march upon their rivals. A few days, however, sufficed to fit up the brick block standing upon the north side of Genesee street, opposite the old Bank of Auburn, as a hotel, which was opened by John H. Bacon and Thompson Maxwell, as the Bank Coffee House, and the general headquarters of the old line.
The people of Auburn did not remain quiet spectators in this grand stage tournament, but came to the rescue of the Sherwood Line, in large respectable numbers. A public meeting was held in the Court House yard, in front of the Court House, on Saturday, 23rd of August, 1828, with Henry Polhemus in the chair and Barnabas Smith as secretary. The Reverend M. Jefferies of Mentz, stated the object of the meeting.
A series of resolutions were adopted from which we extract the following :
Resolved, That as the sense of this meeting, all associations and combinations of men, formed to prescribe and dictate to others, in what manner they shall observe and keep the Sabbath, are subversive of the free exercise of the right of conscience; that the
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members of this meeting, hereby enter their solemn protest against the forming or organizing any religious party in politics.
Archibald Green, William H. Seward and Doctor Campbell Waldo, were appointed a committee to prepare and publish at length in pamphlet form the proceedings of the meeting.
A paper published in Auburn by U. F. Doubleday called The Gospel Advocate, under date of September 13, 1828, had the fol- lowing allusions to this subject: "The Pioneer line of stages, had it been started on the principles of fair competition, would have excited no emotion beyond the individuals concerned, but when it was established for a religious purpose and in tones of authority demanded the patronage of the religious part of the community, thus endeavoring to enlist the prejudices of society against individ- uals who had long been faithful servants of the public, it excited the just reprobation of an insulted community."
A new outfit of splendid light stage coaches carrying only six passengers, built expressly to contend with the Pioneer Line, were gotten up by J. M. Sherwood & Company, called the Telegraph Line and placed in service. This popular line was manned by their most experienced and careful drivers, and their best and fleetest teams, and ran night and day, and met with unqualified success.
A stage journey under such circumstances was far from being unpleasant; on the contrary at certain seasons of the year, when the roads were in good condition, and the woods were clothed in their livery of green, the fields waving with their bountiful crops or dotted over with flocks and herds, it afforded to the stage passenger a moving panorama of Nature's loveliness and beauty entrancing to behold.
The facilities for expression of public sentiment through the columns of the press, were not then as now, and the popular voice usually came through public meetings by resolutions.
A meeting was called June 9, 1828, at the Bank Coffee House, with Lyman Paine in the chair and Parlament Bronson, secretary.
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The object of the meeting was expressed in the resolution following, which we select from a series passed at the meeting :
" Resolved, That it is expedient to erect a new hotel in this village on a scale suitable to the wealth and importance of the village, and that the following gentlemen be appointed a committee to select a site: Allen Warden, Joseph T. Pitney, J. H. Harden- bergh, Amos Underwood, Elijah Miller, Ezekiel Williams, Abijah Fitch, J. M. Sherwood, Hugh Watson, Lyman Paine and P. Bronson."
The committee agreed upon the site and the American Hotel, later the St. James, was erected by J. M. Sherwood and opened on the first day of January, 1830, by Thomas Noyes, from Rochester. Offices in the hotel were prepared for the immense stage business of the time, in which, for several years, was seen the bland and courteous agent, Consider Carter. The building of this new hotel, the inauguration of the Telegraph Line of stages, the fail- ure to secure the mail contract, combined, seemed to be the turning- point in the destiny of the Pioneer Line, for it now began to wane and soon to show the sere and yellow leaf and finally break down, and withdraw altogether, leaving the old line for the next seven years and J. M. Sherwood & Company, masters of the situation up to the eighth of January, 1838, when his stages were withdrawn from the road, and many of his horses, and placed upon the Auburn and Syracuse railroad. These stage teams drew the cars upon wooden rails, between this place and Syracuse, up to the fourth of June, 1839, when they in turn gave place to the iron horse east of Auburn.
In the month of February, 1828, the Committee on Canals and Internal Improvements submitted a report to the Legislature in which they say in part: "that in particular districts and for particular objects within this state, improvements by railroad can be usefully extended but that they can bear a fair competition with well located and well supplied canals remains to be proved; and while railroads
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are of minor consideration to canals, yet as tributaries to them they will become of vital importance."
In conclusion they state that the convicts unemployed upon contracts in the prison can be used in building the railroad and as the ground and material between Auburn and Weeds Basin are of the most favorable character for the construction of the proposed road they unanimously direct their chairman to prepare and ask leave to present a bill for that purpose.
Various plans and projects for a railroad to the canal were sub- mitted and discussed by the people. The one from Auburn to Syracuse was finally adopted.
A public meeting was held at the Western Exchange, in January, 1832, at which a resolution was passed that an application be made to the Legislature for a charter to construct a road to the canal. Wm. H. Seward then in the State Senate, procured the passage of a bill for the charter which was obtained on the first of May, 1834.
The organization of the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad took place in January, 1835.
Honorable Elijah Miller was elected president and A. D. Leonard, G. B. Throop, N. Garrow, J. M. Sherwood, S. Van Anden, Richard Steel, John Seymour, Abijah Fitch, E. E. Marvine and Allen Worden of Auburn and Henry Raynor and V. W. Smith, of Syracuse, directors. E. F. Johnson and Levi Williams were appointed engineers and Levi Lewis superintendent.
The survey commenced in the April following, and about six months' time was consumed in surveying and locating the road. Contracts were let and the work of construction commenced in December. The first payment made to contractors was in January, 1836.
The progress of the work on this road was attended with difficul- ties and embarrassments greater perhaps than any other line of road ever built in the state. It encountered the financial disturbance of 1837, the extraordinary advance in the prices of provisions, labor
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and material, enough to dishearten and discourage any but the men of indomitable energy and perseverance constituting its board of directors. Later in its history we find in the board the names of Amos Underwood, Alfred Conkling, J. H. Chedell, Thomas Y. How Jr., John Wilkinson, C. C. Dennis and George H. Wood. The track was laid with wooden rails so that on the eighth of January, 1838 several cars of excursionists were taken to Geddes by J. M. Sher- wood's stage teams, which continued to be the motive power as before stated, up to June 4, 1839, at which date the wooden ribbons had been removed and iron rails substituted so that a locomotive engine, the Syracuse, with Mr. Perry, who was then master mechanic, as engineer, took a train with officers and invited guests to Syracuse. The Auburn and Syracuse Railroad was first conceived as a link in the line of transportation from the head of Owasco Lake and a feeder to the Erie Canal. Its terminus in Auburn was to be on the southerly side of the Outlet, near the stone mill, there to connect with the Auburn and Owasco Canal.
The large building on the southerly side of East Genesee street, known to many as Richardson's livery stable, was built by Charles W. Pomeroy, for the freight depot and was for several years used for that purpose, and there are residents of this city who will re- member seeing cars across the bridge near the mills.
This railroad, by its charter, was allowed to carry freight, a privilege denied for several years to all other roads running parallel with the canals.
William G. Fargo, of express notoriety, commenced his eventful life in the transportation business in this Genesee street freight depot as agent. He was followed by Deacon S. W. R. Arnett, who in due course of time was succeeded by George C. Skinner, who if occupied the position up to the time of the consolidation of the Auburn and Syracuse with the Rochester road.
The freight cars used at this time upon the railroad had but
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four wheels each, and were considered fully loaded when they had received thirty barrels of flour or three tons of goods.
These cars were drawn by horses owned and driven by Jebez Gould, from the freight depot to the car house on Van Anden street, one at a time.
At the latter place, they were coupled up into trains of twelve or fourteen cars, ready for the engine which took them to Syracuse, to be delivered into the company's canal warehouse where, for a time, Henry Underwood of Auburn was agent. Uncle Nat Williams withdrew his teams from the road to the canal, and in consideration was appointed freight conductor on the Auburn road, and as no other road was permitted to carry freight, he was undoubtedly the first man who held such a position in this state. Mr. Williams retired on the fifth day of September, 1841, and J. Lewis Grant was appointed to succeed him, that being his first engagement upon any railroad.
The location of the passenger depot on its present site was by Legislative enactment, the result of a long and heated quarrel among the property holders and others in the village. On account of the heavy grade and sharp curves it was found impossible to run the engine through the streets to the depot on Genesee street.
The question then arose as to where a depot should be located. Some advocated Seymour street, others Van Anden street, and, singular as it may appear at the present day, quite a large number of people advocated the south side of Dill street opposite Tallman's livery stable. Appeal to the Legislature resulted in a law which remains to this day upon the statute books, fixing it where it now stands.
The first telegraph office in the city of Auburn was opened in the old depot in May, 1846, and the first attempt to use it for the movement of trains on the road resulted in a collision between two passenger trains in the curve a short distance east of Fairmount station.
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The train due from Rochester at four o'clock in the morning, had not arrived at half-past five, and as the engine to leave Auburn must be in Syracuse to return with a train at seven, it was ordered to go without the Rochester train, and leave Syracuse on time com- ing west. Meanwhile, the Rochester train came in and was ordered to run to Syracuse, where the up train would be held by the tele- graph until it arrived. The telegraph operator did not appear in the Syracuse office until after the up train had left and a collision was the inevitable result ; splinters were plenty but no one seriously injured.
During portions of the year when freights were light and less than a full train was received during the day, for transportation, the cars containing it were attached to the passenger trains. The passenger cars, with a single exception, stood upon four wheels, with three compartments in each car, with seats for eight persons, four on each seat, face to face in each compartment, without sufficient room to move about or stand upright.
Side doors opened into each compartment through which the conductor or collector, as he was then called, could enter in dis- charge of his duties. His only mode of reaching these doors was by hanging upon a hand rail outside and near the top of the car while his feet rested upon a narrow foot piece along the length of the car of not more than four inches in width. Conductor George Williamson, one cold, snowy night lost his hold upon the hand rail and fell near Marcellus upon a bank of snow at the side of the road, from which he rolled under the wheels of the train at full speed, and received his death wounds. In the year 1839, the Auburn and Syracuse received the first eight-wheel passenger car, with an aisle through the center and platforms at each end, built by Stevenson & Company, stage coach builders in New York City. For several years this was the only eight-wheeled car between Auburn and Albany. There are some persons who will remember the old "diamond" car from the peculiarity of its construction. Soon after
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the receipt of this new car, a circumstance of startling interest occurred that cast a gloom over the whole community. Samuel Wildrick, a favorite conductor, was crushed between this car and the depot doorway at Syracuse, the space being less than four inches wide, which caused his instant death. This took place as the even- ing train was leaving for Auburn, and he was not missed from the train until it had proceeded some three miles on its way, when it was backed up to find the lifeless remains of the conductor in the depot.
The company owned three locomotives built at Paterson, N. J., by Thomas Rogers. They had only two driving wheels each and weighed ten and a half tons, only about one-quarter of the weight of those now in use.
The train capacity of the engine was fourteen small cars, con- taining in all a total of four hundred and twenty tons or about four eight-wheel carloads of the present time.
The attempt was at first made to run the engines upon the wooden rails or ribbons but it was found impossible to keep them upon the track, and the idea was abandoned and the flat or strap rail was laid upon the timbers. Then followed the era of snake heads with all its attending results for a period of eight years up to 1847. Some may not be familiar with the term snake head. The flat rail used was two and a half inches wide, and three-quarters thick, laid upon one edge of the six-inch square pine timber and nailed down with spikes about one and a half feet apart. The weight of the train had the tendency to roll the iron upward and in so doing the spikes at and near the ends would break off or pull out and allow the rail to stand up like a section of a large hoop, sometimes a few inches only and often one to two feet.
These were called snake heads and woe to the engine or train that encountered one of them the contrary way. During the years of 1847 and '48 the flat rail was taken up and the road re-laid with "T" rail, the pattern now in use.
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DAVID WADSWORTH, JR.
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The emigrant traffic westward was at this time very heavy, it having wholly left the canal, and a law was passed, allowing all railroads to transport freight, by paying to the State the same rate of tolls exacted upon the canal, which together with prosperous passenger business, gave a traffic to the railroads that they were poorly prepared to take care of.
New engines of greater weight and capacity were in demand, and the enterprising firm of Dennis, Wood and Russell, C. C. Dennis, Charles P. Wood, R. F. Russell, of the commercial iron works of this city, constructed two; one of which, the Buffalo, went to the Attica road, and the other the Wyoming, was purchased by the Auburn and Syracuse Company, said to be one of the best of its capacity ever used upon the road. The engine was the first ever built in this country to work its steam expansively, by what is known to me- chanics as lap and lead of main valves, a plan now universally in use. The superintendent of construction of this engine was William S. Hudson, with the firm of Rogers, of New Jersey, whose engines have a world wide reputation.
The first engine having driving wheels six feet in diameter, in use west of the Hudson River, was built for the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad, in 1848, by Thomas Rogers, of New Jersey, and was named the How after Honorable Thomas Y. How Jr., then and for the remaining years of the corporate existence of the company, its treasurer.
This engine was considered an unlucky one, and many mishaps occurred to it and to the trains to which it was from time to time attached. Upon one occasion it left Syracuse with a train of four coaches and one baggage car, being in charge of William Delano as engineer, and Thomas Hooper as fireman, and upon it for the novelty of an engine ride, were Howard Delano, brother of the engineer, and one of the directors of the road, C. C. Dennis. While running at a speed of fifty to sixty miles an hour, it left the track one mile west of Sennett station, completely wrecking itself and the whole train.
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. The engineer and fireman were both killed. Mr. Delano slightly injured, and Mr. Dennis seriously, but who miraculously escaped with life, but somewhat disfigured forever afterward. The superin- tendent at this date was Elijah P. Williams; his assistant, J. Lewis Grant; the master mechanic, Melancthon W. Mason; conductors, W. H. H. Smith, Henry M. Frink and John H. Hudson; engineers, L. P. and G. W. Howard, E. R. Smith, R. D. and F. W. Grant and William Delano; the ticket agent A. G. Smith; track master Absalom Backus; conductor of work train, Matthew Sittser.
The Auburn and Rochester road was completed into Auburn the fourth of November, 1841, it being the last of the seven links in the chain of railroad between Albany and Buffalo.
Through tickets and baggage checks were then unknown, and as each one of these seven roads was managed and operated separately the passengers and baggage were unloaded at every terminus and the passenger compelled to select his baggage and have it duly chalked to the next place, to which he was also required to purchase a new ticket. This troublesome practice however, soon gave way to through baggage cars and through tickets for passengers in through cars. The consolidation of the Auburn and Syracuse with the Auburn and Rochester road took place in July, 1850.
The tolls on railroads for carrying freight were removed by a law passed in December, 1851, leaving all roads to carry goods of every description independent of the canal, to which they had for several years paid tribute.
At the opening of the Rochester road into Auburn, Robert H. Higham, Esq., was the superintendent and at that date, and soon after, the names of the following gentlemen will be remembered as conductors upon that road, and favorites with the traveling public, namely Harvey Neal, William Blossom, Jo. Holland, Job Collamer, Horace T. Cook and the veteran John Houghtaling, who was promoted from the baggage car and at one time the oldest in service of any conductor in the state.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
EDUCATION IN CAYUGA COUNTY.
The mental development of the citizen is, or ought to be, the most important consideration of the commonwealth, and in this regard Cayuga County is not behind any part of the state. In the City of Auburn, for instance, the Board of Education has long been composed of men selected for their peculiar fitness for the position. Political and religious opinions are forgotten in the desire to have capable men in charge of the educational interests of the city. and it may be fairly stated that this loyalty to the welfare of the growing generation is a characteristic of the whole county.
In early days circumstances were not favorable to mental progress. The country was new, the people poor, and their sur- roundings demanded that their greatest efforts should be put forth to meet the wants of their physical natures. In those days also an education signified merely the ability to read, write and cipher. Any schooling beyond that, except for a professional man, was considered superfluous, if not derogatory. To fill the mind with a few facts, like a cistern with water, was the idea of education a hundred years ago. The hard-working people had not caught the idea that the mind of man may be so cultivated as to become an unfailing spring that cannot be pumped out like a cistern, and consequently they had not the true conception of the meaning of the word. Neither did they guess that true education develops moral force.
But in this our forefathers were not guilty of a fault. Their position and condition as inevitably excluded mental light as did the forest the light of the sun.
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To cut down the forest, to sow seed and raise what crops they could to make a living, was the ever-present problem in the early days. Muscle, not mind, was at a premium. To be able to fell a tree was more important than to solve a quadratic.
The children of the first settlers of Cayuga County opened their eyes upon rude surroundings. Those settlers lived in log houses and generally were descendants of pioneers in other places, who had combated similar difficulties. Their education was very limited and if any of them wished to give their children some of these advantages which they themselves never enjoyed, how were they to do it? There were no competent teachers and no suitable books. But what they could do they did. They erected the log school-house and employed such teachers as circumstances provided.
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