USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > The Wyoming Valley, upper waters of the Susquehanna, and the Lackawanna coal-region : including views of the natural scenery of northern Pennsylvania : from the Indian occupancy to the year 1875 > Part 24
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Susquehanna > The Wyoming Valley, upper waters of the Susquehanna, and the Lackawanna coal-region : including views of the natural scenery of northern Pennsylvania : from the Indian occupancy to the year 1875 > Part 24
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In the report of President Olyphant, of May 12th, 1868, attention was called to the necessity, at no very distant day, to make some important changes in the railroad, by widening its guage from four feet, three-and-a-half inches, to make it conform to the guage of connecting roads, and by the substitution, below Carbondale, of a loco- motive road for the gravity system then in use.
The latter improvement would certainly he needed, wherein the contemplated railroad from. Carbondale to Nineveh, connecting with the Al- bany & Susquehanna Railroad, should be con- structed.
In September, 1868, a contract was made with the Erie Railway Company by which they en- gaged to construct a railroad from Carbondale to their main line at Susquehanna, to be completed on or before the first day of June, 1870, and
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THE LACKAWANNA VALLEY.
thereafter to transport coal for the Delaware & Hudson Company. from the latter's mines to Rochester and Buffalo. In the same contraet, a provision was included which would enable the Canal Company thercafter to bring a supply of coal during the winter months at a moderate freight from Honesdale to the Wehawken dock, as well as to occupy a proper share of the local markets on the line of the Erie road.
The construction of an easy line from Susque- hanna to Nineveh on the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad, a distance of twenty miles, would give a control of the shortest and in every respect the best connection between the anthracite coal fields and the numerous and growing towns on that important road. A satisfactory arrange- ment for the transportation of eoal was made some years before with the Albany & Susque- hanna Company, and it was the prevailing opin- ion at this present date, that steps should be taken at an early day to secure the valuable mar- ket thus brought within their reach. The cost of the road which it would be necessary to build for that purpose was estimated at 8650,000.
The year 1868 was marked, also, by the re- tirement of J. N. Seymour, Esq., from the posi- tion which he had held for many years as treasurer. His connection with the company dated from the first meeting of the Board of Managers, in 1825. So long a career of faithful service seemed to call for a special recognition, and the board, therefore, in response to Mr. Seymour's letter of resignation, adopted a series of resolutions, which were entered on their minutes and published in various journals, ex- pressing their high appreciation of his worth as an offiecr and a man.
The year 1869, marks the advent of Thomas Dickson as president of this mammoth and growing company. A more full and extended sketch of his personal career, will be found in the next sueeeeding chapter. He still retains the position, and his administration has been noted for its enlarged views, and liberal efforts to push the north-eastern coal fields of Pennsyl- vania to their greatest productive development.
The railroad from Carbondale to the Erie Railway at Susquehanna was approaching eom-
pletion. A favorable contraet was entered into with the Northern Central Railway Company of Pennsylvania for the transportation of coal from the mines in the vicinity of Wilkes Barre to Baltimore and intermediate points. This gave a new outlet for eoal, and the market thus opened was being developed much more rapidly than was anticipated.
The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad was acquired by a perpetual lease of the property and franchises at an annual rent of $490,000, or seven per cent. upon its capital and bonded debt, $7,000,000. As a trunk line running east and west, the possession of this road. it was confi- dently believed, would greatly strengthen their position and open new and growing markets for coal.
It had become evident that, to meet the rapid increase in consumption east and north of the mines, transportation facilities would require to be largely extended, either by the enlargement of the canal-involving a large expenditure- or by the possession or control of a railroad line running nearly parallel therewith. The enlarge- ment of the eanal would give increased capacity only, while the possession of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad gives, in addition, markets that were practically closed to the eanal, a much needed winter communication, and proteets the Delaware and Hudson Company from competi- tion that might under possible combinations, have seriously affected the value of their im- provements.
The importance of this road had long been appreciated by the managers, and was regarded in the early stages of its construction as an avenue that would eventually become an impor- tant element in the growth and business interests of this company ; and with a view of becoming identified with the enterprise, $500,000 of the second mortgage bonds were subscribed for some years before.
The mines had a productive capacity of 10.000 tons per day, on the accession of Mr. Dickson to the presideney. At a meeting of the Board of Managers, held immediately after the preceding annual election, the then president, George Talbot Olyphant, Esq., dcelined a re-election
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DELAWARE AND HUDSON CANAL COMPANY.
and retired from the position, having adminis- tered the affairs of the company with marked ability and success for a period of eleven years. The regret occasioned by his retirement was in some degree compensated by his consenting to remain in the management, as chairman of the executive committee, thus securing to the com- pany the advantages accruing from his large ex- perience in matters affecting the success of its operations.
Mining was wholly suspended, by a strike of the miners and laborers, from the middle of May to the middle of September-four months --- being the best part of the season for the trans- portation and production of coal of that year, 1869.
About the first of December of the year fol- lowing, in concert with the other companies in the coal region region, a reduction in the wages of miners was made; this action produced a total suspension of mining operations until the 20th day of May, 1871, when the men accepted the terms offered them, and work was resumed.
The causes which led to this prolonged strike. were briefly these. During the war the rapid increase in the demand for coal stimulated pro- duction beyond precedent, forced higher rates for mining than was paid by any other branch of industry, and attracted to the mines a larger number of men than could be profitably employ- ed when business returned to its natural channel.
To maintain the then current high wages, the miners formed an association, which in a short time embraced the entire anthracite region, and in the year 1869, resolved that they would not only determine the rates to be paid for labor, but that they would also control and determine the production of the mines and the value of coal to the consumer. This new and extraor- dinary claim was conceded by a majority of the producers, but was successfully resisted by the three northern companies.
The system of suspension inaugurated by the men, for the avowed purpose of curtailing the production, was alike disastrous to the company, to the miner, and to the consumer, as no tempor- ary advance in the price of the product will com- pensate cither the operator or the miner for the
great losses entailed during periods of suspension, while the consumer bears the burden of enforced high prices, and the risk of having the supply cut off at any moment. " The only safe remedy." said President Dickson, "for our production is the natural law of trade, and it is the belief of the management, that if the suspensions of the last two years had not taken place, and a uniform and steady movement had been maintained, the consumption of 1871 would have been equal to the productive capacity, at prices fairly compen- sating operator and miner, and furnishing the consumer with coal at moderate and uniform rates ;" and he added, further, " the only ques- tion involved in the issue is whether the prop- erty shall be controlled and the policy of the company determined by the owners, or whether it shall be committed to the care and direction of an irresponsible organization, and in deter- mining this question the managers are strong in the belief that the stockholders can have but one opinion."
Before the end of 1871, it became apparent that the productive ability of the various coal companies was greater than the current demand. The market price had consequently begun to show symptoms of weakness, when the occurrence of the great fire in Chicago, causing a general depression in trade, precipitated the decline, and the season closed with light stocks, a light demand, and a very gloomy outlook for the busi- ness of 1872. Coal was relatively lower than any other important article of general consump tion ; and in view of the large and increasing capacity for production and transportation, there was no reason to expect any advance during that year. The low prices which then ruled, how- ever, extended and stimulated consumption, and promised to gradually bring about a more satis- factory state of things in that branch of trade. Meanwhile the company aimed, by an increased volume of business, to make up for the loss occasioned by the fall in price, and thus keep themselves in a position to reap the sure and not distant harvest when consumption should again overtake the ability to produce.
On the first of May, 1871, an arrangement was completed for the perpetual lease of the
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THE LACKAWANNA VALLEY.
property of the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad Company. The branch road from Nineveh to Susquehanna, known as the Lackawanna & Sus- quehanna Railroad, had been completed. A third rail had also been laid on the Albany and Susquehanna road for the use of the narrow guage cars, and with a view to the ultimate abandonment of the wider and more expensive guage. A greatly increased traffic immediately resulted from these improvements, exceeding the best hopes of the company, and it became more than ever evident that the acquisition of the Albany & Susquehanna road would prove of the highest permanent value in its bearing on the success of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company.
The President, Mr. Thomas Dickson, who had been for some months absent from the country during that year, returned the following summer. In his next report, for the year ending December 31st, 1872, he says :
"The low prices of 1872 stimulated the con- sumption of coal, and it is now confidently be- licved that the demand will be equal to the supply, and that remunerative prices will be maintained. If the trade is now placed upon a permanent and profitable basis, the sacrifices of 1872 will not have been in vain. The railroad interests of the company are in a prosperous condition. Permanent improvements are being made to the equipment, the receipts are corres- pondingly increased. The New York & Canada Railroad is now under construction, and it is hoped that within two years the company will possess a through line from the mines to Mon- treal."
The financial panic of September and October, , 1873, materially contracted the volume of busi- ness and reduced to some extent the profits of the year ; nevertheless the prices of coal were fairly maintained. The construction of the New York & Canada Railroad, after being com- pleted, will open a line to Port Henry, and the rich iron ore deposits that border the shores of Lake Champlain, of which a more extended sur- vey is given in a succeeding chapter, containing the biographical sketch of Mr. Dickson, the president.
Under the corner-stone of the immense struc- ture crected by this company on Cortland strect, New York city, in 1874, was deposited a sheet
containing the following list of officers and statistics :
DELAWARE & HUDSON CANAL CO.
This Building was erected by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, and this record deposited
UNDER THE CORNER STONE, April 30, 1874.
MANAGERS AND OFFICERS OF THE DELA- WARE & -HUDSON CANAL CO.
Board of Managers.
Charles N. Talbot.
Abiel A. Low.
Robert Lennox Kennedy.
James M. Halstead.
Le Grand B. Cannon.
George Cabot Ward.
James R. Taylor. Thomas Dickson.
John Jacob Astor. Thomas Cornell.
W. J. Hoppin.
J. Pierpont Morgan. R. M. Olyphant.
President, Thomas Dickson, Scranton, Pa.
Assistant-President, Harwood V. Olyphant ; Treasurer, James C. Hartt, New York city ; Secretary, George L. Haight, New York city ; Sales-Agent, Rodman G. Moulton, New York city ; General Manager, Coe F. Young, Hones- dale, Pa .; General Agent of Real Estate Depart- ment, E. W. Weston, Providence, Pa .; Superin- tendent of Coal Department, A. H. Vandling, Providence, Pa .; Superintendent of Railroad Department. R. Manville, Carbondale, Pa .; Superintendent of Canal Department, Asher M. Atkinson, Honesdale, Pa. ; Superintendent of Roundout Department, A. Osterhout, Roundout, N. Y .; Sales Agent Southern and Western De- partment, Joseph J. Albright.
Albany & Susquehanna and Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad Department .- General Su- perintendent, H. A. Fonda, Albany, N. Y .; Chief Engineer, C. W. Wentz, Albany, N. Y.
New York and Canada Railroad Depart- ment .- President and Superintendent, Isaac V. Baker, Comstock's Landing, N. Y.
Building Committee .- Robert L. Kennedy, Chairman ; John Jacob Astor, James R. Taylor; Rodman G. Moulton, Secretary; Richard M. Hunt, Architect; E. E. Raht, Superintendent of Architecture.
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DELAWARE AND HUDSON CANAL COMPANY.
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The company was originally organized March 8th, 1825. and the following comprises the list of officers and managers holding offices at differ- ent periods from that time to the present.
Presidents-1825, Philip Hone ; 1826, John Bolton ; 1832, John Wurts; 1858, George T. Olyphant ; 1869, Thomas Dickson.
Assistant Presidents-1874, Harwood V. Oly- phant.
Vice- Presidents-1845, Isaac L. Platt ; 1849, John Ewen ; 1851, Wm. Musgrave ; 1857, Rob- ert Soutter ; 1866, Thomas Dickson.
Treasurers-1825, John Bolton ; 1826, Sam- uel Flewelling ; 1832, John H. Williams ; 1845, I-aac N. Seymour ; 1869, Charles P. Hartt; 1873, James C. Hartt.
Secretaries-1842, Isaac N. Seymour; 1848, Gilead A. Smith ; 1855, James C. Hartt ; 1866, Richard H Nodyne ; 1871, Daniel Wilson ; 1873, George L. Haight.
Sales Agents-1866, James C. Hartt ; 1873, Rodman G. Moulton.
Sales Agent, Western Department-1869, Jo- seph J. Albright.
General Manager-1869, Coe F. Young.
Mining Superintendents-1866, E. W. Wcs- ton ; 1874, A. H. Vandling.
Railroad Department Superintendent-1866, R. Manville.
Canal Superintendents-1866, Coe F. Young; 1869, A. M. Atkinson.
Rondout Department Superintendents-1873, A. H. Vandling; 1874, A. Osterhoudt.
Real Estate Department -- 1874, E. W. Weston.
Superintendent Albany & Susquehanna and Rensselaer & Saratoga R. R. Department-1873, H. A. Fonda.
General Superintendent-1873, C. W. Wentz.
Chief Engineer New York & Canada R. R. Department-1873, Isaac V. Baker, President and Superintendent.
Managers-1825, Garret B. Abeel ; 1862, John J. Astor ; 1867, John J. Aspinwall ; 1825, John Bolton ; 1831, James Bryar ; 1832. Wm. Bradford; 1834. Joseph Bayley ; 1841, Henry Brevoort, Jr. ; 1825, Lynde Catlin ; 1826, Wm. Calder ; 1833, Edward Coleman; 1837, Don Alonzo Cushman ; 1860. Le Grand B Cannon ; 1862, John J. Crane; 1868, Thomas Cornell ; 1835, Robert Dyson; 1866, Thomas Dicksou ; 1834, John Ferguson ; 1852, Daniel B. Fearing ; 1866, O. De F. Grant; 1825, Philip Hone ; 1825, John Hunter ; 1825, Abraham Hasbrouck ; 1831, John Hitchcock ; 1831, William M. Hal- stead ; 1838, William C. Hickok ; 1841, Silas Holmes ; 1842, Irad Hawley ; 1844, William S.
Herriman ; 1845, Cyrus Hitchcock ; 1859. James M. Halstead ; 1868, W. J. Hoppin ; 1826, Wm. H. Ireland ; 1858, Robert L. Kennedy; 1825, Rufus L Lord ; 1833, William E. Lee ; 1841, Daniel Lord. Jr .; 1842, Jacob R. Leroy ; 1857, Abiel A. Low ; 1873. J. Pierpont Morgan ; 1816, Howard Mott; 1848. Lara Nash ; 1837. Joseph Otis ; 1852, George T. Olyphant ; 1873, Robert M. Olyphant ; 1825, Hezekiah Pierpont; 1832, Allison Post ; 1834, Isaac L Platt ; 1855, Dan- iel Parish; 1825, William W. Russell ; 1826, Benjamin W. Rogers; 1832. Samuel Reynolds ; 1:32, James Ruthven ; 1840, John Rankin ; 1853, Robert Ray ; 1833, Phileman R. Starr ; 1:34, Joseph Sands ; 1841, Aquilla G. Stout ; 1857, Samuel B. Schieffelin ; 1859. John Schenck ; 1870, Isaac N. Seymour ; 1825, Jon- athan Thompson ; 1826. Thomas Tileston ; 1826, Henry Thomas; 1833, Knowles Taylor ; 1845, Charles N. Talbot ; 1864, James R. Taylor ; 1830, W. Van Schaick ; 1825, Geo. D. Wick- ham; 1825, Maurice Wurts; 1826, Samuel Whittemore ; 1831, John Wurts ; 1831, William Worrell ; 1831, William Wheelright; 1852, Edward J. Woolsey ; 1858. John David Wolfe ; 1873, George C. Ward; 1842, Henry Young.
The Canal from Honesdale to Roundout was commenced July 13th. 1825. and was completed in October, 1828. The first enlargement was completed in 1844, the second was completed in 1852. The tonnage of the first boats on the Canal was 25 tons, of the second 40 tons. Pre- sent tonnage 125 to 14S. The first coal shipped from the mines in Pennsylvania in 1829.
Table of Annual Quantity shipped from the Mines :
1829. 7,000; 1830, 43,000; 1831, 54,000; 1852, 84.600; 1833, 111,777 ; 1834, 43.700 ; 1835, 90,000; 1836, 103,861; 1837, 115.387; 1838, 78.207 ; 1839, 122.300; 1840, 148,470; 1841, 192.270 ; 1842, 205,253 ; 1843. 227,605; 1844, 251.005; 1845, 273,435 ; 1846, 320.000 ; 1847, 386.203; 1848, 437.500 ; 1849, 454.240 ; 1950, 432,339 ; 1851, 472,478 ; 1852, 497,839; 1853, 494.327 ; 1854, 438,406; 1855, 565.460 ; 1856, 499.650 ; 1857, 480.677 ; 1858. 348,789; 1859, 591,000 ; 1860. 499,558; 1861, 726.644; 1862, 644,100 ; 1863. 828.150; 1864, 852,130; 1865, 752.699 ; 1866, 1,391.674; 1867, 1.507,- 487 ; 1868, 1.991,870 ; 1869, 1,626,391 ; 1870, 2.318,073; 1871, 2,011,333; 1872, 2,930,767 ; 1873, 2.752,596
The railroad from Honcsdale, Pa, to the mines was commenced in 1827, and completed in 1829.
The First Locomotive that ran upon a railroad on this continent was imported from England by this company ; was ordered in England by Hor- atio Allen, Assistant Engineer; was shipped from
15
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THE LACKAWANNA VALLEY.
Liverpool, April 8th. 1829, on board Packet Ship "John Jay ;" arrived in New York, 17th May, 1829 ; was sent up the river to Rondout, and arrived there 4th July, 1829, from thence was transported by canal. and arrived at Hones. dale, July 23d, 1829, and on the 8th of August, 1S29, made the trial trip. This locomotive was built at Stourbridge, England ; was named the "Stourbridge Lion," and the boiler is now in use at Carbondale, Penna.
On the 24th February. 1870, this company leased in perpetuity the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad, and on the 1st May, 1871, leased the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad, with its branches. Is now engaged in constructing a line from Whitehall in this state on the West side of Lake Champlain, which, when completed, will give this company between 600 and 700 miles of railway. In addition to this they have 186 miles of iron railway in their mines.
Contracting Parties for this building as fol- lows : Masons, A. J. Felter & Son ; Carpenter, G. Van Nostrand ; Iron, Iron Architectural Iron Works, N. Y .; Iron Floor Beams, W. H. Wal- lace & Co., agents for Union Iron Co., Buffalo, N. Y. ; Granite, J. G. Batterson ; Stone Trim- mings, Daniel McMaster."
In the Lackawanna Valley the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company own seventeen coal breakers, distributed as follows: In Carbondale, four ; Jermyn, two; Archbald, two; Olyphant, four ; Providence, four; Seranton, one. In the Wyoming Valley they have nine, five at Wilkes-Barre and four at Plymouth. They have extensive works at Carbondale, at Oneonta, a flourishing town midway between Binghamton and Albany, on the Albany & Susquehanna Rail- road ; at Salem, N. Y., and at Green Island, Albany. At the latter place they have a foundry where they rebuild their engines.
It is fitting, in concluding the chapter on the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, to mention One more item of history. As already stated, this company placed the first locomotive engine upon the track on the American Continent. The man who built the first mile of that track is still living and a resident of Scranton, familiarly and favorably known by nearly every citizen of the Lackawanna Valley, as Uncle John Raymond, the veteran of the war of 1812.
John Raymond was born June 13th, 1795, in the town of Walton, Delaware County, N. Y. He attended school until he was eleven years old,
when he went into the store of Gardner & St. John in his native town, remaining there five years, after which he went with his father to New York city, where he entered a dry goods store on Division street. The war breaking out be accompanied his father on his return to Walton, where young Raymond set at the trade of carpen- ter and joiner, working at it until he was twen- ty-three years old. Ohio was then the Far West and thither he sought his fortune.
In the meantime drafting for the war was in operation at his home, wherein his father was liable for duty. Young John went to the Captain of the company and asked to go in his father's place which was granted. He served three months in the service, and is at present the only pensioner in the city of Scranton, on the rolls of that war.
The contract for the building of the road as previously announced, having been let, the first mile from Honesdale out, was taken by Hiram Plumb and himself and built by them, Mr. Raymond being on the ground personally to superintend the work. He was there when the strange looking monster arrived to be placed on the track, and recalls with vividness each partic- ular circumstance connected with the trial trip.
Another important event in his life in con- nection with this company is the fact that he rode with Mr. Maurice Wurts for two weeks consecutively, besides making extra trips, en- deavoring to procure signers to the petition, asking legislation aid.
He moved to Salem Corners next, where he carried on a mercantile business for ten years, residing there nineteen years, after which he took up his residence in Archbald in 1854, re maining there three years, then he moved to Scranton and purchased his presert residence, 204 Franklin avenue, just above Spruce strect.
Mr. Raymond is a favorite with Scranton peo- ple, and considering his years, is a remarkable man. His memory is excellent ; his preceptions keen, and his judgment still unabated. With the soldiers of the late war he is held in high esteem, and his presence at their gatherings is always accompanied with a cordial and enthusi- astic greeting.
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CHAPTER XXIX.
THOMAS DICKSON, PRESIDENT OF THE DELAWARE & HUDSON CANAL COMPANY.
" The rank is but the guinea stamp, The man's the gowd for a' that." -BURNS.
The subject of this sketch is a Scotchman by birth, being born in the year 1824, at Berwick- shire. He emigrated with his father's family to Canada in the summer of 1832, where they re- mained two years, and in 1834 came to Carbon- dale, settling on a farm two miles west of Dundaff, Susquehanna County. Two years later the fam- ily located in Carbondale, where the father, James Dickson, entered the service of the Canal Company as a machinist. He was subsequently made master-mechanic, a position which he has occupied continually to the present time.
Thomas learned to read and write in Scotland ; attended school in Canada, and in Carbondale, until the winter of 1837, when he had a quarrel with his school-master-the only one in the place -which resulted in a determination to leave, and being unwilling to remain a burden on his parents, offered his services to George A. Whit- ing, who was then in charge of the horses and mules of the Canal Company.
His services were accepted, and he was en- gaged in driving in and about the mines of the company during the summer of 1837. In the winter of 1837-8 he again resumed his studies at school, and in the spring entered the store of Charles T. Pierson, of Carbondale, as a clerk.
The following year, Pierson sold out his inter- est to Joseph Benjamin, Dickson being trans- ferred with the stock. He remained with Ben- jamin as a clerk, until 1843, when he was again
transferred to F. P. Grow & Brothers, who pur- chased the goods. Hon. Galusha A. Grow, who afterward became a national historical character, was one of the brothers.
In 1845, he entered into co-partnership with his former master, Joseph Benjamin, where he remained until 1852, when he purchased an in- terest in the foundry and machine shops, then known as J. Benjamin & Co., now as Van Bergen & Company.
In 1856, Mr. Dickson came to Scranton, and established the Dickson Manufacturing Company, with a capital of $30,000, which was increased to 875,000 before they started the workings of the enterprise. The capital and surplus now em- ployed is about one-and-a-half millions, and the institution itself ranks among the best of the kind in the country. A more full description in detail may be found in the chapter under that head. The original design was merely that of manufacturing mining machinery, but the mag- nificent locomotives which leave their hands at- test remarkably the prosperous growth of the company. Mr. Dickson remained in the concern as manager, until January Ist, 1860, then retired, his brother George L. Dickson, taking his place.
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