Syracuse University Library
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Gerrit Smith Broadside and Pamphlet Collection

Gerrit Smith to J.B. Edwards : rail roads.

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874.

Digital Edition.

This digitization project was supported by Regional Bibliographic Databases and Interlibrary Resources Sharing Program funds, awarded by the New York State Library.

Call number: Smith 542

GERRIT SMITH TO J. B. EDWARDS.

RAIL ROADS.

PETERBORO October 10th 1867.

JOHN B. EDWARDS, Esq., Oswego,

MY DEAR SIR,

I have your letter. You say that the preference of most of the people of Oswego is for the adopted route of the Midland Road; and that the reasons which are given for their preference, are

lst. That Oswego will increase her trade with the North shore of Oneida Lake, if the Road shall run there.

2d. That its running there will tend to prevent the division of the County of Oswego.

3d. That the Road in this case would come within four miles of the Rome and Watertown Rail Road.

Now, admitting that all this would be a great benefit to Oswego, nevertheless of a hundred fold greater benefit to her would be a Rail Road connecting her with New York by the shortest and levelest route.

A far higher question, however, than what is for the advantage of Oswego is what does honesty require of her. Is it honest in Oswego to desire to have the Midland Road turned ten miles out of its way for the sake of these special favors to herself ? It was, surely, no part of the original project of this Road to have it connect with the Rome and Watertown Road; to have it hold the County of Oswego together; or to have it bring trade to Oswego from the North shore of Oneida Lake. The sole original purpose in undertaking to build it was to afford to the section of country it would run through the shortest and levelest possible Rail Road between Oswego and New York.

Would it not be dishonest in New York to get the Road turned at her end ten miles out of its direct and proper route, in order to gain for herself some special advantages in which she alone would be interested? Would it not be dishonest in Norwich to effect for a similar reason a ten mile departure in that part of the Road in her neighborhood? If this would be dishonest in New York and Norwich, flow then can the like selfishness in Oswego be honest ? Such selfishness may harmonize with "modern degeneracy": but ask Mr. Alvin Bronson and Mr. James Platt if, when they and were young, it would have been called the fair play of honorable men.

This going ten miles out of the way and upon far less easy grades would, doubtless, be held by the Courts to be ample justification for refusing to pay further calls, on the stock subscribed previously to this absurd location of the Road. Not only so - but the Courts would, not improbably, hold that this so wholly unlooked for and unauthorized locating of the Road is sufficient ground for demanding the return of what has been paid upon such stock. I suppose I have paid much more than any other stockholder. What I have paid I am willing to count as loss. But I am not willing to fling away any more money on this wild scheme of building a Road from Oswego to New York by the way of the North shore of Oneida Lake. I took $25,000 in the stock of the present Road from Oswego to the Rome and Watertown Road. If Oswego shall organize a Company for building another Road to the Rome and Watertown Road, I will yield to her wishes, and be one of the Company. But I am not willing to help her build any of her little side roads under the cover or pretense of their being roads to the City of New York.

I am aware that some of the people of Oswego, through fear of losing a little local trade, bad rather that the Midland Road should not go through, or very near to, Syracuse. For my own part, I wish that the shortest and most level route for it lay through Syracuse : and I am glad that such route is very near to her. Her contemplated Rail Road to Sandbank would cross it at a point but little more than half a dozen miles from Syracuse. A nearly straight line from Phoenix to a point in the Central Road, some three miles West of

[p. 1, col. 2]

Canastota, is undoubtedly a part of the true route of the Midland Road. This route is thence, by, or near by, Clockville, up the Cowaselon Valley to the common summit of the Cowaselon and Oneida routes. That this summit can be climbed with far more ease in the Cowaselon than in the Oneida Valley is manifest from the fact that the distance along which to distribute the ascent is much greater in the former than in the latter case.

That the Directors could not get sufficient Town Bonds if they took the short and level route between Fulton and Hamilton is a very poor excuse for going ten miles (probably nearer twelve) out of their way. Their plain duty was to lay the toad on its true route; and then give up building it, if they could not get the means to build it. Town Bonds are to be asked for, not to build a road on a wrong, but only on the right, route. The road is not to run after bonds - but bonds after the read.

Is it true, however, that, in respect to getting means to build it, anything is gained by this irrational location of it ?

1st. Who, not interested in such location, would not regard it as a conclusive objection to his subscribing to the stock of the Road ?

2d. Would enough more stock be subscribed by those interested in such location to pay for building the extra ten miles ?

3d. Is it to be assumed that much less stock would be taken along that part of the true route in question than along the absurd part of the adopted route? I ask is it to be assumed? For the Directors have not so much as surveyed this part of the right route. The simple truth is that, until she disappointed and vexed them by refusing to bond herself, the Directors were swayed by the foregone conclusion that the Road must pass through Syracuse. It was in their haste, after this refusal, that they laid the Road far, far, from Syracuse. What we do in haste we are not apt to do well. I shall not be surprised, if it turns out that no survey bad been made of a part of the adopted route. I refer to that part immediately East of Fulton.

The people South of Oneida Lake may not be as willing to help build a Rail Road as are the people North of it: - but they are certainly many times more able to do it. Clay and Cicero are fertile towns; Lenox is the richest and Sullivan is one of the richest of the farming towns in the State.

The Directors of the Midland Road are wise and upright men. But that stone-wall, which they ran against in Syracuse, stunned them; and, unhappily, they acted before they had time to recover themselves. What wonder, then, that they acted unwisely! It is well that we are not bound to stand by our errors - and that we are bound to retract them. The retraction of their error, and the laying of the Road where calm common sense says it should be laid, would be as honorable to the Directors as it would be useful to the public.

Certain Newspapers hold me up as being opposed to the building of the Midland Road. As well might they, because I decline a poor kind of food, say that I am opposed to eating. It is only this very poor kind of Midland Road, that I am declining to help build.

You refer to the proposed Lake Shore Road. I have subscribed three thousand dollars to it; and I hope to increase my subscription to twenty thousand. But I shall feel myself to be neither morally nor legally bound to pay a penny of it, if your City shall, in order to gain more trade from her neighborhood, or to prevent the division of her County, or for any other reason, succeed in getting the Directors to turn the Road through South Hannibal. I might be willing to help build a Road from Oswego to South Hannibal. But I would not be, if it were built under the deceptive name of the Lake Shore Road.

Very respectfully your friend,

GERRIT SMITH.