News of the year 1914 of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad is presented here as reported in area newspapers.
For all previous articles on this doomed project, see: Midland Pennsylvania Railroad.
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From the Harrisburg Patriot, 14 January 1914:
LYKENS VALLEY’S RAILROAD TRAGEDY
Residents Believe Midland Penn Has Forsaken Plans For All Time
LAST EFFORTS MADE
Special Dispatch to The Patriot
Gratz, Pennsylvania, 13 January [1914] – Residents through Lykens Valley are about convinced that the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which started construction of a line from Millersburg to Ashland and then discontinued the work, has given its last gasp. It is doubted whether any more work at all will be attempted.
The road is virtually complete, except for a little grading and rail laying from here to Millersburg, its western terminus, and it was expected that at least this stretch could be put into operation. To accomplish this, $65,000 was regarded as necessary.
Every effort was made to raise this amount in the valley here in the form of preference notes, but even though $10,000 was raised in this vicinity, the remainder could not be gathered, it is said. These notes were to bear high interest, it, it is asserted, found no buyers.
After this method failed to produce a still further effort was made to get the road going. An expert on freight business was sent along the line and it is said that his report showed that for years to come, under present conditions, the most net profits that could be expected annually would be only $3,000. This report, it is said, was made to the promoters, and though no official announcement was made, it is declared that the idea of resumption of work was given up.
Residents Disappointed.
Residents hereabouts are crestfallen over the turn things have taken. Killinger, Curtin, Berrysburg, and Gratz, fair-sized towns along the right of way, remain cut off from rail communication with the outside and it was their hope to get a railroad.
Thousands of dollars were spent on road construction, including grading with big fills and cuts, concrete bridges and culverts. The company now has in storage at Millersburg a frazzled locomotive, several new freight cars and a combination coach. There are also piled, there thousands of feet of ties and steel rails along with wagons and other material. The company still holds title to large areas of real estate and a station building.
It is now reported that the larger plan of the promoters of the company was to extend the line from Millersburg across the river through Perry County, Cumberland, Franklin and Fulton to the West Virginia coal fields to lands owned by independent capitalists who are said to own upwards of 15,000 acres of coal lands near Ashland, the eastern or northern terminus of the line.
With such a line the promoters believed, according to the report, that they could make an easy sale to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad which would give that company an entrance into the hard coal fields of Pennsylvania.
The Gratz country, now that the belief prevails that there will be no outlet by way of Millersburg, are planning to drive a tunnel through Short Mountain to connect with the Reading and Pennsylvania at Lykens. The distance through the mountain is about two miles and the plan is to make the tube available for driving as well as rail or trolley.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, 14 January 1914:
MAY EXTEND RAILROADS
Midland Said to Be Seeking Entrance to Soft Coal Fields
Millersburg, 14 January [1914] – Rumor has it in this section that the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad promoters are now seeking the right of way from this point across the Susquehanna River through the Cumberland Valley to the West Virginia coal fields. As the company owns the right of way into Ashland, it is believed that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad would purchase the line so as to get into the Pennsylvania hard coal region.
The Midland Railroad has not stepped up all operations after an outlay of many thousands of dollars. Only a few miles of grade is yet to be completed to connect this town with Ashland. However, no more funds to complete this work can be had at present.
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From the Harrisburg Patriot, 23 May 1914:
VALLEY PEOPLE MAY COMPLETE RAILROAD
Effort Being Made To Finish Line Between Millersburg and Gratz
WOULD TAKE $60,000
Special Dispatch to The Patriot
Berrysburg, 25 May [1914] – Another effort is being made to untangle the affairs of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which two years ago started to build a railroad line through the Lykens Valley between Millersburg and Ashland.
This time local people of the valley seem to have become more interested in the project, and an effort is being made to raise enough money among themselves to complete the line between Millersburg and Gratz. It is estimated that it will take about $60,000 to put the line into shape for operation….
Just what headway can be made is not known at this time, but Joseph F. Romberger, of this place, one of the leading figures in the railroad movement, was optimistic about the outlook today.
Would Turn Line Over
In order to protect the people who put up the money for the completion of the line, it is planned to have the railroad company turn over the rights of way and all the stock that has been turned into the road between Millersburg and Gratz. The laying of rails and some grading is all that is necessary for the building of the line.
The people who put up the capital wo9uld hold the line, until the remainder of the money is raised for the completion of the road to Ashland. Then the local capital would be returned to the people of the Valley.
So far as the company as a whole is concerned, no progress has been made. The position of president, which was left vacant by the resignation of W. E. Harrington more than a year ago, has not been filled. Joseph F. Romberger, of this place, still holds the position of vice-president, is one of the board of directors, and is looking after the interests of the local people.
The heads of the railroad company have not yet given up the idea that some day, they will be able to raise $10,000,000 with which to build the line a much greater distance than was originally planned.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, 23 May 1914:
Upper End People Plan to Complete Pennsylvania Railroad
Berrysburg, Pennsylvania, 23 May [1914] – Another effort is being made to untangle the affairs of the Midland Pennsylvania Company, which two years ago started to build a railroad line through the Lykens Valley between Millersburg and Ashland. Local people of the valley have become more interested in the project and are trying to raise enough money to complete the line between Millersburg and Gratz. It is estimated that it will take about $60,000 to put the line into shape for operations.
A meeting was held at Gratz several days ago, when plans were discussed for the raising of the money. It is planned to have the railroad company turn over the rights of way and all the stock that has been turned into the road between Millersburg and Gratz. The laying of rails and some grading is all that is necessary for the building of the line.
The position of president, which was left vacant by the resignation of W. E. Harrington more than a year ago, has not been filed. Joseph F. Romberger, of this place, still holds the position of vice president, is one of the board of directors and is looking after the interests of the local people.
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From the Altoona Tribune, 29 May 1914:
MAY COMPLETE RAILROAD
Efforts Being Made to Raise Funds to Finish Road in Lykens Valley
Berrysburg, 28 May [1914] – Another effort is being made to untangle the affairs of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which two years ago started to build a railroad line through the Lykens Valley between Millersburg and Ashland.
This time local people of the valley seem to have become more interested in the project and an effort is being made to raise enough money among themselves to complete the line between Millersburg and Gratz. It is estimated that it will take about $60,000 to put the line into shape for operation.
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From the Harrisburg Patriot, 3 July 1914:
ABANDON RAILROAD LAND FOR SALE FOR TAXES
Another chapter in the spectacular story of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad projected with much speech-making to run from Millersburg to Ashland, was written yesterday by County Treasurer Bailey, in announcement or sale of properties for unpaid taxes in 1911 and 1912.
The Midland has more properties than any other delinquent. The lands are situated in Millersburg, the western terminus of the line; Upper Paxton Township; Mifflin Township; and Lykens Township. Some of the property is defined as “right of way.”
There are 40 properties of this company listed for sale before the Court House at 10 a.m., August 3 [1914], and all because taxes amounting to $50.89 remain unpaid. It is thought that the stockholders will not permit the loss of more than 64.5 acres of land merely on account of the tax.
Nine parcels of land are defined as “right of way” in Lykens Township, on which the tax is $4.57; in Upper Paxton Township, 17 properties for a total of 25 acres and $14.55 in taxes and in Millersburg in the name of the Lykens Valley Construction Company, 2 acres for a total of taxes of $9.27.
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From the Philadelphia Inquirer, 7 August 1914:
The Baldwin Locomotive Works has received orders for the following locomotives: One 4-4-0 type for Midland Pennsylvania Railroad….
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From the Delaware County Daily Times (Chester, Pennsylvania, 7 August 1914:
The Baldwin Locomotive Works has received orders for locomotives as follows: One 4-4-0 type for Midland Pennsylvania Railroad…. The number of Baldwin employees is now 7140. The plant is operating at about 40 per cent.
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From the Wall Street Journal, 7 August 1914:
Equipment Orders
Philadelphia – The Baldwin Locomotive Works has received orders for the following locomotives: One 4-4-0 type for Midland Pennsylvania Railroad….
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, 17 August 1914:
RAILROAD PROJECT FAILS
Sunbury, Pennsylvania, 17 August [1914] – Arrangements are being made in offer the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad, running from Millersburg to Ashland, for sale sometimes during next month. It was planned to build this railroad, a narrow gauge line, by way of Gratz and points in the Mahantongo Valley, but the project fell through.
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From the Pittsburgh Daily Post, 25 August 1914:
Option on Midland
An option has been given on the property of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad to a syndicate which would complete the building of the road. The option lasts until December, but there is little expectation of its being taken up since the European war has broken out. The Midland Pennsylvania Railroad was projected in 1910 to run from Millersburg to Ashland, Pennsylvania, a distance of 44 miles through the Lykens Valley. The road defaulted 1 July 1912 on the interest on $812,000 first mortgage 50-year bonds. Construction was suspended after about 10 miles of road had been partially completed.
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News stories from Newspapers.com and from on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.