History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

"The route from Danbury to the New York State line followed the course of the Still River, ])assed through Miry Brook District and entered the Sugar Hollow. Tlie ascent through the Hollow was, ac- cording to Mr. Brodhead, thirty-five feet to the mile. At Sugar Hollow Pond the line diverged to Bennett's Ponds, and thence passed through Titicus- to the neighborhood of South Salem. This route was not, however, an important item in the consideration of the road. The main thing was to get the line to Dan- bury through the (Jusatonic Valley, where it would connect with the Fairfield County road, to tide-water. The line from Ridgefield to West Stockbridge was eighty-one miles; from Danbury to West St<)ekbridge, seventy miles. A[r. Brodhead estimated the entire cost of the road, the longer distance, to l)e $l,247,50i). "These figures exceeded the exi)ectation of the committee, but did not dampen their ardor. They made up their report and presented it to the conven- tion, and with it a circular which was to go before capitalists who were looking for investments. "The cin'ular a.ssumed that, viewed in connection with manufactures, the unusual watcr-i>ower, and the cheapness of the land thereto, the Ousatonic route was to be preferred to any other route, especially one nearer to the Hudson River (this referred to the Har- lem and .Vlbany scheme). But the committee, wish- ing to make no uncomplimentary eomjiarison, simply say that, feeling confident that wliile the counties of Putnam and Westchester undoul>te<lly surpass the Ousatonic Valley as m agricultural country, yet they feel confident it is numufactories that must give busi- ness to a railway and profit to the stockholders, and so, without comparing this route with the one farther west, they invite capitalists to examine for them- selves. " The committee were very much in earnest, even to the extent of using italic. 'Should the capitalists of the cities of Albany and New York prefer the western route,' say the committee, 'we appeal to the peopleof the Ousatonic Valley to come forward in all their strength, and, relying upon their own resources, to construct it road to tide-water.' " The people of the valley eventually came forward in all their strength and constnicted a road to tide- water, but not as the committee expected, and cer- tainly not a.s they de-sired. "Messrs. Hoyt and Seeley attended a big railroad meeting in Albany just previous to the Kent meeting. They went there to present the Ousatonic Valley route, and to learn what could be learned of the con- dition of the railroad pulse. Hi Barnes drove them there in a carriage. While in Albany a heavy snow- storm fell, and made it impossible for them to get back as they went. 5Ir. Barnes was equal to the- emergency, however, and very soon succeeded in trail- ing oft" his carriage for a sleigh, hy which the return- trip was made. At any gathering of railway sympa- thizers which presented an opportunity to ventilate their favorite scheme these two men might be founil "While these movements were being made, Bridgi port, which was not thought of by any one as a rail- road point, began to realize that there was danger ol losing something. The something in question was all the business of the Housatonie Valley. " When Bridgeport got on high ground where it could look ofl' some other direction than seaward, it saw that by way of Danbury and Norwalk was so much more direct for a line to New York than liy way of itself that should the road be built then- would never be the ghost of a chance for it to get thi' business of the upper Housatonie Valley. It wouM all go the shorter route. " Danbury as yet had no road to tide-water. If Bridgeport could Imild a road from New Milford to itself, then it would stand a very good chance to taki- the business of tin- Housatcmic Valley should a road be put through it. Alfred M. Bishop, father of Wil- liam D. Bishop, was considerably interested in the ])roposed road, ami eanu' to Danbury to talk over the matter with our jieople. He oflered to carry through the Fairfiehl C'ounty railway if DaTd>ury would raise one hundred thousand dollars for that purpose. There were those in favor of doing it, of course; but there were so many more op])ased to it that the scheme fell through. He next tried Bridgeport, and that city, being a trifle more awake than we, or a trifle less honest,* we are not sure which, pledged two hundred • When Uie IJino ciimo for l!ii» niuiifj- to \te pniit Bridgeport (H>iiglit to rcpiuliftto, niitl tin* Inw wan rnl]i<<) in to foR-t- it to kt-rp its wonl. wliii h iip|>«anMl to l>o (Mjimlly n* giKRi iis ilv iHind. DANBriiY. 209 tlKJlisniiil ilcilUirs tor :i road IVdiu tlicif to New Mil- tnrd. "This ]iniftic:illy killccl tin- Daiilpiirv rnutL' I'rum New York to All)any. In 1S40 tlic railway tVuni Bridgeport to New Miltord was enmjdcted and opened tor use. Two ycar> later it was exti'iided to tlie State line, and lieeaiiie the winter-route t'rnni .Mhuny to New Ycjrk. rin the steamer ' Xinirod,' C'a])t. Brooks, to Bridgejioi't. ami as sueh was oeeu- liied for a number ot' years. It was ten years later before the Dauliury and X(jrwalk road took fcjrm. "The reader remembers, jierluqxs, that there were two objeetive points at tiile-waler, — one at AVestport and the other below South Noi-walk. This end of the line was rampant for the road, but there was not so much interest taken below. Jt was desirable to get one hundred thousand dollars from the other end, and our railway eonimittee made several journeys with that objeet in view. W'estjiort wanted the road, but its anxiety was not a liundred thousand dollar,^' worth. Xorwalk felt lln' same. Year after year pa.ssed away in this state of affairs, and then Xorwalk peoide awoke up to tlu' lull iniportanee of the line, and the money was suliserilu'd. "Work on the road was b(;:un in the fall of ],s.')(). Beard, C'hureh & Co, were the contractors. Deacon John F. Bearil being the senior of tin' tinn. The total cost of constrnctiug ami ec|ui]ipinir the road was three hundred and seventy thousand ei,nht hundred and twenty-one dollars. The ecpiipment consisted of three locomotives, four fii'st-class and two second- class pa.ssenger-cars, eight box-, sixteen plattbrm-, and three hand-cars. ( )n tlie 1st of JIarch the road was so far completed as to lun tiains. The station in Danbury was a subject (d' considerable discussion. The down-town subseriljers wanted it in that neigh- borhood, while the up-town subsi-riliers wanted it where it now is. As the hitter's stock was nim-h more than the former's, they carrieil the day : where- upon the dis.satisfaction was so great among the dis- apjjointed that the successful ones took tlieir stock otf their hands. "We of this day, enjoying tlu' coni|jlcted line, little realize what the tbunders endured and had to contend against to get the road through. There was trouble in securing tln' right of way, in the construc- tion, and in the payment of the subserijitions. ( >ne notable ca.se in the last-named class is worthy of mention. Down at Beldeu's Xeck lived a Xew Y(irk nu'rchant, and in Xorwalk village lived another. The former we will call W,, ami the latter 8. 8. subscribed five thou.sand dollars. W. was then seen, and was told what S. had done. He said S. could take twenty thousand dollars' worth of stock just as well as not, and, if he did so, he, W., would guarantee him six per cent, from the earnings of the road, pro- viding S. would let him vote on his stock. W. then took five thousantl dollars' worth. S, was seen, and tohl what W. had .said. Lpon that he made his sub- scription twenty thousand doU.us. When the money was called tor the eager W. refused to jiay, ami suit was brought by the company to forie him to k. ei) his word. W. claimed that the din'ctors had violated the terms id' agreement in several ]iarticulars, and l>elic\iil he could annul the snbseri]ition ; but he failed, and the comjiany rccovcreil. " The following were the otlic'crs of the new road, as rec(jrded in the first printed report of the comjiany : " Directors, Eli T, Hoyt, Jonathan Camp, Frc(l- crick S. ■\Vildman, Charles l.saacs, E. S. Tweedy, W'm, ('. Street, L. F. Hoyt, Wm. K. James, AVm. .\. White, Ebenezer Hill, Frederick lielden, D. P. Xiell..ls. " President. E. T. Floyt ; Tr.'asnrer, (Jeo. W. Ives;, Serretai'v, E, S, Tweedy; Snperintemlent, Harvey Snuth. " Tiu' president, treasurer, and secretary were <d' Danbury; the superintendent was of I'idgefield. " Mr. Hoyt served as president ipf the comiiauy until Aug, I'.'i, LS(i4, when he was su|icr.seded. He determined his salary, fixing it at two hundred and fifty dollars a year, and refusing any increase. Edwin Lockwood, (d' X'orwalk. was chosen president, and served until .Tunc l-'^, 1^7:1, when U. P, Flower, the pn >ent im innbeut, was elccti'd. ■■ .Mr. Tweeily continued as secretary uidil Aug. ii, lS(i4, when Harvey Williams was elected to the otHce. Mr. Ives served as treasurer until that ]ieriod when the two offices were merged in one, Mr. Williams being both secretary and treasurer, and continues as suidi at this writing. " ^Ir. Smith served as supcriidcmlent until ]>ros- trated by a paralytic stndvc in l.S.")!(. .John W. Bacon was appointed in his place July 14, ls."ill, and served until Jan. 1, 1X7C>, wdicn L. W. Sandiforth, the present incumbent, was chosen. " Wlu'U the road was opened the rails for some dis- tance this side of Redding were laid on the ground, the earth being frozen .so hard as to bear the weight id' the train. This was done because the iiim|dction had been delayed for a considerable time beyond that set for its finish, and people were anxious to see a train go through. "The first conductor was Henry Panks, who died sonu' years ago. He was a nmn of nuirked suavity of manner and .speech. Many anecdotes are told of him illustrating this jjlea.sant quality. ( )n leaving Xor- walk he would observe, 'Those who are about to pro- ceed on the train will ])lease take their seats.' X"ow- a-days it's ' All 'board 1'