The New York and Erie Railroad
Soon after the Commissioners met in Monticello, four of them decided in favor of the Pennsylvania route, while three (Messrs. Whittiesey, Childs and Pierson) declared themselves for the interior route. This was a sore disappointment to the people of Sullivan, who declared that the decision of the majority had no moral weight, because one of them (Horatio Allen) had accepted an office at time hands of the company, and was in its pay as consulting engineer. A county-meeting was held on the 19th of September, at the Mansion House, kept by Stephen Hamilton, to consider the injustice done the people of the county by the majority of the commissioners. John P. Jones was chairman and C. V. R. Ludington, secretary. On motion of A. C. Niven, a committee was appointed to prepare and publish a notice in the State paper and other journals, setting forth the determination of the people to apply to the Legislature for relief. Daniel M. Angell, Platt Pelton and Edward Palen were named by the mover as such committee.
William B. Wright was soon after nominated by the whig and anti-rent parties for the Assembly, and his election was rendered more certain by the prominence he had acquired by big argument before the commissioners. His opponent was Jonathan Stratton, a gentleman without a tithe of Wright's talent, but who possessed better qualifications as a successful advocate in a body like the Assembly. Wright could make an admirable speech; but almost any agent of the company could vanquish him in the lobby.
Without waiting for further legislative action, the Directors put the Delaware section of their road under contract, and the work was in progress while the Legislature was in session. They also published a large edition of the report of a majority of the Commissioners, to which they added a map of their own, in which the alleged obstacles in Sullivan were greatly exaggerated, and set forth in such a manner as to be an outrage on truth and decency. This they scattered broadcast before the Legislature and the people.
At this stage of the controversy, the citizens of the river-towns, moved by as good motives, no doubt, as those of the interior, took a lively interest in the affairs of the company. A respectable meeting was held at Narrowsburgh, of which James C. Curtis was president; John Hankins and Samuel Hankins, vice-presidents; and John C. Drake and Chauncey Thomas, secretaries. This meeting emphatically approved the report of the Commissioners, and the conduct of the company.
The citizens of Bloomingburgh were induced to believe that they would be favored with a branch of tbe Erie road, and, although warned that they would be disappointed, took an active part against the interior route. When the struggle with the company ceased, their project died from inanition. This Bloomingburgh diversion was engineered by Ahpheus Dimmick, T. C. Van Wyck, C. H. Van Wyck, J. O. Dunning, V. E. Horton, C. Wood, E. M. Hunter and others.
On the other hand, a large and enthusiastic county-meeting was held in Monticello-John P. Jones, president; Platt Pelton, Edward Palen, Stephen Hamilton, Z. Hatch, Eli Fairchild and Arthur Palen, vice-,presidents; F. M. St. ,John, C. V. B.. Ludington and G. Wales, secretaries. A. C. Niven, chairman of the committee for that purpose, reported a series of resolutions which were adopted. Meetings were also held at Grahamsville, Neversink, White Lake, Liberty, Fahlsburgh, Wurtsborough, Thompsonville, Rockland, and Phillips Port, at all which the proceedings of the company and a majority of the Commissioners were denounced, and justice to the county demanded.
But the hopes inspired by what was considered the justice of their cause, and the able advocacy of William B. Wright, were of short duration. The Senate approved the Pennsylvania location by a vote of 17 to 1, while the interior route commanded but 24 votes in the Assembly. Thus terminated a contest of years carried on by the citizens of Sullivan against a powerful and unscrupulous company. Subsequent events have proved that the allegations of time latter were unfounded, and there is much on which to base the charge that the final location of the road was intended to subserve private speculations.