Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1879 — Opposilion to Early Railroads. [ARTICLE]

Opposilion to Early Railroads.

When tlio Central Railroad was in its infancy, the company experienced great trouble with certain laudowners, whose property had been taken by appraisal, at or near Tribe’s Hill. It was with great difficulty that trains could pass, although a vigilant watch was kept up. Men were stationod with a hand-car just east of the curve leading into Tribe’s Hill from the east, and, when they heard the evening train coming west, they would put on the hand-car just as near ahead of the train as they dared, and run ahead of the train into the station; but between the hand-car and the train the track would be literally strewn with stones, rails, and all manner of obstructions, which were thrown down from the heights above, so that the train would have to stop to clear the track (each train carried men for that purpose), and then proceed at a snail’s pace into the station, i'hen again the tracks would be piled with huge heaps of straw, and the engineer would stop and find nothing but straw. It was usually thought that the straw business was only a scare, but about the first time he attempted to run through without stopping he found a huge bowlder in the center. Thus matters went on from bad to worse; an attempt was made to burn one of the company’s bridges near this village. This was so highly criminal, and it was made so hot for some persons, that hostilities ceased. Upon one occasion, George Cox, who, with his brothers, Tom and Maxwell, were well known up and down the valley as locomotive engineers, was watching the track near Tribe’s Hill with a shot gun, with instructions to shoot the first man he saw placing any obstructions on the track. It was quite dark, and at a short distance from him he saw two men carry something large and heavy and place it on the track. His first impulse was to shoot, and he hauled up, but he hated to take human life, and thought he would steal upon them and see who they were. He did so, and found that they were two travelers who had come from the canal with their chest to take the train, and, being tired, had set it down to rest.. —Amsterdam (N. Y.J Democrat.