Sussex Rail Road Excursion--Agreeable
to previous arrangement, excursion trains were run over the Franklin
and Branchville extensions of the Sussex Railroad on Wednesday the
9th last. The occasion was the Annual Meeting of the Sussex County
Bible Society at the North Presbyterian Church at Hardyston. The day
was delightful, and naturally brought together a large number of gentlemen
and ladies from different sections of the county. Two passenger cars,
filled to their utmost capacity, left Newton depot at 8 1/2 o'clock
A. M. , and making a short stop at Branchville Junction at the Warbasse
farm, proceeded to the Big Spring crossing near Hardyston Church,
where the passengers disembarked. The "Fury" arrived also with three
car loads of passengers from Branchville, Lafayette and vicinity,
a short time after. After a day pleasantly spent in attending the
exercises in the Church, and in examination of the Railroad track,
the parties left for home arriving at their respective destinations
about 6 o'clock P. M.
The passengers expressed themselves
highly pleased with the excursion, and especially under obligations
for the courteous attention received at the hands of Messrs. Arvis
and Case, who had charge of the railroad trains. The route of the
road lies through beautiful farming country, which never looked more
lovely than at this season of year. Hon. Wm. E. Dodge, of New York,
one of the principal stockholders of the road, was also one of the
excursionists, who expressed himself highly pleased with the engineering
ability displayed by Mr. E. C. Noble, in locating the road, and the
thorough manner in which it had been built. The occasion was a gala
day for the farmers along the route, as was evinced by the waving
of handkerchiefs and other demonstrations of joy by men, women and
children, as the cars swept past their doors. The advent of the iron
horse into the interior of the county is a new era in the history
of old Sussex.
A considerable amount of work remains
to be done yet to complete the last half mile of railroad to the mines
at Franklin. This will probably occupy two months, when measures will
be immediately taken to extend the road to the State Line.