These articles describe plans for developing the extension of the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad from Wellsville to Buffalo in 1904.
(Transcribed from the Belmont Dispatch, April 15, 1904.)
B & S SPRING WORK
The Spring Work of Grading the Buffalo Extension Begun
The first carload of material for the Buffalo extension of the B & S to arrive in Belmont came Wednesday. E.P. Lupfer, division engineer, was in town on B & S business and arranged to have a gang of men come from Belfast to unload the car Thursday. The most of the material is pipe to be used in drainage [oil?].
In compliance with an understanding between Messrs. Goodyear and contractor Greco, that this year’s work on building the extension of the Buffalo and Susquehanna from Wellsville to Buffalo, was to begin soon after Easter, gangs of men have been gathered along the route and the work of grading the roadbed has commenced in earnest. Contractor Frank Greco is seconded and the work by his brother, [Tony?]. They now have three camps of workmen between here and Centerville; that at Belvidere shelters upwards of one hundred Italians and Roumanians.
J.D. [Chidd?], subcontractor, who is to work the road from Wellsville six miles northward, is now working forty men in the heavy cuts in Scio village and his force will be increased as necessity requires. The construction of 23 miles of the road from Buffalo this way has been sub-let by Contractor Greco. Grading all along the line is to be rushed as fast as the weather will permit.
The Grecos will soon open the store at Belvidere for the convenience of their employees which will be run in connection with their large New York stores. They have contracted a large bake oven at Belfast and aim to see that wants of their men are well supplied.
The frost is the principal instruction at present. The ground is frozen so deeply that work will be delayed for some weeks yet, but as soon as the longed for thaw comes the forces of man will be increased and the summer there will be hundreds of [———?] route.
Contractor Greco has distributed a carload of horses along the proposed line on the extension of the extension of the B. & S. to Buffalo, and team work is being done wherever the frost will permit. Six mammoth steam shovels have been purchased and will be placed [in] commission on the B and S construction. It is unofficially reported that cars will be running into Buffalo over the extension within a year.
(From the Belmont Dispatch, August 19, 1904. Transcribed by Suzette Pondillo.)
THE B&S SYSTEM
Review of Work and Plans of The Enterprising Goodyears
Still Another Extension of The Road From Elmira to DuBois, Pa., No Doubt But The Goodyears Will Make Their Road Prominent
A railroad, up to date in every way is to be constructed from Elmira to DuBois, PA. The Goodyears of Buffalo are back of this enormous project, and to state that they are the promoters is to say that so money will be spared to make the road one of the finest in the country as they are among the most wealthy coal and lumber men in the United States. It was in the forests of Potter County and vicinity that these men acquired their vast wealth.
The Buffalo & Susquehanna railroad was built by them a means as clearing away the vast tracks of lumber lands, owned by them in Potter and Tioga Counties in Pennsylvania. When the road was first built there was but one major track and this extended into the enormous forest in Potter County. As the timber was gradually cleared away other short roads were built into other forests and this was continued until the lumber was cleared away from every hill and finally nothing was left but the uninviting little road with its labyrinth of spurs and side tracks. The Goodyears say the conditions which they were forced to face were either the abandonment of the road entirely for it did not pay as a freight carrier, or the transposing of it into a first class passenger road. Negotiations for a tract of land on which to build shops, establish railroad yards build switches and construct road was a proof that they intended to make a move soon. Several miles of new road will be constructed in Pennsylvania and a new tunnel will be dug between Austin, PA, and Galeton, Pa., which will cost about [$1,000,000]. The road will be extended from Newfield Junction to Wellsville, Belmont, Olean, and finally Buffalo.