Pennsylvania, colonial and federal : a history, 1608-1903 . ed for support. This wasundoubtedly true, but the charter was granted and the work ofconstruction was carried forward with such vigor that in 1850portions of the line were completed and ready for operation. Theleading capitalists of Philadelphia and Pittsburg had subscribedliberally to the stock of the company and from the beginning theenterprise was well backed with ample funds and equally valuableinduence. Hardly had the original road been opened for trafficbefore the company began to extend its lines and enlarge the fieldof its ope
Pennsylvania, colonial and federal : a history, 1608-1903 . ed for support. This wasundoubtedly true, but the charter was granted and the work ofconstruction was carried forward with such vigor that in 1850portions of the line were completed and ready for operation. Theleading capitalists of Philadelphia and Pittsburg had subscribedliberally to the stock of the company and from the beginning theenterprise was well backed with ample funds and equally valuableinduence. Hardly had the original road been opened for trafficbefore the company began to extend its lines and enlarge the fieldof its operations. A detail of each of the subsequent acquisitionsis not necessarv (it would rec[uire a volume to fully narrate all ofthem) to this chapter. l)ut that which proved of the greatest benefitto the public, and to the comi)any itself, was the purchase of themain line of iniblic works, which vested ownership of that part ofthe combined State canal and railroad in the corporation, thus re-lieving the State of a burdensome property, and at the same time 316. William Morris Meredith Member State Legislature, 1824-1828; of theState Constitutional Convention, 1837; secre-tary United States Treasury, 1849-1850; Stateattorney-general, 1861-1867; president ^ Convention, 1873 State Internal Improvements placing it under the control of a corporation whose methods ofmanagement must result in great Ienefit to the people of the purchase was made in 1857. and from that year the Pennsyl-\ania Railroad company dates its most progressive histor}-. But the work of extension did not end with the ])urchase of thepul)lic works, although the latter cost $7,500,000. In 1861 thecompany leased for 999 years the Harrisburg, Portsinouth, MountJov and Lancaster road and brought it under the Pennsyhaniasmanagement. In all later years the work of extension and imi)rove-ment has been carried forward with commendable zeal until thepresent great system includes, in whole, or in pa
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