e railroad project and at the same time drew up a notice
of a meeting to be held in Oneonta for the purpose of enlisting the
interest of capitalists in the proposed road. These notices Messrs.
Cooke and Beach caused to be printed and distributed at their own
expense. This meeting resulted in the formation of the Albany &
Susquehanna railroad company. High hopes of its speedy completion were
then entertained. But could its projectors have forseen the
difficulties and obstacles that they had to overcome, and the length
of time that elapsed before the road was built to Oneonta, they would
have wearied of the project and abandoned the enterprise. The road was
completed to this place in 1865--a little more than fourteen years
after the organization of the company.

An improved appearance was at once given the village. New stores and
new dwellings were built. Old, weather-stained buildings were
brightened with paint, and the Dutch stoop with its half doors gave
place to more pretentious verandas.

Then about 1872 the machine shops were established here, and the
village began to increase rapidly, and new industries were developed.

In 1860, there was but one newspaper published in the village. That
was the HERALD, which had been established in 1853 by L.P.
Carpenter, and his brother, J.B. Carpenter--the former now of the
Morris Chronicle. L.P. continued the publication of the paper, as
editor and proprietor, for a long time, and at last succeeded in
gaining for his journal a firm foothold in the community. He labored
early and late at the work that was before him--editor, compositor and
pressman--often beset with discouragements, always feebly supported in
his efforts, but still hopeful and plucky. He could hardly, in 1860,
have dreamed that within twenty years, steam presses would be brought
into the same village to follow in the wake of the clumsy press whose
only motive power was his own strong arm. But few of our citizens can
now justly appreciate the obligation the community is under to Mr.
Carpenter for the large part of his life-work which he here so
unostentatiously performed.

In 1860 there was no bank here, and merchants were compelled to adopt
a round-about way of making exchanges with their creditors. Money was
sent miles away, by the stage-driver, or by special messenger, to a
bank where at a round premium a draft was bought. The stores of the
village had each a general assortment of merchandise, including sil