September 11, 1874: "Home News": At Port Jervis, NY on a single evening not long since, there were assembled not less than 1,615 cars and 101 locomotives belonging to the Erie railway.

January 14, 1876:
(as written from the Port Jervis Gazette)

February 11, 1876: "Home and Vicinity": The Erie Railway are having fifty new coaches built, of an improved style, in anticipation of the immense traffic of the Centennial year.

July 21, 1876: "Home and Vicinity": On Monday morning an extra to No. 3 on the Erie passed through this place with 180 U.S. Soldiers on their way to the seat of the Indian War. They were from the 3rd Artillery, Fort Hamilton, N.Y.

November 10, 1876: Thirty miles per hour is the speed to which Erie engineers have been limited to run their trains.

January 5, 1877: "Home and Vicinity": The snow makes work on the railroad. Erie track foreman Kane has had an extra force of men busy during the week shoveling the tracks and "flanging" the snow out from the sides of the rails.

The Delaware Division of the Erie has been blockaded by the late snowstorms and ice to a greater extent, it is said, that ever known in the history of the road. During Tuesday and Wednesday about 100 men were engaged in shoveling snow and ice from the track between this place and the eastern end of the division. Among this number between 40 and 50 were extra men. Tuesday Engineer Ware arrived here with 40 men and put them at work between here and Stockport. The "flanging" of the track on the division was about completed on Wednesday and most of the extra men were dismissed. Trouble, however, may be yet expected, as whenever a thaw comes water will run and freeze on the rails and thus cause a serious impediment to the moving of trains.

November 16, 1877: The Erie company have given orders for the number of every locomotive, day and night, to be telegraphed to Jersey City the minute it passes the various depots, so that the precise location of every train on the road will be known and at all times. Railroading is getting to be one of the exact sciences.

October 9, 1879: Equinunk, Oct. 8: The new tank which the N.Y., L.E. & W. Railroad have just erected at Lordville is quite an improvement to the place, as well as a great convenience.

July 29, 1880: Railroad Notes: The first passenger car on the Erie, lit with gas, went east on the fast train No. 8 on Monday. There are four large burners on a side, with two large reservoirs under the car for the gas. The gentleman in charge reported the working of the new light a grand success. It will probably be placed on all the Erie passenger cars in time.

October 14, 1880: Railroad Notes: General Grant passed through Hancock on Erie train, 8 o'clock Saturday evening. The train was two hours late and only stopped a short time. The few who could shook hands with the General.

November 25, 1880: Railroad Notes: The Erie Company pays $30 for cows killed by it.

April 7, 1881: It is promised that the Erie trackmen and laborers, whose wages were advanced recently, will be further increased to $1.20 per day.

May 26, 1881: The watchmen along the Delaware division of the Erie railroad, receiving $1.00 a day, have been given a ten-cent increase per day. They work from six in the morning until six at night.

June 1, 1882: The Erie railroad was chartered in 1832, and opened from Piermont on the Hudson River, to Goshen in 1841; extended to Binghamton in 1848; to Elmira in 1849; to Corning in 1850; and to Dunkirk in 1851.

June 15, 1882: Hereafter all the passenger trains on the Erie road are to burn hard coal. As fast as the change can be made, the locomotives will all be changed to hard coal burners.

December 21, 1882: It is announced that about the first of next month the Erie will commence tearing up the third rail, thus doing away with all broad guage rolling stock.

July 10, 1884: The Erie Company has paid its road tax to the highway commissioners. The amount was $1,028.50.

November 26, 1885: An engine and caboose left Hancock yesterday morning soon after 6 o'clock to get some men from Lordville, and just before reaching that place it ran into the rear end of a freight train. Several men were somewhat bruised, and the caboose and one car were burned and the engine somewhat damaged.

June 17, 1886: The Erie some times posts notices on a number of its bridges prohibiting pedestrians from crossing. Many people, however, pay no attention to these notices, and it has been decided to adopt other means to keep them off the bridges. The ends of the ties are to be cut off close to the rails so that those who use the bridge will have to walk between the tracks, and if a train comes along will have to choose between being run over or jumping into the water.

July 15, 1886: Fast Newspaper Train
Beginning Sunday, a fast newspaper train will be run over the Erie railway, leaving Jersey City at 2:45 a.m. and reaching Hancock at 6:32, Susquehanna at 7:17, and Elmira at 9:15. This train has been chartered by a combination of New York Sunday papers . . . The idea being to supply the people living along the Erie and its branches with papers, at an early hour, and also to extend their field to points in the western part of the state. This newspaper train consists of an engine and two cars and is the fastest on the road, its running time on the rails being fifty miles per hour. The train will make, we understand, but four stops between Jersey City and Elmira, bundles of papers being thrown off at every station where they are ordered. (Note: Discontinued in November, 1886)

August 5, 1886: The Erie has ordered twenty new hard coal burning engines for use on its passenger trains. The engines are to be equipped with all the latest improvements, are to possess great power, and are to be built with special reference to speed, from 65 to 70 miles per hour being expected of them.

September 2, 1886: The Erie has sent out a circular to parties who may desire to erect hotels or private houses along its line, offering special inducements in the way of freight &c. A copy of the circular will be sent to all who apply.

October 21, 1886: To persons wishing to attend the dedication of the Bartholdi Statue of Liberty October 28, 1886, the N.Y.L.E. & W. R.R. Co. will sell excursion tickets from Hancock to New York and return, at $4.

January 26, 1888: Alva I. Lord of Lordville, in 1856 deposited with the Erie $5 for his station and car key, the price being imposed to make the agents careful not to lose the keys. On December 14, 1887 Mr. Lord returned his key, as the custom of locking cars with the key had been discontinued. He received $20.49 as principal and interest on his $5 deposit.

May 31, 1888: Notice to Farmers Along the Railroad
Many farmers along the line of the Erie have received notice from the company that in future they must maintain the fences along the track. It seems that when the company secured the right of way for the road, many farmers agreed to maintain the fences but have failed to do so. The company now proposes that they shall do as agreed or be responsible for damages. It is quite a serious matter for the farmers interested.

July 19, 1888: "Roar of the Rails": The Erie has now completed stone ballasting of its road for a distance of 200 miles from New York. The ballast is 18 inches in depth, and gives a pleasant elasticity to the road bed as trains fly over it. New, 74 pounds to the yard, steel rails are being substituted as the continued improvements are being carried on.

August 16, 1888: "Sullivan County": Extra to train 4, on Saturday morning, did some pretty fast running between Lordville and Callicoon. The distance between the two places is about 19 miles, and yet the Extra made the run in 19 minutes. This is remarkable speed considering that the road is full of sharp curves. If the road bed was not in excellent shape, this speed could not be attained.

October 4, 1888: "Down Around Stockport": Daniel LaBarre has returned from his trip to Missouri, bringing with him car loads of horses and sheep. He reports the crops in the states through which he passed as being very good.

April 25, 1889: Only When the Railroads Bid
The price of real estate in Hancock has advanced 100 per cent the last few days. The cause -- competition between the Erie and the N.Y. O & W Railway Companies for the right of way. (Orange County Press)

May 23, 1889: Long Eddy, May 20: The railroad company expects to take the switch out at the Basket dock. H.W. McCoon will not sell the dock to them.

May 30, 1889: Long Eddy, May 27: There are more stone men in town this week than there has ever been before at one time. The Basket stone dock has been opened again. The railroad company on account of some trouble with the owner of the dock refused to give them any cars. The trouble has been settled and the switch has been filled with cars.

June 13, 1889: "Near-By Notes": In 1888 the stone business done along the Delaware division of the Erie railway amounted to a million dollars, gross. Of this the Erie got about $200,000 for freight.

September 26, 1889: A "Herald" reporter in interviews with Messrs. Randall & Underwood and J.W. Kirkpatrick of this village get it as their opinion that no less than 2,500 cars of bluestone will be quarried and shipped from the town of Hancock for the year of 1889. Of this amount about 2,000 cars will go from Hancock village and Lordville. Figured at $80 a car, the result is the round sum of $200,000. This is a very handsome showing, when we consider that about 60% of the above amount goes to the producers -- the real laborers of the town.

December 26, 1889: Brakemen on the Erie are now required to pay $1 each for the lanterns used by them in the company's service. There are exceptions to this rule. Delaware division brakemen are excepted. We can't speak for the rest of the road.

February 19, 1891:

March 2, 1893: Long Eddy: No. 1 had to run on the eastbound track from here to Lordville owing to a snowslide at Bouchoux Mountain thirty feet deep on the westbound track Wednesday.

April 20, 1893: "Around Callicoon": Callicoon station handles, that is loads and unloads, more cars than any other point on the Delaware division, according to its switching capacity.

May 4, 1893: Long Eddy: The clearance car from the Pennsylvania railroad, the mission of which was to inspect the road, went by here on Train 27. It was a flat car surmounted by an arch, and on top of the arch wooden pegs. Any projection too close to the track would knock off the pegs. There was a place in the ledge between the Basket and the Eddy that they struck.

May 11, 1893: Long Eddy: The heavy rain of Wednesday night brought down a slide of dirt and stone on the westbound track in the morning, blocking it until noon. Train 17 and the Milk were detained. The slide was at Bouchoux Mountain.

June 15, 1893: "Town Topics": The Erie's new train No. 9 offers the general traveling public increased facilities for getting about promptly. No. 1 is a fast train now, running through Hancock without stopping. No. 9, the new train, leaves Hancock before 2 o'clock bringing the mail. This is an improvement. Mr. Seely, the division passenger agent, will have a very convenient train service as soon as the way freight again carries passengers.

July 6, 1893: "Around Callicoon": Callicoon presents a scene of activity more than usually seen, due to the daily arrival of city people. Train 33, which runs to Callicoon only on Saturday evening, had five coaches to accommodate the large number of passengers.

July 20, 1893:

August 17, 1893: 20 Tower Operators Laid Off on Delaware Division
Narrowsburg, Aug. 11: Word was received by the Erie carpenters here this morning to close and board up ten towers on the Delaware division. This will lay off 20 operators. The towers which have been closed up are as follows: Shohola, Westcolang, Narrowsburg, west of Narrowsburg, between Cochecton and Callicoon, Rock Run and Hancock, Hankins and Basket, west of Lordville, west of Stockport, west of Hales Eddy. This involves the discharge of two operators at each tower, each receiving $45 a month. The savings to the company will therefore be $900 a month. ( Port Jervis Union)

November 23, 1893: "Town Topics": The Erie is introducing a new feature in the strengthening of tracks around curves. Car-loads of large braces are being distributed along the line which will be placed along every curve. These braces are so constructed as to hold the tracks in a vice-like embrace and the tracks will, when thus reinforced, withstand tremendous pressure. These braces will obviate the danger of spreading rails.

December 28, 1893: Three tank cars, loaded with crude oil, were wrecked on the Erie near Lordville Monday night. The oil was scattered in all directions, but fortunately was not ignited.

March 22, 1894: Equinunk: Well, a gala day struck our town and vicinity. It was the result of the big railroad wreck that occurred near Stockport. Flour and oats were ready for the eager harvester. Flour never was so cheap, from $1 and $2 per barrel, oats from nothing up to 20 cents per bushel. Many a farmer has supplied himself with choice seed oats. "It is an ill wind that blows nobody good". Not only was it a "God send", but horses that have not "smiled snole" since the administration changed, actually have been heard to laugh. In fact the merchants and millers are the only disconsolate class. But let us find comfort, for "whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth".

Stockport Station, March 19: We will not soon forget our first impression of the wreck on Wednesday morning. The rock, much larger than we supposed, was still covered with lichens and ferns; buried, no one knows how many feet in the railroad bank, lifting the westbound track about three feet, the eastbound track not so high. There was no indication that the rock had rolled at all. In its pitch from a small ledge it struck the wires of the Western Union, breaking all but two. While the cars which were piled promiscuously about, broke all but two of the Erie wires and several poles. We soon came to the engine, about 350 feet east of the rock, the pony truck still on the rails, while the 34 cars following were derailed, most of them being down the river bank. Barrels of Pillsbury's best flour could be seen here and floating down the river, while the surface of the water in many places was covered with oats. On Saturday, injured flour sold for $1 and $2 per barrel. Oats (dry) at 20 cents per bushel. Many say they are as nice as they ever saw. Today (Monday) there were several barrels of flour dug from the ashes of the burned cars, and many bushels of oats were taken from the river.

November 7, 1895: Erie Depot Burned
The Erie depot and freight house at Callicoon, including their contents, were destroyed by fire Tuesday night. The fire was discovered by Track Supervisor Ed Barrett's office about 11 p.m., but it had gained such headway that it was soon beyond control. It started from the stove. But for the large number that happened to be on the stone waiting to hear election returns, the other buildings in the vicinity would have shared a like fate. The Erie business is now being conducted in a freight car.

June 22, 1897: Winwood: The railroad officials have changed the name of the station from Como to Winwood, to correspond with the post office address. The morning train will make its first trip for the season June 28th.

April 28, 1898: Erie Employees May Enlist
A circular letter from the general office of the Erie states that if any employee of the Erie wishes to enlist in the army and navy, they may do so and will be granted a leave of absence and so will not lose their rights with the company. At the close of their enlistment for the war, if they are physically able and can present a certificate of honorable discharge, they will be returned to their former positions.

July 7, 1898: "Town Topics": The first New York Volunteer Regiment, which is made up of Separate Companies from this part of the state, will pass through Hancock this evening, on its way to San Francisco, from which place it will be shipped to the Philippines. It is announced that the regiment will leave New York at 2:15 p.m. on the Erie, and it should go through here in the neighborhood of 7 o'clock.

The special train on the Erie bearing Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Republican candidate for Governor, arrived in Hancock Monday afternoon shortly after 1 o'clock, and the Colonel and party were given an enthusiastic reception, two cannon in the rear of the depot also booming out a welcome. As the train came to a stop, about 1,000 people crowded around the rear of the end of the car. William A. Hall, ex-president of the village of Hancock, mounted the steps of the car and introduced Mr. Roosevelt as he appeared in the door. The Colonel of the "Rough Riders" was greeted with three cheers . . . .

March 23, 1899: Cadosia, March 21: A special train loaded with cannons passed through here Friday on their way to Manila.

January 18, 1900: Lordville, Jan. 16: The Erie Co. have placed a large street lamp near the corner of the depot, greatly improving appearances thereby.

May 31, 1900: Last week the Erie officials placed 10,000 wall-eyed pike fry in the Delaware at Lordville, and 10,000 each at Stockport, Hancock and Hale Eddy.

May 17, 1900: Lordville, May 15: P.H. Flaherty, Erie operator at this place for two years, has been transferred to a tower near Gulf Summit. This was done at Mr. Flaherty's request. We are sorry to have him leave Lordville as he was liked by all.

December 19, 1901: Lordville: For the benefit of any who may not know it, we will say it rained very hard Saturday night, causing the Delaware River to raise some 21 feet above low water mark, which is some 18 inches above any record for high water in this section since the Flood, and it would take a few millions to settle for the damage done.

Among damages listed were tracks and switches in both directions washed so as to be unable to run trains over them for 36 hours; all traffic on the Delaware Division of the Erie was suspended for thirty hours. The Delaware division had the largest landslide, the worst ones being at Bouchouxville, a short distance east of Lordville.

February 5, 1903: "Town Topics": There was an unprecedented rush of traffic on railroads Sunday. On the Erie, 101 trains were moved eastward. Many of these were double headed and carried between 75 and 85 cars each. All available motive power was utilized, express cars being used for cabooses.

February 12, 1903:

February 26, 1903:

October 15, 1903: Equinunk and Lordville sustained heavy flooding when the Delaware River rose to 30 feet above low water mark, five feet higher than known before. Among the many losses were the suspension bridge, built in 1869, which was swept away; the Erie tracks at Lordville were submerged to a depth of three feet; at Bouchoux's, two miles east of Lordville, the eastbound track was washed out for a distance of 700 feet, to a depth of some 6 to 8 feet.

Train 2, eastbound, was stalled at Lordville until Saturday afternoon. Ex-President Grover Cleveland, it is said, was a passenger on the train, returning from a funeral of ex Post Master General Bissell at Buffalo.

November 19, 1903: "Town Topics": Last Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., 900 loaded freight cars passed over the Delaware Division of the Erie, more than has been in many years before in the same length of time.

March 10, 1904: "Town Topics": Monday morning at Lordville, an eastbound train backed into a siding to let No. 30, the morning passenger train, pass. Before the train could be stopped the caboose and two cars were pushed off the end of the siding and rolled down the bank into the Delaware River. The Susquehanna wreckers were called.

September 1, 1904:

September 8, 1904: "Town Topics": The Erie's Labor Day excursion to Binghamton and Elmira Monday was largely patronized. When the train of seven cars left Hancock it contained 750 passengers, 72 of which boarded the train at this station. They were packed in like sardines in a box, and when the train reached Deposit they were still further compressed to make room for 100 more excursionists. However, the congested condition was relieved at Susquehanna where more coaches were added. The seating capacity of a passenger car is 60.

September 22, 1904: "Town Topics": The Erie has prepared its hospital cars for service and will soon distribute them to the various division points. The cars are supplied with all the up-to-date surgical appliances and are fitted with suitable beds and operating room. One of the cars will be stationed at Port Jervis, and one at Susquehanna.

September 29, 1904: Lordville: The Erie is raising the east track from this place to Bouchouxville.

February 23, 1905: "Town Topics": On account of an avalanche of snow and ice which covered the westbound track of the Erie at Bouchouxville, Monday No. 1 ran as far as Hancock on the eastbound track.

August 17, 1905:

October 26, 1905: "Town Topics": The Erie Railroad Company has designated Friday, November 10th, as the day on which a monument will be unveiled at Deposit to commemorate the spot and the date where ground was first broke for the building of the road in 1835. The new depot at Hancock is not quite completed although a large force of men have been hustling things lately. In consequence, the date of its dedication cannot be positively announced in this issue of the "Herald".

November 2, 1905: "Purely Personal": We acknowledge the receipt of an invitation from the Board of Trade of Deposit to attend the dedication exercises of the monument erected in that village by the Erie officials to commemorate the beginning of the construction of the railroad seventy years ago. The ceremony will be held Friday, November 10th at 2:30 p.m., and a special train leaving Jersey City at 9:20 a.m. will be run to Deposit. All invited guests will be furnished free transportation.

April 9, 1908: "Town Topics": The Erie recently issued an order putting a tax of $1 on all canoes carried any distance at all, and it has occasioned much indignation among the patrons of the road who like to ride to head waters on the Erie and come down the many streams. It is a decided change from an old ruling by which canoes were to be carried free at the convenience of the company, when accompanied by their owners, and when a release had been signed.

The canoes were to be slung from the roof of the baggage car and the owners were to look after them. This rule was passed for the convenience of an occasional traveler who had a canoe.

For the past 3 or 4 seasons, however, canoeing has been popular on the Delaware River, and canoeists from New York and eastern points have placed their boats in the baggage cars of fast trains and have had them transported free of charge for a distance of about 150 miles, leaving the railroad at Hancock or nearby stations and floating down the Delaware. It was to secure revenue from these canoeists that the charge of $1 is made.

August 17, 1911: Effective August 1st, the Erie Railroad which has heretofore carried bicycles free as baggage, charges 25 cents to any place outside of New York State, or passing through other states into New York State.

May 16, 1912:

December 26, 1912:

April 24, 1913: "Town Topics": Yesterday forenoon at 10 o'clock the new automatic electric signals on the Erie were placed in operation between Susquehanna and Lordville. They were already in operation between Port Jervis and Callicoon, and men were engaged in completing the connecting link between Callicoon and Lordville.

August 7, 1913: "Town Topics": An effort is being made to have the words, "Hancock, N.Y." appear near the Erie depot as many times as possible. The idea is to have passengers recognize the village. They appear on Hornbeck's excelsior mill, and will appear on O'Rourke's scale house and Criddle's mill as soon as Leo Weinberger can finish them.

April 9, 1913: Erie Retrenchment Hits Hard
The retrenchment policy decided upon by the Erie railroad is being felt. Orders were received at Susquehanna last Saturday to the effect that each clerk will work but three weeks in a month in the future.

The section hands have been cut to twelve and one-half cents per hour and will work but eight hours a day, while several switch engines have been taken off. Several hundred employees suffer because of the new policy. Raymond Peck, helper at the Hancock depot, was laid off Tuesday.

July 15, 1915: Conductor Lord Promoted
Erie Conductor Charles Lord, who has had charge of the Honesdale branch passenger train, has been promoted to the position of Conductor on trains 7 and 8 on the main line. His run is from Jersey City to Hornell, and he commenced his duties yesterday. He began running as a brakeman on the Jefferson branch in 1870. He changed from the main line to the branch 8 years go as a matter of choice.

Charles Lord, on the Honesdale branch, has been a conductor since 1883.

June 22, 1916: Lordville news: The Erie Co. are building a new concrete culvert under the railroad here which will be quite an improvement when finished.

June 29, 1916: Answering the Call
Although war has not been officially declared by President Wilson against Mexico, a state of war practically exists. Throughout the country during the past ten days, in answer to the call for militia for border patrol duty, all has been hustle in the various armories preparatory to leaving for concentration camps.

Saturday night the Ambulance Corps of Binghamton passed through Hancock on the Erie enroute to Camp Whitman . . . .

Tuesday and yesterday 12,000 of the New York and other eastern states' militia were ordered to Texas. Several train loads of the troops passed through Hancock via the Erie and O & W Railroads.

August 24, 1916: "Additional Locals": Two carloads of soldiers went through Hancock last evening on Erie train 3, bound for Arizona.

November 16, 1916: Equinunk: Michael Cuddihe, who has had the railroad's Lordville section in charge the past year, has been promoted and is now at Susquehanna filling his new position.

April 5, 1917: Lordville: A contingent of the 71st N.Y. Regiment passed through here eastbound Monday for distribution somewhere along the line of the Erie Railroad.

April 24, 1917: Agricultural Mobilization

June 28, 1917: Erie's Bad Wreck in Hancock
Fourteen loaded cars in fast freight derailed and smashed . . . carload of lard, eggs and auto trucks for France part of Big Omelette . . . tracks broken for 7 hours . . . no one injured.

August 23, 1917: Horses for the War Zone
Several train loads of western horses have gone yesterday over the Erie railroad the past few days, bound, no doubt, for European ports. One day recently 28 carloads were fed and watered in Deposit.

November 15, 1917: "Town Topics": Monday morning two train loads of soldiers from the State of Washington passed through Hancock via the Erie, enroute to France.

November 15, 1917: Erie Railroad Co. First in Field
The Erie Railroad is first in the field again, this time with the first national army hospital car, which has been designed and standardized by the Erie Mechanical Department . . . . The car is now in New Jersey where it is being held in readiness for Uncle Sam's soldiers . . . The main portion of the car contains seven two-story cots on each side and has, therefore, capacity of 28 patients. It has regular hospital equipment and provision is made for doctors and nurses.

December 6, 1917: Troop movement figures to date indicate that the railroads of this country have safely transported approximately 1,500,000 soldiers to training camps and embarkation points since August 1st. 500,000 of these men have made journeys necessitating overnight travel, and have been moved in tourist or standard sleepers furnished by the Pullman Company . . .

As a result of this cooperation between the Government, the railroads, and the Pullman Company, half a million soldiers have been spared the discomforts of making long train trips in day coaches.

To assure the safety of the men in transit, the railroads have adopted an average speed of 25 miles an hour for all troop trains except when freight cars, needed for the transportation of equipment, are included in the trains. The speed is then reduced to 20 miles an hour.

April 4, 1918: "Additional Locals": On Thursday last, one of the mail pouches thrown from the Erie passenger train No. 4 at Lordville went under the wheels, and with its contents was ground to pieces. The "Hancock Herald", for subscribers at Lordville and Equinunk, also Fish's Eddy put in by mistake, shared the fate of the other mail carried.

May 23, 1918: Among the many special trains, mostly bearing troops, that passed through Hancock on Sunday was one carrying 129 Italian soldiers enroute from the Pacific coast who were made prisoners by the Austrians in their drive into Italy last winter. They escaped through Siberia to the Pacific coast, where they were picked up by a Japanese man-of-war and landed at one of our Pacific ports. They were on their way back to Italy to resume the fight against Austria.

August 1, 1918: "Town Topics": Quite a number of troop trains have been rushed to eastern embarkation points, via the Erie and O & W Railroads this week. One train of eighteen coaches, Tuesday evening on the Erie, contained troops from Texas.

October 3, 1918:

January 9, 1919: "Town Topics": Erie section foreman, John Stephens and his crew of six men miraculously escaped death on Saturday last. There was a wreck near Lordville, and he and men were proceeding to that point to render assistance when overtaken a short distance east of Hancock, on a sharp curve, by the Milk train. They escaped injury by jumping, but their hand car was wrecked by the engine.

January 23, 1919: "Town Topics": Four trains loaded with returning soldiers passed west through Hancock on the Erie railroad Sunday.

August 18, 1921: "Local and Personal": In a freight wreck on the Erie at Kilgour Switch, west of Lordville last Thursday afternoon, 4,000 chickens were injured or killed.

December 1, 1921: Erie Mail Trains are Heavily Armed
The Erie mail trains now carry a number of heavily armed guards to ride in the cars. These men, all members of the U.S. Marines, have been assigned to this work by Postmaster General Hays. Their orders are "shoot to kill any person or persons who attempt to molest the mails or interfere with a mail train".

The guards work in pairs and are consistently on the watch for robbers. Hubert Merchant and Wickham Fox left Deposit last week for Binghamton, from which point they will be sent out by the government to guard U.S. mail coaches on railroad trains against bandits.

June 8, 1922: Devastation by Floods Greatest in History
Cloudburst sweeps away houses, bridges, highways and railroads in Delaware, Sullivan and Wayne Counties Saturday afternoon; Village of Long Eddy suffers heavy losses; Erie tracks covered near Lordville; traffic delayed until noon Monday, one laborer killed in Erie repair work.

Some sections of the double track between Lordville and Long Eddy, particularly at Bouchouxville, were buried under tons of earth and gravel. In other places the roadbed was completely washed away . . . . The Erie had 100 men working at Long Eddy and 300 at Lordville to repair tracks temporarily. No trains ran from 2 p.m. Saturday till about noon Monday.

October 18, 1928:

March 7, 1929: "Interesting Events Around Hancock": A warning is issued to residents of Hancock and vicinity of the increasing number of hobos seen to alight here from Erie freight trains. Owing to construction of a new bridge at this place, all trains are obliged to reduce speed. This offers an excellent opportunity for this type of tourist to look over the town. As a precautionary measure it might be well to see that windows and doors are well latched.

January 2, 1930: Lordville, Dec. 30: Track foreman J.E. Fisher was awarded the Erie section prize of $100. It is one of several prizes given each year to the foreman having the best section on each division.

January 16, 1930: "Interesting Events Around Hancock": During the past weekend there were at Hancock, parked in an Erie switch near the depot, when not on the road, two gas cars. On the side of one was printed "Detector Car, Sperry Rail Service". Inquiry revealed the fact that this particular car was equipped with apparatus to detect defects in the rails, an innovation in that line of work. The instruments locate the defects as the wheels pass over the rails. Two defective rails were located in the vicinity of Lordville.

February 12, 1931:

November 19, 1931: On or about December 1st the Erie railroad management will temporarily take off eastbound train #30, and #27 westbound. Due to the depression, the company is now running these trains at a loss of $80 per day. In the spring, just as soon as industrial conditions improve, these trains will be restored again.

December 10, 1931: "Interesting Events Around Hancock": Friday an Erie train killed a doe deer at Kilgour Switch, just west of Lordville. Game Warden Bowen was notified and delivered the animal to E.A. Whitaker of Hancock, Welfare Agent of the town, who distributed the meat to needy families in the vicinity. This is the fourth deer killed by trains in the town of Hancock since the season closed November 15th.

April 28, 1932:

March 9, 1933: "Local and Personal": Sunday, March 5, 1933, saw the last passenger train operated by the Erie railroad over the famous "Jefferson Division" from Susquehanna to Carbondale, via Brandt, Stevens Point, Starrucca, Thompson, Ararat, Herrick, Uniondale, and Forest City. Hereafter the people in these towns served by the Erie passenger trains will have to depend upon the bus service, with the exception of the D & H trains which will continue to run from Lanesboro to Carbondale.

April 13, 1933:

June 8, 1933: "Local and Personal": For years there was a station and agent at Stockport, on the Erie railroad. Later it was made a flag station. This month, when the summer schedule became effective, orders, we understand, were included eliminating Stockport as a stopping point.

December 6, 1934: Radios on Freight Trains
The Erie officials are considering the installation of radios on freight trains, to obviate hand waving, whistle blowing and shouting . . .

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