South Danvers Wizard, 1/13/1864, p. 3/1
AMUSEMENTS IN BOSTON under Entertainments. 

South Danvers Wizard, 1/20/1864, p. 2/1
TOWN MEETING under South Danvers, Massachusetts, People & Places S.

South Danvers Wizard, 1/20/1864, p. 2/5
“The Horse Railroad Co. had a new four-horse track-clearer on trial yesterday.  It is so constructed as to move a snow plow in front designed to cut off the snow and ice from the rails, while an iron plate following each hind wheel throws or shovels the fragments and loose snow off on one side.  It is ingeniously devised.”  Reprinted from the Observer.

Fig. 21.2.  Advertisement

Fig. 21.3.  Advertisement

South Danvers Wizard, 1/27/1864, p. 2/6
HORSE RAILROAD [For the Wizard] – “In times like these, when the fever is raging in regard to horse railroads, it becomes the people to look calmly and rationally at the advantages and disadvantages which such roads will be to the town and villages through which they may pass.
     We understand a petition is in circulation for a road from Salem to this town, and it is already pretty well filled with the names of our citizens.  No doubt many of those who sign the petition do so without considering for a moment the serious objection of having the track laid through the street and the great expense of keeping the roads in repair, which will be nearly double.  There are other and more important objections. We have no doubt there are some places where the road will be an advantage; - for instance, where there are a number of roads running from the villages to a city, we have no doubt it brings the trade from the villages to the city. And we understand that, in Salem the storekeepers say that since the horse railroad has commenced operations, their trade has extensively increased; so that, if we are to have one from Danvers, it will increase still more, and our traders will be minus any profit from the horse railroad.
     We sincerely hope that when the time comes for action that the people of this town will give the matter a thorough investigation and act accordingly.” Signed “Danvers, January 26, 1864."

Fig. 21.4.  Advertisement

South Danvers Wizard, 2/3/1864, p. 2/2
TOWN MEETING  – “Opposed the petition of the city of Salem so far as the taking of water from Brown’s Pond and Spring Pond; Opposed any grant to the Eastern Railroad  Company which shall in any way impair or prejudice the rights of the traveling public.  A petition of the Salem & South Danvers Railroad Company for a charter for a horse railroad to Danvers was studied by a committee consisting of James P. King, Wm. H. Little, Joseph Poor, A. W. Bancroft, Dana Woodbury, with the following result:
Voted:  That the business interests of South Danvers and Lynn, and the intimate relations and constant communication and travel between the two places, imperatively demand the construction of a Horse Railroad; but that it is of equal importance that the enterprise should be in the hands of those who are identified with the local interests and business, and will make it subservient to the prosperity of South Danvers and Lynn, and not under the control of men or corporations who would undertake it for speculative purposes, and manage it for private emolument rather than for the public welfare, and that, therefore, the citizens of South Danvers are earnestly in favor of the prayer of the petition of William H. Little and others, and as strongly opposed to the granting of the petition of the Salem & South Danvers Railroad Company.
Voted: To adjourn.”

South Danvers Wizard, 2/3/1864, p. 2/3
NEW HORSE CAR – “As was said at the late town meeting, the accommodations on the Salem and South Danvers Horse Railroad are improving.  The cars start exactly at the time stated.  There is scarcely any delay at the turnouts, and the passage from one point to another is made as quickly as could reasonably be expected. The old cars which the company were at first compelled to use are being rapidly replaced by those of a new and elegant pattern.  Yesterday, a new car from the manufactory in Salem was put upon the track.  It was a fine piece of workmanship – large and commodious – and reflects credit alike upon the builders and the enterprising company who are doing so much for the accommodation of the public.
     We would further add that this car is sixteen feet long and seven wide, is built mostly of iron, is well lighted, handsomely painted and ornamented, and capable, on a ‘rush’ of carrying nearly a hundred passengers.”

South Danvers Wizard, 2/10/1864, p. 2/5
“A petition has been presented in the General Court, from Richard Tenney, and 90 others of Georgetown, in aid of the petition of the Salem and South Danvers Railroad for an extension of the road to Danvers.  The people of Georgetown and that section of the County manifest much interest in this matter, as the extension to Danvers will prove of great convenience to them.”

South Danvers Wizard, 2/17/1864, p. 2/2
DANVERS VS. HORSE RAILROAD [Letter to the Editor] – “Mr. Editor, - I noticed in one of your late numbers an article upon the disadvantages of Horse Railroads – more particularly, however, upon the disadvantages of having one to connect Danvers with Salem. The writer of the article to which we allude, seemed to object to the proposed Horse Railroad for two reasons: First, that it would injure our streets and make additional expense in keeping them in repair.  Secondly, that it would injure trade in Danvers.     These, we believe, were his principal objections to having a Horse Railroad to connect the towns of Danvers and Salem.  But are such objections valid, when we consider, the many advantages which would result from such a mode of conveyance?  That there are  some objections to Horse Railroads in any locality, we shall not deny.  In fact there is not an institution nor a corporation in the whole country which does not annoy or discommode a certain few.  Houses of religious workshop, colleges, literary institutions, the hundreds of different kinds of manufactories, the steam cars, telegraph lines, and everything else of the kind are, without doubt, detrimental to the interests and pleasures of certain individuals.  But shall we throw them all aside because they deprive a few of certain enjoyments that they would otherwise have?  Shall we destroy our houses of religious workshop for the reason that they may be a little too near someone’s dwelling house or shop, and therefore an annoyance to him on certain occasions?  Shall we abandon the steam cars because certain persons, through whose land, or near whose dwellings they pass, are put to some trouble thereby?  In short shall we abandon every enterprise because some of their results may be objectionable?  That is the question, and it is the only question for us to answer in the case of the proposed Danvers and Salem Horse Railroad.
     There are some six or eight men in this town who keep a number of fancy horses, and who have but little else to do but exercise them by driving to Salem and back two or three times every day, that are opposed to the Horse Railroad.  And is it not plainly to be seen why they are opposed to it?  It is simply because it would discommode them a little in their rides for pleasure from here to Salem.  There are also a few traders who think their business would be injured by the Horse Railroad. But are either of the above objections to it sufficient?  Shall ninety-nine one-hundredths of the inhabitants of the town of Danvers be put to trouble and expense daily on account of the present impracticable mode of conveyance to Salem, in order that the pleasure and interests of some few may be gratified and enhanced?  In considering this question we ought to look to the greatest good of the greatest number. If nearly all of the people of Danvers are to be benefited by the proposed new mode of conveyance to Salem, why not let them have it?  It is evident to all that the horse car is much more convenient and preferable in many respects, to the omnibus; besides the omnibus does not run often enough to satisfy the wants of the people.  There should be some means of going from Danvers to Salem, by public conveyance, as often as every hour.
         The omnibus runs by six times during the day, leaving the post office at 7-1/2, 9 and 12 o’clock A.M. and 1, 3, 3-4 and 6 o’clock P.M.; and here ends our means of going to Salem by public conveyance, except we can go on the steam cars three times during the day.  It requires no argument to prove that there should be some plan adopted to remedy the matter.  There is not a day passes when there are not more or less who are put to trouble and expense on account of the present inadequate means of conveyance to Salem.  The wants of the people of both Danvers and Salem demand a Horse Railroad to connect the two towns, and in this way they can go from one place to the other as often as every hour, from 7 o’clock in the morning until 9 o’clock in the evening; and they will not be satisfied with any conveyance less convenient and practicable.
     Instead of injuring the trade in Danvers, the Horse Railroad would increase it, if the Danvers traders would keep as great a variety of goods, and sell them as cheap as the Salem traders do; and we believe that, everything considered, goods can be sold at lower prices in the former than in the latter mentioned town. The Horse Railroad will have a tendency to raise the value of real estate in Danvers; - such has been the case in other places, and we know of no reason why such should not be its effect in this town.
     It is our purpose, in this article, to make mention of the many advantages of Horse Railroads; but it cannot be otherwise than they add much to the prosperity and interests of the people of the many towns through which they pass.  Such, at all events, is the most unanimous opinion of those, who by observation and experiences, knew better about the matter than entirely ignorant of it. We believe on the whole, that no honest and unselfish man can deny the proposed Horse Railroad would be of incalculable interest to the inhabitants, and general welfare of the town of Danvers and its neighboring towns.”

South Danvers Wizard, 3/2/1864, p. 2/3
EXPRESS TO LYNN – “Mr. Samuel Trask, of this town, is making arrangements to run an express between Salem, South Danvers and Lynn.  He will probably commence by the first of next week.”

South Danvers Wizard, 3/9/1864, p. 2/2
HORSE RAIL ROAD HEARING – “The second hearing before the Legislative Committee took place last Thursday at the State House.  A. A. Abbott, Esq. appeared as counsel for Wm. H. Little and other petitioners; S. H. Phillips and S. C. Bancroft, Esq. for the Salem & South Danvers Railroad Company.  Upon the petition for a road from Salem to Danvers, Messrs. John W. Poeter, Moses H. Hale and Charles P. Preston were examined as witnesses, called by the petitioners.  It is not proposed to have the Danvers road go to Salem through South Danvers but through North Salem, by the Iron Foundry; and Danversport; though by this route it will be necessary to pass over a small portion of our territory which makes in that direction by Gardner Farm.  Upon the petition for a road from Salem to Swampscott, Messrs. J. P. Palmer, Eben Phillips and Representative Stimpson were examined as witnesses.  They represent that an earnest desire exists in their town for the road.  No witnesses appeared from Danvers or Swampscott, in opposition to the projected enterprises.
     The hearing will be continued next month when the South Danvers and Lynn case will be taken up.”

South Danvers Wizard,  3/16/1864, p. 2/3
ESSEX RAILROAD [Editorial] – “Although not particularly skilled in the mysteries of railroading, we surmise the Eastern Railroad Company are making the Essex Railroad a profitable auxiliary to their own.  We notice that their freight trains are very long and very heavily loaded.  We learn that they are able to compete successfully with the Boston & Maine Railroad in transporting freight from Boston to Lawrence by way of Salem – carrying in this way some twenty tons per day.  Last year they transported by this route 5,000 tons of coal from Boston to Lawrence, for the Pacific Mills.”

South Danvers Wizard, 3/16/1864, p. 2/3
HORSE RAILROAD – “The hearing before the Legislative Committee upon the subject of a horse railroad from South Danvers to Lynn was concluded last Friday. The Committee have not yet reported.  One thing we think is quite certain in regard to this matter, and that is that the Legislature will authorize somebody to build this road, and we wish it were equally certain that the road will be built this year.”

South Danvers Wizard ,3/30/1864, p. 2/4
SETTLED AT LAST – “There has been for some time a controversy existing between the Boston & Maine and Essex Railroad Corporations, the former claiming that the cars of the latter must be drawn from Sutton’s Mills to Lawrence by their trains, thus causing great detention to the passengers.  The matter was before the Legislature, where is found that Essex Corporation has some rights bound to be respected.  The result was that a mutual contract was made between the parties quite advantageous to the Essex, and we hope also to the larger corporation.” 

South Danvers Wizard, 5/25/1864, p. 2/5
“The Horse Railroad Hearing, yesterday afternoon, before the Board of Mayor and Alderman, resulted in granting, in general terms, the petition of the road for leave to place a track on Washington and Bridge streets, in view of running the cars to Danvers, over the main road.” Reprinted from the Gazette, 20th inst.

South Danvers Wizard, 6/1/1864, p. 2/1
FARE RAISED  [Editorial] - “Owing to the very high rates of provender, etc., the fare on the Salem and South Danvers H. R. R. has been raised to six cents, single tickets.  Packages of eighteen will be sold for a dollar.  For other changes, see their advertisement.  We see no reason why fares on all horse routes should not be higher, when we take into consideration the  present prices of hay and grain.  Mr. Simonds, the proprietor of a large stable in this town, recently informed us that he was paying thirty dollars a ton for hay, and did not get an extra article at that.  With hay at that price, and meal at three dollars a bag, it must cost more than twice as much to keep a horse now than it used to in ordinary times; and we were not at all surprised when we heard a short time ago, that fares on the horse cars would be raised.  Mr. Burnham, proprietor of the South Danvers and Lynn omnibus line, raised his fares some twenty percent, over six weeks ago, stating to us at that time that it was impossible for him to do any different, feed being so high.”

South Danvers Wizard, 6/1/1864, p. 2/4
THE HORSE RAILROAD TO NORTH DANVERS – “Those most directly concerned in the building and management of the Horse Railroad, express the opinion that the provision, adopted by the Mayor and Aldermen, that the inside of the track to South Danvers line on North St., with eighteen inches on the outside, shall be paved with ballast stones the entire distance, will prevent the acceptance of the location, and the building of the road over the route contemplated.  This belief is founded upon the opinion that, the amount of the capital stock having been limited at the recent session of the legislature, (which act we have not at hand) to a certain amount per mile, the road cannot be built within the limit at present high prices of iron and high cost of paving.”

South Danvers Wizard, 6/8/1864, p. 2/3
ETIQUETTE [Editorial] under Etiquette.

South Danvers Wizard, 6/8/1864, p. 2/3
SOLDIER’S AID – “It will be seen by advertisement in another column, that the Horse Railroad Company generously devotes all the receipts TO-DAY for the benefit of the soldiers.  Here is a grand chance for everybody to have a good ride, and while enjoying it, help the poor soldiers in the hospitals.”