From the Cortland Standard of Cortland, NY
Tuesday, November 25, 1873

   It is quite evident that the management of the Auburn division of the Midland, as now controlled by the Oswego interest, is based upon a determined purpose to discredit it and bring it into such disrepute as to induce the receiver to abandon it. The ostensible purpose is to cut down expenses to a paying basis. But it does not require much railroad experience to demonstrate the fact that running a train from Norwich one day to Cortland - laying over here 25 hours and returning to Norwich the next day, is not an economical management of the road. It drives away the patronage of the road and saves almost nothing in the running expenses. All the hands, including conductor, engineer, etc., belong in Norwich and would gladly take the train back in order to remain at home over night. The fuel would cost little or nothing more, for fire had to be kept up continually to keep the water hot in the locomotive. The only additional expense would be simply the wear of the machinery and rails. The receipts must be more than doubled by running both ways each day. Already a stage has had to be put on to run between DeRuyter and Cazenovia to accommodate the travel and the mails which the railroad refuses to carry. Besides this, when heavy snows fall and are blown into drifts, the road cannot be kept open with a train running over it one way only each day. Then, to crown the absurd folly of the management of this division, a train is run from here to Scipio once a week!

   We warn the business men and traveling public that if they do not take measures to be heard before the Receiver, but allow the Oswego management to prevail, the trains will all be withdrawn from this division in less than two months. It is a shameless violation of good faith, and a brazen disregard of the rights of the towns of Truxton, Cuyler, DeRuyter, etc., without whose bonds the road could never have been built, and to whom they are bound in all fairness and decency to give at least a daily train each way. And the best interests of the whole road demand this, and the receiver will make a net income therefrom. The bonding commissioners and supervisors of Truxton and Cuyler and all the business men of this division, should unite in some decided action to protect their rights against his insidious attack of Oswego to destroy and abandon this end of the road.