RARITAN RIVER RAILROAD IS PROSPEROUS
Last Year Best Ever, Says Supt. Frank Hoffman, and This Year Will Go Ahead of That Road is But 21 Years Old.
Frank Hoffman, superintendent of the Raritan River Railroad, was in town to-day and told a Home News reporter that his line was enjoying the most prosperous period of its existence.
“Last year was the best ever for the road.” he said, “and the indications are that this one will be even better.”
The Raritan River Railroad is just a little over age, having been formally opened on January 6, 1890. Its beginnings were unpretentious, and as a passenger line it has never startled the universe, owing to the competition of the trolley from New Brunswick to South Amboy, but its freight business has grown enormously. The main line of the railroad to South Amboy is but a tiny fraction of its trackage, as switches miles in length branch off in every direction to the clay works along the south shore of the Raritan. It would take a full day to go over the entire system of this road.
To the Raritan River line Is due principally the remarkable growth of Milltown, South River and Sayreville, for furnishing a competitor to the Pennsylvania in freight business.
Superintendent Hoffman was formerly county detective of Middlesex, under Prosecutors Berdine and Booraem giving up the place to take charge of the railroad.