The Spring Work of Grading the Buffalo Extension Begun
The first carload of material for the Buffalo extension of the B & S to arrive in Belmont came Wednesday. E.P. Lupfer, division engineer, was in town on B & S business and arranged to have a gang of men come from Belfast to unload the car Thursday. The most of the material is pipe to be used in drainage [oil?].
In compliance with an understanding between Messrs. Goodyear and contractor Greco, that this year’s work on building the extension of the Buffalo and Susquehanna from Wellsville to Buffalo, was to begin soon after Easter, gangs of men have been gathered along the route and the work of grading the roadbed has commenced in earnest. Contractor Frank Greco is seconded and the work by his brother, [Tony?]. They now have three camps of workmen between here and Centerville; that at Belvidere shelters upwards of one hundred Italians and Roumanians.
J.D. [Chidd?], subcontractor, who is to work the road from Wellsville six miles northward, is now working forty men in the heavy cuts in Scio village and his force will be increased as necessity requires. The construction of 23 miles of the road from Buffalo this way has been sub-let by Contractor Greco. Grading all along the line is to be rushed as fast as the weather will permit.
The Grecos will soon open the store at Belvidere for the convenience of their employees which will be run in connection with their large New York stores. They have contracted a large bake oven at Belfast and aim to see that wants of their men are well supplied.
The frost is the principal instruction at present. The ground is frozen so deeply that work will be delayed for some weeks yet, but as soon as the longed for thaw comes the forces of man will be increased and the summer there will be hundreds of [———?] route.
Contractor Greco has distributed a carload of horses along the proposed line on the extension of the extension of the B. & S. to Buffalo, and team work is being done wherever the frost will permit. Six mammoth steam shovels have been purchased and will be placed [in] commission on the B and S construction. It is unofficially reported that cars will be running into Buffalo over the extension within a year.
Source: Belmont Dispatch. Belmont, NY. April 15, 1904. Found on Allegany County Historical Society web site.