May 2010

            "Ben, Ben, why are you headed for the barn?"

            Mother had run out quickly as soon as she had seen Ben walk past the window on his way home from school.

            "I want to see Grandfather.  He told me this morning he would have the papers when I got home this afternoon.  He's down here in the barn, isn't he?"

            Ben had kept walking slowly toward the barn while he answered Mother's question.

            "Grandfather didn't feel well this afternoon.  I guess the hot sun took the spunk right out of him."

            "Where is he, Mother?  Where is he?"

            "He told me he was going to his room to lie down and rest awhile."

            "Why don't you feed the chickens and collect the eggs.  I don't want you to disturb him.  Let's let him rest a bit longer.  I am sure he'll come right down with those papers when he gets up.  Open the big gate for the cows and see if they have enough water in their trough.  By the time you finish those jobs, Grandpa will probably be down here."

            Ben didn't say a word.  He disappeared into the henhouse.  It was almost an hour later when he finished the jobs Mother told him to do in there.  As he bent over to pick up some eggs from the nests, a shadow fell across the rooster standing there.  Ben quickly raised his head.  His eyes were sparkling as he yelled at the top of his voice, "Grandpa you're here.  I see you still have your cozy slippers on your feet.  No wonder I didn't hear a sound when you came in.  Hey Grandpa, do you have those newspapers you promised to show me?"

            "I certainly do.  You have never seen me break a promise, have you?"

            "No, never.  Where are those papers?"

            Grandpa reached around to his back pocket and pulled out a bunch of folded newspapers.

            "Ben it's almost supper time.  Let's eat.  Then all of us can go in the parlor and hear all about our new news.  I'm going up to the house now."

            "Yes Grandpa.  I'll come up just as soon as I get all the eggs gathered and look at the cows' water."

            "Fine.  Don't hurry.   I'm sure it will be a few minutes before your Mother has everything ready."

            "All right, Grandpa.  Go on up.  I'll be there in a few minutes."

            Grandfather still had the newspapers in his hand as he turned and walked out of the barn door into the very warm, late afternoon sunshine.  Ben filled his basket with eggs, checked the water for the cows, shut the barn door and headed up the hill for supper.

            As usual, the family enjoyed mother's meal preparation and helped carry the dishes to the sink as they always did.  It was Marion's turn to wash the dishes.  Other family members helped clean the table, put on a clean tablecloth and place the large bunch of fresh flowers back on the table.  Soon everything, including Marion's dish washing was finished and splotlessly clean,  Grandfather put all the chairs back around the table exactly where each one belonged, turned toward the rest of the family members and made his pronouncement:  Everything's all done.  Let's go.  They all settled comfortably in the parlor.  The sun still came in the west window and illuminated all of the most attractive handiwork Mother had completed to enhance the large, lovely looking parlor.

            "Come on Grandpa.  We're all ready to hear about the new news,"  said Ben.

            "Yes Grandpa!  We can't wait any longer,"  added Marion.

            Grandpa took the newspaper out of his pocket, smoothed the creases, adjusted his glasses and began to read this from the paper.  "Of great importance to the growth and viability of the industries along the Kayadrosseros in Ballston Spa, Milton and the Town of Greenfield was the establishment of inexpensive modes of transportation to import certain raw materials and export finished goods to other parts of the country.  This will be accomplished reliably and inexpensively by railroads."

            "Grandpa, was that a railroad we saw when we went with you to that place where you got that small machine for George West.  Where was that?"

            "Marion, that was Schenectady.  And yes, that sure was a railroad we saw.  It was the first one built in New York State between our State's capital of Albany and Schenectady.  Do you remember what I told you Schenectady is now called?"

            "I remember or I think I remember.  Was it called some kind of center."  Ben was scowling as he racked his brains trying to remember.

            "Very good Ben.  You got part of it."

            Marion spoke up.  "Grandpa, I remember the other word.  It was industrial, but I have absolutely no idea what it means."

            "Well Marion, your Uncle Joe and your two cousins work in George West's Excelsior Mill.  When a company like George West's hires people to make various products which the owner can sell, that is how George West became a millionaire.  And his mills were called industries, just as all of the mills along the Kayadrosseros were labeled.  When we were discussing Schenectady, we had already mentioned that the first railroad was built from Albany to the industrial center of Schenectady.  This was the location, in Schenectady, where the mills, the factories and many other small businesses had been built to form the industrial center of the city.  This railroad was called the Mohawk and Hudson and many industrial owners were looking forward to the time when it might become part of the New York Central so they could ship their products even farther around the country.  But, I do want to add one more bit of information so you will have a complete picture of the Mohawk and Hudson, right from the start.  Before the Mohawk and Hudson was even completed, plans were made for a railroad to be built up to the tourist centers in Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa.  And for the first year of the Mohawk and Hudson, power was provided by horses drawing small carriages along the tracks, rather than by locomotives.  But soon all parts of the railroad were finished and the railroad took off with great success and profits were made right from the beginning."

            "Hey, Grandpa, that's a great story from the paper.  May we go to Schenectady and see this railroad, asked Ben?"

            "Yes, just as soon as the freight traffic plans are completed.  Several of my railroad friends have hinted to me that big plans are already being made by the brains of some of the top officials and they emphasized to me that we need to keep our eyes open and our brains perking so we don't miss any part of all these plans for a bigger and much more profitable railroad."

            "We will Grandpa.  We won't miss a trick,"  said Marion.  Grandpa, Mother and Father all laughed uproariously as Ben added, "No, no, no!  We won't miss a trick."

***May we express our sincere thanks to Don Young, one of our native born Greenfield citizens, who willingly recorded information about our lovely little Town and shared some of this material for our May chapter.  He grew up along the Kayadrosseros.  He has an excellent memory.  That is a winning combination.