The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 15/8/1873
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1873
Benalla Redivivus! The consummation of what has been so long hoped for and promised for years - the opening of the North-Eastern Line of Railway to the "ancient township" of Benalla, on its way to the borders of the sister colony will be inaugurated on Monday next. For this boon we are all called on to rejoice and make merry; and we sincerely hope that everyone, young and old, rich and poor, will always have good cause to remember that day with satisfaction and pleasure. High holiday is to be order of the auspicious day, not alone for the immediate residents of the town, but for those of the whole district surrounding it, who must all share in the benefits about to be conferred by means of railway transit through our midst.
Some croakers are still no doubt to be found who will prophecy ruin to the town through which a railway passes, not being a terminus; but in this instance, at all events, such, croaking would be put to shame, as Benalla must prosper and thrive still more than ever under the new regime of steam locomotion. The natural and valuable resources of this large district will all gain an impetus by the great and beneficial change from the late almost primitive mode of travelling and conveyance, in this part, to that which will be henceforth in vogue by means of the iron horse. We need no longer fear the "dreaded luxury" of a night ride in one of King Cobb's conveyances over; the bush tracks, almost as bone-cracking for travelling on as those shire abominations called main roads, for miles on a journey towards the metropolis; but we shall now be able to take a flying, trip there either on business or pleasure, with the satisfaction of believing that a speedy return may also be confidently anticipated in comfort and ease. Farmers and squatters; merchants and traders, will have no further cause to dread the delays and damage to their produce or goods, through the carelessness or sluggishness of teamsters; their wives and sweethearts will no longer secretly pine and fear for the safety or timely receipt of those necessary additions to their toilets and personal adornment, nor feel compelled to "pray "for those jolly waggoners who may have them in charge, and on whose speedy arrival their hopes are fixed. But we need not now recapitulate the many advantages known to all to be derived from the opening of a railway through any portion of a country. Some few wayside villages may suffer temporarily through the depreciation in value of roadside property and otherwise; but the benefit of the few must always give place to the lasting advantage of the many; and we believe that very few persons indeed could truthfully say they wish to return to the old system of road traffic.
To many of those who are old enough to look back some five-and-thirty years, and who have travelled in the old country when coaching was in its glory, will still come a pleasurable retrospection of the delightful journeys on the outside of a flying four-in-hand stage, through beautiful country scenery in the bright spring time of English weather or the splendours of a glorious autumn; but again remember the same position through a bleak wet winter's night, and say if railway travelling is not a boon even there. Turn we, however, to this country, where the greatest travelling convenience not so very long since consisted almost entirely of lumbering, jolting, leather-rocked Yankee machines, tooled recklessly, yet skilfully, over most execrable roads, hob deep in mud during winter, and through the same depth of fire hot dust in summer; and again say if we may not here well hail with pleasure and festive joy the advent into this town of the smooth rail and the snorting locomotive.
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