Why was Erie Railroad Co. vs. Tompkins initially handled in federal court?

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<a href="http://qanda.encyclopedia.com/question/why-erie-railroad-co-vs-tompkins-initially-handled-federal-court-427257.html" >Why was Erie Railroad Co. vs. Tompkins initially handled in federal court?</a>

Tompkins wanted to sue the railroad and recover monetary damages for his injuries. He was a citizen of Pennsylvania, and the Erie Railroad Company was a New York corporation. He instituted an action in federal court, which was empowered, by virtue of its diversity jurisdiction, to hear the case because the plaintiff and the defendant were citizens of different states.