The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-07-28
A RAIL ROAD FROM WASHINGTON
TO PARKERSBURGH

n RAIL nOAD FHOM WASdlNGION
TO PARKERSBURGH.
"We are decidedly Of the opinion. that not only
the interests Of Ohio. but the whole West demand
that the contemplated Railroad should come 10 Par.
kersburg or Fishing creek the Ohio river, thence
through Chillico he and Cincinnati to 81, Louis. Let
the friends Of the route be timely and fully awake
to this truly great public matter.
Marlborough, Ohio Ne,os.
The most labored and at the same time the
most unsuccessful argument which we remem
Der ever to have read, is that used by The Com
mittee of the Bait & Ohio r. r. Co. to prove
that the best aud cheapest route for them TO
reach the Ohio River with their road is that by
the way Of Fish Creek TO Wheeling. II
amounts 10 an attempt to show, that the cost
Of constructing Railway to Parkersburg is
less than that Of builling il to Wheeling by
way Of Fish Creek, and that the Ohio river is
as navigable to Wheeling as it is TO Parkers-
burg in low water This is very lnuch like
striving 10 demonstrate that four is less than
two, and that the sources Of stream are as
deep as its middle course, but we leave our
uSt0hcOio ~ thC ouuodSlOn tuCJ Cau uCitNS
from such arguments, knowing that their de-
termination to go 10 Wheeling has been taken
to avoid the worse alternative, their going TO
Pltlsburg. II the route TO Parkersburg were
open to them, we should hear no more Of Fish
Creek and Wheeling and the route through
The rich country from Wheeling to GAINESVILLE.
The arguments by which Mr.. President Nc
Lane has always sustained the superior ad
vantages Of the Parkersburg route remain un
answered. He has not yielded them, but has
only given in to the decision Of the majority.
The Hillsborough News, in the above extract
from its last number, speaks the sentiments of
every unprecedented man. The interests Of the
whole West do require that il should be con-
nected with the East by rail road passing
through Parkersburg, but il is by no means
necessary that Baltimore should be the eastern
terminus Of that road. There is another point
of termination offering far superior advantages
TO any place on the seaboard and that point is,
The three cities of the Potomac or the Trinopo
lis OF the United States. Not only are Wash
ington, Alexandra and Georgetown the bes,
termini Of such road, but the route thence 10
Parkersburg is cheaper than that from any
other point and is through richer county
II would cost no more 10 build road from the
Trinopolis TO Parkersburg than it would 10
build it from Cumberland to Parkersborg.-
Virginia, always jealous Of foreign corporations
has it now in her power 10 redeem her domain.
by the erection Of this road, from their occupa-
ton. That she will seize the opportunity to
grant to foreign capital, within her own limits
and under her own laws, the privilege Of
building this road, we are fully persuaded
Nay, her past course in relation TO the Bait. &
Ohio Co., assures us that such would be her
policy. And not only would she grant cor
porae powers to company for the construction
of this road, but we believe she would become
herself interested in it TO the amount Of two
ffths Of the capital required. We have been
informed that il only needs determined move
ment in favor Of the work to secure the aid o (
the State.
We are glad to know that capitalists have
already taken the initiative in this grand move
meni, and in few days we hope to be able TO
present to our readers some definite information
Of their action. Meanwhile we call upon the
people Of Virginia and Ohio 10 take the subject
into serious consideration, and to agitate it with
earnestness for we can assure them that il is
within the range Of probability that railway
from Washington, Alexandria. and George
town may pierce the valley Of the Ohio long
before the Balimoreans can get their track TO
Wheeling. On another occasion, we shall en-.
deavor to show the probable line Of the work
now on the tapis.