The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1853-05-05
Hooking valley RniIroaa.

At a meeting OF the citizens Of Nelson.
vile and %yicinity, held in Nelsonville, on the
2oth day Of April TO take into consideration
ProPriety Of making som preliminary
arrangements for the organization Of Con.
pany TO construct a Rail Road from Colnm.
bus, Via: Lancaster, Logan, and NelsonvilIe
to Athens:
The meeting organized by calling F.. y
TALPEY, Esq, to the chair aud appointing.
HUTcHISs, Esq, Secretary.
On motion, Messrs. j. w. Fulton. n y
Harper, and Daniel Smith were appointed.
committee to report to the meeting ony (ac,s
or suggestions that might have a tendencv
to facilitate the ~objectin contemplation: ana
the committee after a brief interval mnds
the following report which was unanimously
agreed to:
Your committee beg leave to submit tbe
following report founded upon such data pa
they have been able to obtain upon the sub.
ject:
1t is our opinion that n Rail Road from
the City Of Columbus passing through, Lam
caster, Logan and this place, to connect
with the Cincinnati aud Belpre Road at or
near Athens, would be as good stock as any
in the State; that it can be built IL the prop.
er means are used; that this is a favorable
time to commence the work; thatthe future
growth of Nelsonville and the prosperity Of
this Valley Country generally depends great
ly upon its construction; that it would open
to Us a market for our great staple (coaD ex-
tending from Sandusky and the Upper Mi
ami and Maumee Rivers far into the interior
of northern Indiana; that the travel to the
eastern Seaboard from Columbus, and the
country North West of it as far as Lake
Michigan and a large proportion Of the agri-
cultural productions Of the same region of
country would pass over this Road.
Its whole length would not exceed seven
ty miles, with few curves and a grade of not
over ten feet to the mile; it will connect at
Athens with the Cincinnati and Belpre Road
and through that and the North Western
and Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road with the
city of Baltimore on the East and at Colum-
bus with Roads diverging to every point Of
the compass.
VIC would also state that a movement il
now being made by the people alony tho
eastern end of the proposed route for the
construction VI a Rail Road from Pittsburgh
through Steubenville to Maysvillc, passing
through the counties of Jefferson, Guernsey,
Noble, Harrison, Morgan, Perry, Athens,
Hooking, Jackson, Adams, Pike and Brown.
If this road is constructed the proprietors
will doubtless find it to their advantage to
connect with the Columbus and Athens
Road at this place and with the Portsmouth
and Hooking Valley Road at Logan and
leave that road again at Jackson. This
route brings them through the very richest
mineral Valley in this part of the State, viz:
The Snowy Fork of Monday Creek; this
Valley is ten miles long and If we take FIVE
miles on each side as the basis of our calcu-
%lation, it will furnish six million bushels of
coal per year for one thousand four hundred
and sixty-six years. This will be at the rate
Of twenty thousand bushels per day, allow.
ing 300 working days in the year, for that
great length Of time, to say nothing Of the
Iron Ore so abundant in that rich Valley
We considerth construction of these two
Roads of great Importance and recommend
the calling ofa meeting Of the people of this
Valley at no distant day, for the purpose Of
organizing a company for the construction
Of the Columbus and Athens Road and also
the adoption by this meeting Of such meas
ures as will most eaectsally cooperate with
the Steubcnyillc and Maysville Rail Road
Company, so as to insure the making of this
place a poTst on said road.
On motion it was resolved, That we re-
commend and appoint the third Saturday in
May next, the 2lst inst, at 10 O'clock, A.
NJ, for n Rail Road meeting at this place,
, to take the initia, steps toward the organiza-
tion Of the Columbus and AtheIs R. Road
, Company and that those interested along
the line of said Road be earnestly invited IL
attend.
1t was further resolved, That Messrs. !.
w. Fulton, b. +. Harper, s.. NJ. Shepard
w. w. Foster and Daniel Smith, be a cou,.
4 mittee to make the necessary arrangement
/. for the same.
, On motion, Resolved, That the proceed.
0 ings Of this meeting be signed by the Off.
GERS and published in the papers of Athens
. Logan, Lancaster, Columbus and McCon'
nelsville. f.. p. TALPEY, Chm.
: l.. HUTcHIss, Sccy.