The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-02-14
RAILROAD ACROSS THE PAN HAN
DIE

day, a letter from Jesse Edgington, ESQ.,, for
many years member of the Virginia Legisla-
ture, addressed to the members e the General
Assembly Of Virginia, in which he sets FORTH
in'strong terms, the justice OF an application
made by the counties of Brooke and Hancock
for railroad across their territory, to connect
with Pittsburg and the great Pennsylvania
road to Philadelphia on the one side and with
the various improvements that reach their long
arms from St. Louis TO the Ohio on the other.
The proposition includes bridge across the
Oiie. opposite Steubenville, the presen; East
ern terminus of the work West of that river
A more righteous petition, under all the cir
cumstances of the case, il would be difficult
10 imagine. Yet it is violently opposed by
Wheeling, which seeks TO be the exclusive re-
cipient of Virginia's bounty on the Ohio, and
by Pi,tsburg, for reasons which will presently
be touched upon. In the meantime, it is wor-
thy Of remark, that the terms and spirit of this
proposition are identical with that of the law
granting TO Wheeling the RICH, ofway to Hemp
field.
We pointed out, the other day, the grand
scheme which had been concocted in Philadel-
phia by the aid Of Wheeling, for cutting off all
The trade which would naturally seek a pas
sage through Virginia TO her seapods, by
means of improvements extending TO Lexing-
ION, Kentucky. There is more important
view of the matter even than this. The Ma
Tiet,a road from Wheeling 10 Mariet'a,) ter
inmates at point not more than fifty miles
from Gallipolis, which lies on the Ohio side of
the Ohio river, exactly opposite Point Pleasant,
the relative position of the two being very
much the same that Manchester and Richmond
occupy on the James river. The effect Of such
a road upon the Central Railroad, and upon
all the improvements stretching out to Western
Virginia, cannot be over estimated. While we
are approaching it by slow movements, these
Wheeling and Philadel phia people are rushing
on with the stride of giants. Long before we
can get through the Blue Ridge, they will be
on the Ohio, carrying off our produce through
Ohio, not a pound of it passing through
Virginia. Now, we submit, whether Wheel
ing does, by this proceeding on her part, emit
tie herself to any exclusive favor on the part
of Virginia, over and above what she has al
ready received, and whether we should lose
sight entirely of all others Of our citizens in
the exclusive occupation of building up hel
fortunes?
We ask this question, because we learn from
this letter OF Mir. Edgington, that, at a meet
ing in Wellsburg for the purpose of taking
this matter into consideration, there attended,
on the part of Wheeling, deputatlon, con-
sisting, among others, of two Bank Presidents,
who submitted law, already drawn up, for
which they asked the approval of the meeting
rendering it highly penal Zine and impri-
ssonment were the proposed penalties) for any
person to attempt TO make a railroad within
three miles Of the Pennsylvania line! Itseems
entirely from all the benefits of the great sys-
TEN of railroads both to the East and to the
West Of them, and to preserve for Wheeling
her character of the Western Alexandria or
Constantinople-the grand entrepot between
the Atlantic and the boundless West.
In this scheme of ACCOMPLISHMENT, the Same
influence at Pittsburg which had destroyed
the Wheeling bridge, united heartily with
Wheeling. The great bug-bear with them, was
The proposition to bridge the Ohio. They wish
ed that river to be preserved sacred for them.
They wished Pittsburg to be unapproachable,
save by the Ohio, that is through them. They
have already succeeded in outlawing the
Wheeling bridge, they wished also to outlaw
this proposed bridge. They therefore opposed
the road violently, insisting that the great irn-
proyement fiom the city philadelphia should
be carried along the northern bend OF the Ohio,
in the direction of the Lakes, and they sue
ceeded in their design, for that road has AREA
dy been completed.
In the meantime, company was organised,
and the road run from Pit,sburg to the ai- line,
dividing Pennsylvania from Virginia. All that
is now asked by MIR. Edgington. and the citl-
zens OF the Pan Handle, is that they be al
lowed to construct. with their own funds, six
miles of railway across the territory OF Viz
ginia,
Can i, be possible that legislature which
has just authorised the connection of the
Orange and Alexandra with the Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad, can refuse such boon
as ,his7 By means of the proposed railroad,
not pound of produce that would ever reach
Virginia is kept away from it. On the other
hand, it takes through Virginia trade that
would otherwise pass entirely around it. IL
adds UNNECESSARILY to the value OF lands in
Brooke and Hancock, and thereby increases
the wealth of Virginia. Itcauses the expen'
diiure in Virginia Of large sums, which, under
other circumstances, would never be spen
there. Itgiyes to citizens who have never ask
ed any thing before, privilege invaluable &c
them, costing nothing TO the State, and resist
ed only by those who have already bound us
TO the car of Baltimore, and are preparing te
cut of the very means of our subsistence be-
fore il can reach as, by means of Philadelphia
capital and influence.
We have always been in faver of bringing
the trade to our own Atlantic cities. Our lie
pislature has not coneurred with US in these
views. 1t has transferred ii to Baltimore, az
far az il could. The Wheeling and Baltimore
Railroad, the Northwestern Railroad from
Psrkersbarg to the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road, the Alexandra Railroad, have transfsrrad
-. .rsnt West 10 Baltimore, Rv us.n.