The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-06-15
Ggs gam1stsr@ a1ette.
Tuesday Evening, Iune ~, 1854

hAiL IODAD MATTEkS-L HI LLVIH"1 NV
ley Road.-CHARLEs BoRLAND, Esq, Pres
ident of the Hooking Valley Road, has very
politely laid upon u table the third an
nual report of the condition ofthe North
western Virginia Rail Road company. The
report shows that the finances OF the com
pany are in a fourishing condition. The
report of the chief Engineer, BENJAMIN LA
TRoBE, Esq, gives a lattering account OF
the future prospect of this company IN re-
ference to the great lines now being pro-
iected West of the Ohio river, and as the
subject is one of very great importance to
the citizens of this and the adjoining coun-
ties along the Hooking Valley, we subjoin
a few extracts from the report showing the
interest this company feels in a connection
with the Hooking Valley road, The re-
port says that a good extension for the
North Western Virginia Railroad can be
had by interesting the line of the Marietta
Road at or SOM miles East Of Athens, and
this line prolonged up the fine and fertile
Valley of the Hockhocking River to Ian
caster will give still another and very de-
sirable route to Cincinnati, while it will en-
sure a connection at Lancaster and Column
bus with the whole of the vast and compre-
hensive system of railways branching North
and West from these centres of trade
through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and the
remoter States and territories in that direc-
ton. The change which has taken place
in the position of the Hillsborough Compa-
ny and its relations with this Company,
should not therefore be a subject of dis
couragement, as alternative connections
with. Cincinnati are at hand, and the origi-
nal route through South Ohio, by Pome-
roy to Portsmouth will doubtless be reviv-
ed and executed in due time, and willafford
even a more direct connection with that
portion of the State and with the Kentucky
Railways to Louisville, than the former
route via Jackson-should that route be in
deed beyond recovery, which is not conced-
ed-as there are local interests which will
grow sufficiently strong in the course of
time to complete it, and thus restore all that
now appears to have been lost by the un-
ion of the Hillsboroug and Marietta Com
panies. The line from Parkersburg to
Lancaster is about to be surveyed by the
Columbus and Hooking Valley Railroad
Company, recently organized under the
General Railroad Law of Ohio, and that
Company, looking solely to a connection
with Baltimore through the North western
Virginia and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads,
is earnestly striving to secure the required
capital to construct their road. The local
interests in the upper partof the valley next
TO Lancaster, will be strong enough proba-
bly to raise the means to make some As
miles ofthat easier portion of the line, leav-
ingit for other interests to fill up a space of
25 miles more, which would reach to the
Ohio River at a point eight miles from
Parkersburg, at the superior site for the
bridge, by means Of which the %juncture
with the Hillsborough Road was projected.
The line of the Hooking Valley Roadwill
therefore be common with that of the orig
inal Hillsborough line to that point, a cir
cumstance affording a double inlucement
to the construction of the bridge ina posi-
tion which is thus shown to be so com
%manding.
The distance would not exceed rs miles
from Parkersburg to Lancaster, whence by
Railroad already completedto Cincinnati the
distance is 1876 miles. This route. to Gin
cinnati would thus be 2O3 miles-but some
IS miles longer than by either the Marietta
or Marlborough lines, as they arc now unit
ed. To perfect then the connection of the
Northwestern Virginia Railroad with Gin
c~innati, by the Marietta line, so soon as thai
line reaches Athens, there is wanting only
80 miles Of railroad from Parkersburg tc
that pcint-and As miles more ofroad W
the Hooking Valley to lancaster completes
an alternative connection with Cincinnati
through a road already in successful opera
ton.
In speaking of the superior advantages
a connection with the Hooking Valley the
report holds the following language:
s'The day has gone by when eithercapi
tai or enterprise can be tied up by restrict
i've legislation-and we may look with con
idence, in addition to the fattering indica
tions already foreshadowed, to an earlycon
nection with that productive region-iden
teal with Virginia and Maryland in thu
character of its population-which is DIES
tined to throw upon the Northwestern
Road, and into the City of Baltimore an a
mount of traffic more than sufficient in it
self to justify any effort that might hav
been made to secure it. The want Of a grea
Southern line of travel has long been Sc
verely felt, and preparations will be mad
at an early day, by the improved f%acilitie
which will be held out, on the completior
of the Northwestern Road, to throw bac'
the whole travel of Kentucky and Tennes
sec, into the natural and legitimate channe
from which it has been diverted"