The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-28

came to my room and said he doctor,
I do you believe there would be a chance
/ for this company to get to make a rail-
road from Grafton TO Buckhannon."
Says he, ''If there would, am author
[ lied to say if the Capital is permanent
ly located this winter the company will
commence the construction of that road
next spring.
The very same proposition is renewed
this winter. DR.. Logan. one of your
own citizens, a director believe in the
Central railroad, gives most cheering
road will be speedily made.
Suppose then it is made. 1t is 2l0
miles long. Take a strip of territory
i've miles on either side of that road.
Suppose the increased value on the
| lands within five miles of the road at
five dollars an acre-and every gentle
man will agree with me that is very
small estimate-then take the number
of acres there are in u mile and multi
ply 1t by 2I0, and we have an increase
on the valuation OF land contained
within that territory of Sc, 400 600 as a
basis of revenue to the State. Now take
as another consideration the intIux of
population and capital while that road
is being made as another basis of taxa
ton, and you can see very readily it
will augment our treasury to very
considerable amount. Then as another
COuSlutEdllOu COnutClcu from
the time that road enters West Virginia
until IL passes into the State of Ken
tuc6y, il passes over a continual vein of
mountain Goals of different kinds. The
finest bituminous and camel coal in the
State is to be found on that line, and in
no place in more abundance than
in the county of Upshur, near the town
of Buckhannon. .-.
If you would take the Telegraph or
some other paper. and read, they would
tell you that in Upshur county there is
not vein of coal three feet thick in
fact some have gone SO far as 10 say we
had to haul our coal from adjoining
counties, when the facts are known TO
not few, and known to gentlemen in
the Senate, by direct measurement, that
the veins measure from TO % feet
thick. Then construct a road and open
up an outlet for the marketing of our
coal as another item of revenue to the
State. And then take our mountains
studded with the finest timber of every
grade that grows on the earth. for
which they are clamOring in the East /;
and II viii be found by the location OF
the Capital and consequent completion
of that road, it will give to our State
the material aid it now needs-that is
money in the treasury.
But, sir, it will do more, and though
it may appear last it is not least in The
count: it will bringiSouthwestern Nir-
ginia with all her interests, and North
western Virginia in, community OF in
terest and feeling, on that Central
road. If, however, you stick the Capt.
| tai up in the Northwest on the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad ut any point,
and leave 26l. 900 South, while you only
| have ITO, 900 Worthwhile you leave 10
| counties South of that road, and only
y North, You build a fire of sectional
| feeling that will burn with more inten-
NsfFW
tween Eastern and Western Virginia,
ard finally resulted in the West with
drawing from the East. Sectional leg
islation is the bane of any State. II is
Incompatible with the judgement, feel
/ ings and action OF gentlemen who are
calculated 10 legislate for whole COM
monwealth; and in legislation we
should enact those laws and those
alone, that will insure the greatest good
to u g greatest numbe.
Then. sir, there is the Monongalia
and Leesburg Railroad. I got letter
from very respectable gentleman
who to name in this IQ5use would be a
sufficient guarantee-fromWa Washington,
stating that the ConnellsYille Rail
road would, at a very early period, be
constructed across 10 the town of Lew
isburg, placing it IN connection with
the Tennessee road, and the great
South; and then our coal, iron. &c.
u
direct line, instead of sending it all
around the world TO get into their bor-
ders.
Then I received yesterday, from Min
nesota, bill to incorporate what is
called the Shenandoah and Big Ka-
nawha Railroad. And when 1 intro
duced that bill by leave of the House,
some gentleman, who, from 1t certain
corner, seemed TO smile, heard say:
THAT Is capital project-that is in
tended for the capital" That seems to
be kind of monomania, that some
gentlemen have, they construe every
thing into one subject
What mean those cries coming up
from every internal improvement-in-
terest in the State calling for help%
There is no doubt, 1 presume, half
million dollars asked for orturnpikes and
bridges in the interior portion of the
State. By the rayages of war their
bridges were burned, and roads rem
dered almost impossible. By the act
OF the last legislature, these roads were
thrown on the counties. The commu-
mites living theTa had to go to work
and rebuild their fences. In addition to
the burden of war entailed on them
they were compelled to take on them
the rebuilding of bridges and making
their roads, or having none at all.
They come up this winter ask
ing for help. When We look to
the Auditors report, we see we
cannot help them. And unless there is
n system of legislation by which you
can inf1se new life into these lines of
internal improvement in the interior,
our commonwealth must lanSuish in
all her material interests. Stretch a
railroad across the centre of this State,
and as by magic these turnpike inter-
ests would arise and shake themselves
without any additional aid. But if you
withhold 1t by system OF legislation,
they must be trammeIed in all their
material interests growing out OF this
question. Look to the Auditors report
see the money we have on hand, then
look at the demand; the lunatic asylum
comes up with claim justified by hu-
manity and tasks for near $3.50. 600 to
provide for this unfortunate class: the
penitentiary asks $50, 600, the agricul-
tural college Will demand another ap-
tionS to be made? BY voting in
creased taxation on this people already
down ridden by taxation in the State
If you resort to that expedient you will
drive men, not a few, from the State.
! You are only to meet this by giving TO
the people the means to pay. There is
not an outlet for the two millions of
acres of fine coal stretching from the
Pennsylvania line to the Ohio. Make
your outlet and these counties will be
settled up, and thrifty, energetic people
will come in, and they will say, gentle
men, We Will help you meet these appro-
| priations.
Then let US put the Capital in the
centre of the State, and the more the
State settles up the greater the number
that would be accommodated. But
put the Capital on the border of the
State, and tell you the firing of the
faV-