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

| came to my room and said he doctor,
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
encouragement of the belief that the
road will be speedily made.
Suppose then it is made. 1t is 30
miles long. Take strip of territory
| five miles on either side of that road.
Suppose the increased value on the
/ lands within five miles of the road at
| hve 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 mile and multi
ply 1t by 30, and we have an increase
| on the valuation OF land contained
within that territory of Sc, 100. 600 as
basis of revenue to the State. Now take
as another consideration the influx 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 a VerY
considerable amount. Then as another
consideration connected with that, from
the time that road enters West Virginia
until. it passes into the State of Ken
lucky, 1t 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. -t....-. .
II 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 TO 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 4 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 it will 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 bringsSouthwestern Vir-
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 Baiti-
more and Ohio Railroad Mt any point,
and leave 26l 900 South, while YOU only
! have 10 900 Worthwhile you leave 40
counties South of that road, and only
y North, you build a fire of sectional
| feeling that will burn with more inten-
sity than that that burned for years be-
tween Eastern and Western Virginia,
and finally resulted in the West with
drawing from the East. Sectional leg
lslation is the bane of any State. 1t is
Incompatible with the judgement, feel
lngs ana action OF gentlemen who are
calculated TO legislate for u whole COM
monwealthi and in legislation we
should enact those laws and those
alone, that will insure the greatest good
to u @ greatest numbe.
Then. sir, there is the Monongalia
and Leesburg Railroad. got letter
from very respectable gentleman
who to name in this House would be a
sufficient guarantee-frOmW Washington,
stating that the ConnellSyille Rail-
road would, at 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,
could have an outlet to the South in "a
direct line, instead of sending it all
around the world to get into their Dor
ders.
Then L received yesterday, from Min
nesota, IA bill to Incorporate what is
called the Shenandoah and Big Ka-
nawha. Railroad. And when / intro
duced that bill by leave of the House,
some gentleman, who, from II certain
corner, seemed 10 smile, heard say:
THAT Is a capital project-that is in
tended for the capital" That seems to
a ftf nj hof
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 a
million dollars asked forturnpikes 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 there 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
the Auditors report, we see we
cannot help them. And unless there is
Il system of legislation by which you
can infuse new life into these lines of
internal Improvement in the interior,
our commonwealth must lanSuish in
all her material interests. Stretch IA
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 it by system OF legislation,
they must be trammeled 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 a claim justified by hu-
manity and tasks for near $3.50 900 to
provide for this unfortunate class; the
penitentiary asks $4,000, the ag1icul-
tural college will demand another APP
preparation. How are these appropFia-
creased taxation on this people already
down ridden by taxation in the State?
If You resort to that expedient you will
drive men, not 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 1 tell You the firing of the
gun on Fort Sumter would not create a
a.. ~