Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-09-28
RAILROAD MEETING.

AS We were unaDle 10 attend the
railroad meeting last week, the edi-
tor of the Farmer has very kindly
furnished us the following account
of the proceedings:
A large and interesting meeting
was held at the Court House, We'd
nesday evening, in the interest of
the proposed railway from Cleve-
land to Cambridge. H. G. Saun-
ders was chosen President of the
meeting and j.. A. Estill Secretary.
A number of persons were pres
ent. from Wooster, Elyria and other
points along the line. The people
were addressed by Messrs. Larwill,
Voorhes, Welller, Waddle, Penfield
Armor and thers.-Hon. Martin
Welker spoke of the great public
benefits, and cheap freights result
ing from railroad competitions.
When there is but one railroad it
gives a monopoly of the carrying
and Of course high freights will be
charged. The coal fields and rich
mineral wealth abounding in this
and the counties south of it, are
now valueless for the want of car
rying facilities, but their develop
ment would give great wealth to the
people. = The present proposition
is to organize a company for the
building Of a road from cleveland
to a point on the Ohio river, at, or
near, Marietta. There is now rail
road from Marietta to Caldwell, in
Noble county. There is a roadbed
partially constructed from Seville
North, The Marietta and Pitts
burg company will heartily join us
and give all assistance in their pow
er.-We have sought in vain to get
control of the Cleveland, Wooster d
ZanesEille organization, to which
the people of Wayne county have
subscribed $150,000, and now we
propose a new oganization that will
proceed at once to build the road
as suggested, making Wooster q
point, and Cambridge the Southern
connection.-The Tuscarawas Val
ley road is .undercontract and will
be completed at an earlSday.. We
can connect with it at Seville, and
form consolidated corporation
witlfit, Or preserve our independ-
ence and secure carrying rates over
their track at tariffs identical with
that of our own road. Running ar
rangements have already been made
with the Cleveland u Columbus
road from Grafton northward, and
like arrangements have been made
with the Lake Shore road, which Sc
cures to, US more than a 1000 miles
of railway that will carry our Goa
and agricultural surplusses to ready
markets. Arrangements have also
been made to build the road from
Elyria' to- Black River. This will
give uus iraflroad3 communication
with Toledo, and make the most di
rect and best coal road in Ohio. To
ledo is a great coal market,and that
city is spending vast sums of mon,
ey to reach the Straightsville Goa,
mines: but this road will enable To
ledo to reach the rich coalfelds ol
Holmes, Coshocton and Guernsey
counties with thirty miles less dis
taneethan to- Shaightsville. < A 10.
cal subscrition of $4,000 perTmile
will insure theb building Of the road
Our object here is to see whether
you will take interest enough in the
enterprise to raise subscription o.
IS 900 per mile, and thereby secure
this great thoroughfare.. You are
now paying two cents per ton per
mile for sending coal to Cleveland
1t can be carried at half that price,
and would be if competition was
gotten up to destroy the monopoly
our present road now holds. All
business and professions the mer-
chant, lawyer. warehouseman-as
railroads do, extort, when compete
tion does not regulate prices. Cieve
land will not be your great coal
market. You want and will secure
o widerlfield. There are" thousands
of miles along the lakes and the
North Pacific Railroad to be sup
piled, and our interest points to
that almost boundless extent of ter
ritory as our future market. The
mouth of Black River is the best
port on Lake Erie; the best port
from which to ship because of the
many wayssin which transportation
is quickehed and cheapened. Every
car load of coal that enters Cleve-
land must pay a docage of $40.
From this; there lis no exemption.
The Shalfowness- Of the water at
Cleveland prevents large vessels, up
on which frieghts are of course car
ried cheaper, from getting out with
full cargo; and there is the addition
al disadvantage that from the piers
the coal must be raised with eleya-
tors to load 'it7into 'vessels.-The
deep water at Black River, for three
miles, enables the largest vessels to
enter and take in full cargoes; from
the Bluff banks the coal can be
dumped from the cars, through
chutes, into the vessels; the dockage
of $40 per caris saved to the ship
pefss aud o further advantage pre-
sents itself in the fact that the
Black River port is open two weeks
earlier in the spring and two weeks
laterin the fall than is any other
port on the lake.
sNYith, this connection to Marietta
.weshaxe. the shortest route across
Ohio and form direct connection
with the chesapeake and Ohio,
line, leading through Virginia and
West Virginia, to Norfolk and other
Gfeat Atlantic ports in the far South.
: But the great question is, will it
pay. / learn from Railroad gentle
men in various parts of the country
that coal roads pay good,per cent
age. The little Mahoning Valley
Road pays % per cent, with only
Clayolan1 for 1oI-a r,orl-at onJ Ia