The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1871-11-16
The chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.

From Mr.. Norhof's letter to the New
York Tribune, from Virginia, We extract
the following account Of the portion Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad now 10 op-
Grafton, und which is separated from the
Western Division, on which rails are laid
by LUX Of about 100 miles, which is to
BIO finished 10 less than year.
East Of the White Sulphur, and be.
tween that point and Corlngtou, We pass.
ed over tina, part Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad which was surveyed and
built by the State Of Virginia before the
war. This part Of the line crosses the Al
legbanies. and tho work done here, 10 tuu.
nels and cuttings. is remarkable for its
courage aud that disregard Of cost which
is a characteristic Of Government work.
The Virginia Central Railroad was com.
plcted, from Richmond to CoyiDgtou, a
distance Of POS miles, in 1861. While is
was building, the State Of Virginia under.
took to build railroad from Covington to
the Ohio river, to complete the limo from
the Wost to tide.water. On this work tile
State spent So, 400. 900, aud what it did
was magni6ccntly done. The masonry,
and tunnels are all double.tracked, the cuts
are straight aud clean, and the lice its en-.
gineers laid has admirably low grades aud
easy curves
But tho war stopped this work. After
the war tho State was unable to finish it.
aud finally law was passed granting to
the Virginia Central Company all the fran.
chies and property Of that pcr'ion begun
by the State, on the condition that they
should complete it to tue Ohio River
Tho two portions were consolidated under
a new name--the Chesapeake and Ohio
and, at a later period New York capitalists,
discovering the great advantages Of the
route, aud its immense resources, stepped
in with abundant means ard determined to
complete the work. They received from
the State free gift Of all tia. the State
had doue west Of Covinetou; are relieved
from taxation until the dividends reach 10
per cent. and have some other importau,
privileges The gentlemen who thus sci.
zed upon what seems to me one Of the
greatest and suress opportunities in the
country for solid and profitable invest.
mout Of capital, were Messrs A, A. Low,
VIM II. Aspinwall, Jouas G Clark, r.
Irwin, w B. Hatch, P. Fisk, and c. P.
Huntington, the las, named gentleman be.
ing President of the Company.
Gen. W. G. Wickham, General Anler.
son, and several other Virgiuians arc am.
ong the directors With men like these
at the back CT it tho work is going on rap.
idly, and will be completed next October.
| have been struck all along the new line
now building, with the solidity Of masonry
and the thoroughness with which every
part Of the work is done. The tunnels and
brid ges ore all, with the exception Of Two
tunnels, prepared for double track; tho
whole line can be double tracked at com.
paratively small expense whenever it be-
comes necessary, and the land investments
made not only at Huntington, but all along
the line, at every point where there is
likely to be au important town, promise in
themselves to pay magni6ceutly The
work is done for cash, and accordingly
there ID no waste; with country of won.
derful mineral and other wealth to develop,
aud western connections, which will make
itwden completed, one Of the grca, through
lines connecting the West with tide water
considering also its low grades, and its
small cost compared with other through
lines, it will have great advantages over
its competitors"