The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-29
The baltimore and Ohio Raflroad-
Letter from Vice President KSnr

A wee rresiQene Ming.
| We give below extracts from, a lefte,
written by John King, Jr., Vice Presi
dent Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
| Company:
Il beg to call your attention to the
action of the company regarding the
traffic of the Parkersburg branch
formerly the Northwestern Virgins
railroad --
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company, and the Parkersburg branch
railroad, are separate corporations, and
their respective tariff Of fares is resu
lated by different laws. The right Of
one company TO charge for transp orta
ton is derived from the act of 1927 as
modified BY the act Of 1887, the act OF
1889 and the act of lS47. The right oil
the latter is derived from the act of 1851
and 1857. The Baltimore and Ohio
Company has the right to make certain
charges to and from Grafton, and
another charge to and from Grafton,
to or from any point on the Parkers.
burg Branch, which is only restricted
by the prescribed maximum rate in the
act Of 1887 Of eight cents per ton PEI
mile upon all articles, except gypsum
aud lime, and in the case of passengers
the rate is not to exceed six cents per
mile for each person.
Notwithstanding the clear right to
charge the rates named on the Parkers.
burg branch, it has been determined in
a most lit eral spirit to adopt for the
present the systems Of tariffs governing
the Baltimore and Ohio Com pany to the
Parkersburg branch, although it must
be admitted that the total absence oil
net earnings, or more properly the inn
mense losses made on this branch BY
the Baltimore and Ohio Company, as
shown by its operations for many years,
cannot be regarded as justifying this
course. But the company is now at,
tempting this experiment, which. it is
hoped, may result tarorably and thus
more rapidly develop the resources Of
the region traversed by the Parkers.
burg branch road.
Should these anticipations not be
realized, the company will be obliged
10 avail itself OF its chartered privileges
and advance the rates on its Parkers,
burg bracnh road to a more remunera.
tive standard.
ION a recent journey to Western
Virginia we were surprised to find the
running oftrains on this great line ex-
tremely irregular. Almost every day
the express and fast lines, 10 say moth
ing OF the freight trains, were behind
time, sometimes many hours. The
whole time schedule seemed TO be in a
sort OF chronic confusion. On inquiry
we learned that it had been so ever
since the completion of the Marietta
connection with the west. Almost the
only train to be depended upon was the
Cumberland and Grafton Accommoda-
ton, which runs pretty regularly be
tween those two points, leaving Cumber-
land at A. NJ, and returning to Cum
berland at 10 P. N. The only trains
going west are next in order ofregulari'
", but are disturbed by the extreme
irregularity Of those going east The
latter are delayed BY the failure Of the
Ohio trains to reach the Ohio river on
ANYTHING like schedule time.
The road is double tracked now
from Baltimore TO Piedmont in the
Cumberland Coal Basin, at the foot OF
the Allegheny Mountain. Piedmont
occupies the same relative position to
the seaboard and to the Ohio Valley
that Altoona does on the Pennsylvania
Central, and it is large and thriving
place, with a good hotel. The ascent
of the mountain to Altamont gives a
succession OF noble mountain views:
The laying OF second track Is
pushed forward from Piedmont west
ward, and from Grafton (where the
branches to Wheeling and to Parkers
burg fork) eastward. Five miles OF
double track are laid out Of Grafton.
Evidences Of considerable business
enterprise are visible at several points
along the line. Near the Cacspon
stations, below Cumberland, is new
tannery establishment, with very large
buildings and village for the hands,
all built within the last twelve months,
at cost of over a million Of dollars.
Cumberland is growing fast. The COM
pany's rolling mill gives employment to
400 hands. The company 10 putting
ND an immense hotel between the mill
and the station in town, with accom-
modations for boarders exceeding those
OF the hotel at Altoona
81, is surprising to see so little coai
mining and iron making along the
western division OF the Baltimore ana
Ohio, before reaching Grafton. But
there are not many points where the
coal beds lie favorsbly, and iron ores are
very scarce, except the unreliable Dali
ores OF the coal measure shaies.
at Newburgh the Pittsburgh or
Conpellsyille great coal bed catches into
the tor OF the highest bills and Is pur-
sued from hilltop to hllitoP' on hlgh
trestles, for five miles south Of the ran,
way down upon which it Is let oy long
nlanes The bed is here, as at Sans
bury, Pa, and at Cumberland Mo,
| 6fteep feet thick. These fragments OF
the great deposit are very small only q
few acres in extent. and amount 70
nothing in estimating the future .l II re.
sources of the country and OF the ran
road This Pittsburgh bed comes 10
again beyond or west Of Grafton IN the
billtops around Fairmont on tne
Wheeling branch, and around ooaTps
burg on the Parkersburg oranen: 1, ;, :;
here about eight or nine feet thick a a., :
u -o,faet condition. both az 10 quallty