The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-12-07
The Pittsburgh, wheeling and Ken
tucky Railway.

prOpOSltlOu lOE uldhiuS oupSSA PiOo
| to the Pittsburgh. Wheeling and Ken.
lucky railroad, it behooves the citizen
who has the interests and prosperity of
our city and county at heart to be up
and doing in behalf of the great work,
which promises so much for so little
outlay.
Although the blank was filled with
larger amount than will be found neces-
sary, owing to the hostility of major
ity of the Board to the work. thinking
thereby to defeat the subscription by ex-
aggeration and misrepresentation, it must
be borne in mind that two hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars is only
the maximum of the order, and if it be
found that less sum will answer the
purpose, the Board Of Supervisors will
only be called upon to subscribe a cor
responding amount. We have every
reason to believe, from the report OF the
engineer, from the proposals made for
that portion Of the road between Wells
burg and Steubenville and from other
sources OF information, that the whole
cost of the work to our city will not
exceed one hundred and eighty thou.
sand dollars. But it is urged that even
lift should only cost that sum, it would
be burden upon the Taxpayer without
adequate compensation. Now this is a
part of the question which we would
call the attention of the voters to in
particular. What are the facts in the
case?
This road will be about twenty
one miles long, extending from point
on the Panhandle road opposite Steu-
benville down to the wharf in the city
of Wheeling; passing through terri.
tory unsurpassed in agricultural and
mineral wealth; opening up for manu-
featuring purposes territory offering
all the elements necessary to defy
competition, cheap lands, cheap coal
and the advantage of both river and
railroad communication; giving the
city Of Wheeling a direct connection
with double track road leading to
Pittsburgh-the eastern ci'ies-the
great iron and ore regions of Penn
sylvania, to st. Louis, Chicago, and the
great lumber and iron and copper
region fthe north west. The cost Of
preparing the twenty-one miles Of road
ready for the iron, ties &c, and pro.
curing the right of way would not ex-
coed, according to the report Of the
engineers. two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars. And suppose the iron,
ties and rolling stock would cost the
same, it would make an aggregate
of half million the total cost Of
the whole work, the interest on which
sum would amount to thirty thousand
dollars. Now can any reasonable man
doubt hut that the earnings OF that
road would amount 10 that sum, over
and above the current expenses?
| understand the CHARTERS road
is paying about that sum, and it is
an inland roadfrom Pittsburgh over
hills aud through tunnels, ter
minating &C the town of Washing
ton, and is about the same length
of line Every railroad man who
undertands his business, tells lis that the
cost of building and running railroad
along the valley Of river, IS only
about one half of the cost Of running
over hills and through mountains, ne
cessarily making high grades and short
curves. 1t is a notorious TACT that no
railroad traversing a river valley has
ever failed to pay, even as an lndepen-
dent road without the fostering care Of
a powerful corporation like the Penn
sylvania Central Company. Look, for
example, at the Wheeling, Pittsburgh
and Cleveland road. Our city sub
scribed largely to that road, and at first
it was thought to be a failure, but as
soon as it got properly under way and
made the direct connection, the profits
of the road were such that the stock
went to par, and it is now one Of the
best paying roads in the State Of Ohio;
and it our city fathers had exercised
common foresight, the city would
have realized handsome profit
on the investment
Who can doubt in the face Of
all these facts but that this road
will pay, and repay the county
handsomely for any subscription
the people may make to it. But
suppose we should not realize at once
all these bright anticipations from the
completion of this work directly-the
most obtuse and sbeptical will not deny
or gainsay its indirect importance. 1t
will certainly give to our merchants,
manufacturers and farmers the benefit
of fair competition for trade and travel,
and thus reduce the price Of freIghts to
reasonable and equitable standard.
No one except those who have expert
enced the oppression can realize the
exorbitant and unequal tariffoi lreights
imposed upon the commerce of the city
of Wheeling by the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad company. That road has
switched us off, giving US none Of the
advantages OF terminus, and in every
conceivable way discriminating against
us-to such an extent that it costs more
to ship barrel of flour, bushel Of wheat
or cask OF bacon from our city to Balti-
more than from Cincinnati to that city,
or even TO Boston.
In my next | will endeavor to show
the advantages this road will afford to
the merchant, manufacturer, farmer,
mechanic and laboring man, and meet
the objections urged against the sub
scription. NERlrAs.
From the Weston Democrat
Reunion of the virginias.
J,,,,aI;otel, ofter tho Stote elarti0n