The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-28
WHEELING & TUSCARAWGS R. W.
Something About the HGErisville
and Cadiz Route as Compared
With Some OtheTs-ResOuTces Of
the Country Up There.

Every day the subject Of DullulHS
railroad from Wheeling, West, is becom'
ing more complex. For some time we
have had three routes from Whcellng
proposed, and each route has had lis
friends diligently urging their CLAIMS
Wheeling will soon be called upon 10
adopt one of these proposed routes, and
the one she subscribes her stock to will,
perhaps, be built. ltappears to me that
great prosperity or obscurity depends on
The choice she makes, She may, by this
choice, place herself in direct line BE-.
tween the Great West and tide
water on the Southeast or, by this act she
may Consign herself into obscurity, when
she will be the terminus Of several
switches, not able to control any road or
trade. ........
THE HOPEDALE ROAD
+ We will first notice the Hopedale route
that has been SO earnestly pressed on
your consideration. Perhaps there is no
company on either OF these proposed
routes ut present, can raise sufficient
stock to bridge the Ohio river. And II
Wheeling brings the depot within her
corporation, it must be by bridging Back
river and building the depot on the Is
land.
To do this, tho Hopedalc road will have
to make very sharp curve to cross tho
river understand the company pro-
poses following the Ohio river, and an
other railroad six miles up the river to
Burlington, where they diVerge to tho
left, and tunnel through two hills to Big
Short Creek, two miles above Portland,
1t Is three miles from where they leave
the other railroad to Portland, and now
they find themselves two miles from
Portland by passing through perhaps one
and halt miles Of tunnel. 1t was as
certained when our plank road was sur
veyed that the river hill was eighty feet
higher than the ridge was at Harrisville.
II is well known that Short Creek Is a
very rapid, dangerous, and tolerably
crooked stream, and that itwould have to
be bridged often or the curves straighten'
ed by tunnels, and the bridges would have
to be built high out of tho reach of the
smaller streams. Alter they run up big
Short Creek several miles they come to
tho Plney Fork | know there Is rich and
well improved land in Jefferson county,
but it Is not on the lower Piney Fork, and
| would think from personal knowledge
that II would be u poor place 10 get rail
road stock. After they come within few
miles of lTOpcdale, the land is good and
well improved. Amer they pass over the
summit on to the head waters of Conotten
the land and improvements are poor |
have seen the sweetest huCklcberries
growing there that | ever saw in my life
No one would ever think of huCklGbcrries
growing between llarrisville and Cadlz
And when your correspondent wrote
about the "riCh middle" of that road 1t
was enough TO excite a smile. am not
aware OF any town of importance on the
road from Martinsvllle to Zoar but Hope.
dale. When they arc at Zoar they are
perhaps iifty.tivo or sixty miles from
Wheeling by the way OF the road. And
perhaps the road will not average more
than four or five miles from another rail-
road, the entire distance.
TIE WHEELING AND TOLEDO RAILROAD.
This road, If built, will run from To.
ledO to Wheeling, And strike 1t at n right
angle, and run through the richest part Of
the State of Ohio, in nearly straight
line to Baltimore. 1t cannot fail TO be
one of the most popular and profitable
roads in the United States. 1t will ever
remain one of the main arteries from tide
water to the great West. With such o
low grade of from illty.two to tlny.flvc
feet elevation 10 thCmile no other road can
successfully compete with II In heavy
freight.
larrisville Is nice little town, built In
q favored country, fifteen miles from
Wheeling, on the road to Cadiz. Ona
spring morning you can hear the lowing
Of herds Of cattle, and sec fine sheep
grazing on q hundred hill tops; aad the
perfumes Of apples and peach blossoms
arc waited up on every breeze. II makes
one feel happy to sec tho swarthy farmer
rs he comes up to town to deposit his
money, the proceeds Of his wool and pro.
duCG, with our honest and aCCommO'
dating banker.
Our town has increased in wealth at
least one hundred per cent within the
last ten years. The old dilapidated
houses have been rebuilt, or re.
paired, and they arc now occupied
by their owners; and we have
our street 1nHcadamized We have added
TO our town, within few years, drug
and hardware store, an Exchange Bank,
and we have built two good meeting
houses, and property has increased in
value ut least one third Some twenty
years since, We built q pair Of hay scales
here, and they rotted down for want Of
llse, and were removed rs q nuisance
Two years since we built another pair,
and they aro doing good business. l
have II from our wGigh.master that from
the 10Th of March to the 10Th of Decem-
Der, 1871, stock was weighed as follows
cattle, 100000 pounds hogs, 100000
pounds sheep, $4,000.
have been informed by q merchant Of
this place that about 10000 pounds Of
wool have been bought in this vicinity,
and shipped, at cost of over $4,000. |
believe ii was in tho winter Of 1866 that
there were about twenty sleds per day,
for three weeks, went down this road
loaded with apples. Each load would
average twelve barrels, making 1920
barrels in three weeks, and that was con.
sidered "Only little rum"
The work on our part of the road goes
on with spirit. We have obtained the
right OF way lawfully, with bu! few'ex-
ceptions. The subscription of stock is
very encouraging. 1t Is not "prUmiso of
stock" but bona GiG lawful stock.
J.MANLY.