The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-02-04
or Northern Route for the
wheeling and Toledo Railroad.

HopEpALE, HARRISON COUNTY, O.,
January 81, 1871
Editors Of the Register:
DEAR SIRs-As the Wheeling PEG.
pie have at last awakened out OF that
apathy that has seemed TO prevail over
their minds in regard to this North
West railroad movement, permit me to
offer few arguments in favor of the
Northern route for said road. And as
the pledge of the city for 100000 has
been given to the route that will bring
to your city the greatest amount OF 10
cal trade, and at the same time be what
those same Eastern capitalists wanted
when we visited your city last June and
laid before your honorable body, viz.
City Council, their proposition Cor build.
ing short lines into coal regions, agree
ing to furnish $4,000 per mile, &c.
We wish also to correct an error in the
minds Of your citizens, which has
grown out of the controversy, and that
is that we had any other idea of an
Eastern terminus than Wheeling, as
our subscription books will prove. The
point never was settled until last Satur-
day night at your meeting, where you
did want it. Our point is now the head
of Wheeling Island, which fact shortens
our line at least one mile over our
former statement. And as the citizens
of Martinsvlle have thrown their for
tune with us, and have undertaken to
investigate the cut off question, we hope
to report in a very few days the practi-
cabiity; be this as it may, the old
survey we know is. The question Of
the coal seemed to be the main topic
of conversation in your meeting. We
wish here to state, without fear Of con-
tradiction. that upon the first thirty
miles of this line there is coal on almost
every acre OF land within five miles on
each side of the line the entire distance,
and that the bed OF the road would be
below the coal vein the entire distance,
with the exception Of the dividing ridge
where the road would cut it, |, myself,
visited coal mine on Piney Fork Val
lev where there is OF feet Of good coal.
Now you must look out for your local
trade. Who gets the trade now from
Wheeling Creek? Bridgeport and
Wheeling most certainly. 1t cannot go
anywhere else. Now where does the
trade OF Short Cieek Valley and its
branches 20? To Pittsburgh as the
case now stands. Build this road on
the northern route and you draw trade
that now goes to Pittsburgh, via Pan
Handle, aud secure all the trade be-
tween the Baltimore and Ohio and the
Pan Handle. This is plain. The in
terest of Belmont county will be divided
after You reach a pointsay fifteen miles
west. The farmers will not, we think,
feel disposed to grant the right of way.
This matter we have secured on the
Piney Fork Valley, almost without an
exception, and some Of them will donate
one-fourth interest in their coal lands
to the company building the road, As
to the practicability of our route over
others, we leave that to the report Of
the surveys. An old survey Of Wheel
ing Creek, made "a years ago, makes
the line OF the road at the summit, 40
feet below the crest OF the hill. The
Old Short Creek survey crosses at CadIz
with 5000 feet Of cuts and tunnel, 1919
feet below the crest at Evansville
Summit, 120 feet below the crest, with
1850 feet tunnel, 300 feet approaches,
and at Hopedale. 80 feet below thecrest,
with $50 feet of tunnel. We make
no statement but what We are
able to prove. The grades also must
be taken in consideration for heavy
freight road, as this one is destined to
be. We wish your committee TO fully
investigate, as we know they ought to.
The bridging of the river at some fu-
ture time should be well canvassed.
our people are wide awake, and hope
that the interest now awakened will
not be suffered to die out again as be-
fore, but that your people viii decide
soon and put the road under contract.
Harrison and Jefferson counties are
not burdened as yet with any pike tax,
and they want a communication ont,
and, as one of your speakers said, they
are going to dig out.
Yours respectfully,
A. b. Paul,