The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-30
THE RAILROAD UP THE RIVER
More Reasons why it Should be
Built.

voters of Ohio county will be called upon
to give three tifths vote for the purpose |
of authorizing subscription of stock by
her Board of Supervisors not exceeding |
1925, 900 to the Pittsburgh, Wheeling &
kentucky Railroad Company, for the |
purpose OF building the road-bcd, bridS- |
ing and procuring depot grounds and right |
OF way, commencing mt city wharf ana
running to the line of Brooke county,
thence, in connection with said county, to
the L. g. Il st. L. railroad opposite Steu-
benvinG Il distance of about 20 miles. Inc
county of Brooke has already authorized,
by n vote OF her people, subscription
OF 100000 and private subscription
has been made OF $4,000. The cost OF
putting in this road bed rs estimated by
competent engineers, including all bridg
ing and stone work necessary will not eX-
coed $1,000 per mile, except the last
mile of the road into the supposed depot
at this city, Mt the steamboat landing,
which will cost, probably, S35,OO0. This
will leave Il balance of $4,000 tor dam
ages, right of way, engineering, Nc,
along the line of said road; which we be-
lieve is $25, 900 more than it can reason
ably be expected to cost.
The great Importance OF this road, If
made, is i'll its completion ut once to our
steamboat landing. The main purposes
would be to enable the road to receive and
discharge frGightS ON board our steamers,
similar to the plan used Mt Bellaire. The
wharf IS in the most convenient centre for
nearly all the business parts OF our city,
tor both freight and passengers, and i'll
close proximity with the Is. II .. X. K.
n depot there would secure all the advan-
tagc that could be desired, both for the
road and city.
1t is the opinion of experienced railroad
persons that there is no city of the pOpu-
iation of this into which a railroad could
gain an entrance so cheaply into the bust
ness part of the city rs this road affords
down the river bank 1t damages but lit
tie property and l presume the right OF
way can be obtained Cheaply, Us the i'm
portance of having this old eye-sOre bank
fixed up in Il more respectable style issuch
that we should think the owners would
gladly have it done by giving right of way.
Again the soil along this bank is COM
posed most entirely OF gravel and sharp
sand, which is always valuable to rail-
roads for filling. ballast and building pur
poses. No streets are disturbed to any
great extent, and fine localities for shops,
depOtS, nc, are afforded; and we do
think with these facilities and the cheap
ness of getting into the city, the same adj
vantages could not be obtained on any
other route. Anything short of this
route and depot location would not,
think, be acceptable to the z. G. IL st. l..
Railroad Company.
One of the main reasons why this sub
sCription should be made, and this rail-
road built, is the cheapness of this road to
our people, and its great Importance to
our city. We have in return for our
money, you may say, one of the lead
ing arms of the Pennsylvania Central
railroad, which, when built, will make
y cheap tariff OF rates for freight
and passengers to all points south, east,
north and west to California This road
controls most all the leading lines of rail-
roads ia the United States and what
business man or citizen could say for one
moment that we should not accept this
boon now offered by this company so
cheap and so sure OF no loss to our pro-
perty? Think for one moment what u
small amount OF money this subscription
of stock would cost our people in the
event that we would have to pay the in
terest on our bonds out of the tax payers
pockets Say the levy would be on the
taxable property of this county, which is
about seventeen millions, to raise the in
terest of Z per cent on 100000, which
probably is rs large q subscription
as the Board OF Supervisors will have
to make. What would it amount
to? Why, sir, it would be but a
fraction over s cents upon the 800
valuation, so cents upon $1,000, $500 upon
81, 100000, on $17,OOO,0O0 $l3, 800, being
but 500 short of paying the amount re
CURED for the interest upon these 20-year
! bonds. Now, is there a taxpayer in this
county who could think for moment
that he would not be benefited i'll some
way or other more than 50 cents of taxa
ton on the one thousand dollars valua-
ton of assessment on any taxable property
he might own, from the building, working
and maintaining of this road? think not.
Again, take our mechanics and l0boring
classes, and manufacturers, if you please,
in this city. All are benefited from this
work. This subscription view more of
a loan of credit by the county. 1t is
| only the Issuing of her bonds. These
bonds generally go abroad to be
negotiated. The money is brought back
into our county and expended; most all of
it goes into the pockets of our own peO-
pie, for the reason of the building of the
part of the road required of us is put in
the ground; the money, most all, passes
through the mechanic and laboring man,
thence back to the people of our own
county. But little is sent away to pur-
chase material for this kind of work.
lneSe are important IactS 10 CONSIDER.
When this road is completed to our wharf
there will be other classes of our COM
munity greatly benefited, that is
the cartman and drayman, for instance.
look upon this road, when once COM
pleted to our wharf, to the establishing
under this railway track, as far up the
wharf as it can be reached, large coal
bins or vaults to dump coal into, which
privilege can be rented to carriers, who
will purchase from the mines this coal
and sell and deliver the same to our citi-
zens at least one cent per bushel less than
is now paid, and of superior quality of
coal This is the manner in which it is
now done at Pittsburgh Go look at the
large coal vaults under the tracks on
Liberty street. above the Union depot.
Go to the MonOngahela Valley railroad /:
you find the same Go over to Sligo,
where there is more coal loaded i'll carts
in one day than Is sold in our city in one
week. Look at the rolling mills at Sill
go-all furnished in this way, and
that cheaply. This coal is all
brought by rail from ten to fifty miles
Why, sir, one of the principal stockhold-
ers and directors of the Pittsburgh Gas