The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-05-10
THE RAILROAD SUBSCRIPTION.

81
couny are to vote upon the proposition
10 subscribe Ole hundred and nifty
thousand dollars to the capital stock OF
the Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Kentucky
railroad. The question whether or not
the SUBSCRIPTION should be made, is one
which mainly concerns the taxpayers
of the county, since it is they alone who
will be compelled 10 bear the expense OF
the Improvement. The untaxable por
ton of the community will share in the
benefits to be derived from the construc-
ton of the road, but those benefits
will be purchased wholly at the cost OF.
the owners Of taxable property. 1t may
therefore be regarded as peculiarly
question for the property owners TO de
termine whether the subscription will
prove a wise investment OF funds ami
return to the city and county an ade-
ouate profit Tor the adventure.
The argument in favor Of the
subscription may be briefly stated.
By the completion of a railroad
connecting tie Pittsburgh, Gin
cinnati and St. Louis railway with
the city of Wheeling, a short line to the
East by way OF Pittsburgh will be Sc
cured. The advantage it will have over
the present river division Of the Cleve-
land and Pittsburgh road, will be the
saving in transportation between Wheel
ing and Bridgeport and a shortening OF
about twenty miles in the whole dis.
lance to Pittsburgh. 1t is thought
that, with these advantages, freights
from the East may be received here at
lower rates than are now charged by
either the Pennsylvania Central or the
Baltimore and Ohio road. 1t is also
urged that, 10y thus bringing the Penn
svlvania Central railroad into our city
(for the new road a. well as the Pan
handle road are known to he under the
Influence OF that powerful corporation)
a direct competition will he produced
between the two great eastern lines and
that our merchants and, through them,
the consumers OF merchandise, will be
benefited by the consequent reduction
Of freights. 1t is also thought 10y some
that the value OF lands near the line of
the road will be materially enhanced
and that coal property in that vicinity
will find a reader market and at a
higher price than now.
Another argument IN favor of the
subscription, growing out OF the pre-
sumcd competition between the Penn
svlvania Central and the Baltimore and
Ohio railroads is found in the expccta-
ton that that competition will stimu-
late the Baltimore and Ohio Company
TO complete as speedily as may be the
extension Of the Hempfeld to the near
est point of the Connellsville road, so as
to shorten and improve the line Of
TRANSPORTATION between Wheeling and
Baltimore. There is a practicable
route for the extension Of the Hemp
field road which will save about forty
miles in the distance between this city
and Cumberland, and present fewer
curves and easier grades than the road
now in use. Ii that line were cOmplet-
ed, the city of Wheeling would be the
principal point between Baltimore and
the West, and our facilities for Eastern
and Western trade would be materially
improved The advocates of the pend
ing subscription to Pittsburgh road are
OF opinion that the building Of that road
will considerably hasten the construc-
ton OF the other, and that two desirable
objects may thus be attained by voting
the subscription.
We believe that the considerations set
forth above are the principal ones why
the subscription should be made. They
constitute the credit side of the account
the one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars being placed on the other side.
1t is possible that the stock Of the new
road which may be purchased by our
subscription, may, of itself, prove profit
able by yielding dividends, and it is
probable that it will always have a
marketable value and that the amount
of our subscription may not become a
virtual donation to the road. Be that
as it may, it is for the people of the
county to determine whether the bene-
fits to be derived from the new road are |
worth one hundred and fifty thousand |
dollars; if our stock should prove valu-
able, our bargain will have been so
much the better.
As yet, there seems to be very little
popular interest taken in the matter.
Our citizens need to talk more with
each other in relation to the proposed
subscriptions They need to be more
active. if anything like full vote OF
A. . Il -, .bo OOH