The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-04
The Projected RaiIrOad-suggOStlOnS
from an Old Citizen.

from IN Olu CltlA6us
TO tho People Of Wheeling:
Having been an observer Of Wheeling,
its prosperity and misfortunes, for over
fifty years, and having been in q manner
identified with 1t, l feel that have the
right to call the attention Of tho people
to the subject of railroads.
This city has been unfortunate so far In
its railroad improvements, which should
at least warn tho people u DO more
careful how 1t engages in such enterprises
for the future.
The difficulty heretofore has mainly re-
suited from the want of proper reflection
and consideration before engaging in the
various projects from abroad, or got up
at home, IN relation to this subject.
Let us first look at this matter In the
light that heretofore should have gov.
Grned us In eur considerations on such
subjects. ~"
In tho first place, the city OF Wheeling
is q manufacturing town, and that bust.
ness mainly confined to iron.
We have coal and timber In great
abundance, and q surrounding country
capable oisupplying US with food. The
ore and metal como 10 Us from abroad,
and from various points. Our mercantile
transactions arc limited to the supply Of
dry goods and groceries TO u moderately
large district Of country,
We cannot compete with the great
west and northwest in sending food Of
any kind across tho mountains, for flour,
beef and pork can DO sent from Cincin.
natl or Chicago, for the same we can ship
from this point, II not for less, and we can.
not compete with them in that business.
Why do VIC want the river, railroads,
and other roads to come to US heroY
We want them for two principal pur.
poses: first to bring TO us tho raw mate.
rial Of ore and pig iron, and To carry of
the nails and other manufactured iron,
and glass we manufacture hero. We can.
not send those articles eastward, for we
import vast quantities Of railroad iron,
even from Europe. Our manufactured
articles go southwest, west and northwest,
to almost any extent and we want the
means Of sending our wares to those
points. We have In our hills hero and In
OHIO, vast quantities Of bituminOns Goa,
and that must 60 to those same points and
not eastwardly.
We have no business with Pittsburgh
or Philadelphia worth speaking Of. Tho
wants OF Pittsburgh, in most respects, arc
precisely the same As ours. She Is en-.
ph0tiCally tho Iron City, and her interests
and trade arc tho same rs ours Do VIC
sell any iron, manufactured or otherwise,
To PitisburghP l think not; neither do
they sell 10 us. l would ask, then, Of
what usG will q railroad to Pittsburgh, or
To the Panhandle road, be 10 US :
My opinion Is, that II all the money our
city has paid towards the making OF the
roads she has helped TO construct had
been properly expended II would have
gOno far towards making q road west.
wardly or enthusiastically, which would
have been OF great use to us. II II had
been paid into such road, 1t would havo
brought the eastern and northern roads to
us for the connection with our road.
1would not wish 10 be considered as
opposed 10 tho up river road, soon TO be |
before our citizens for their vote, for II
would be Of great use 10 Our city, by OK.
tending our iron mills In that direction
but for the purpose Of communicating |
with other States Il would DO Of little Use.
We have the Ohio river for our south.
western and western trade. We have
the Ohio Central for the West and the
Cleveland & Pittsburgh for the North.
What we want is good road going out
Of, md having It's terminus in this city,
and reaching Toledo, or some point be- |
yond, in that direction. .
We do not want tho road to terminate
on the Island or one TO run into, or on
the Baltimore 4 Ohio, or the Cleveland y
Pittsburgh roads, but one which shall
cross tho river and land in tho town OF
some wellChOscn point. II can make no
difference whether the road shall run up
the valley OF Wheeling or Short creek, so
that II terminates here, and gives It's q fair
outlet in the Northwest Tho great want
of the Northwest Island will be our coal,
and the route, which will give tho great.
est facilities for that trade, will best suit
tho people Of the last named region.
1t seems to me that VIC have II In our
power now 10 do What we ought To have
done al first, that is, TO bring great road
from tho Northwest into our midst, lam
well acquainted with the ground over
which Il is proposed to run the road
Northwest.
The whole coal formation, as well as all
the various strata composing this neigh
hOrhOOd, dip southeast perhaps some.
thing over twenty feet 10 the mile, and In
going northwest, the whole rise, until the
coal runs entirely out on the surface Of
the ground. .s.....-
Tic great stratum Of coal In use here,
dips under the river bottom about two
miles and half below Bellaire, and leaves
the hll.tops shortly above Steubenville.
In the valley of Wheeling 1t could be
worked about twenty miles, TO near New
Athens, on the Crab.Applo Fork, and you
would cut the Same vein going down tho
slope Of saltwater Creek, where II crops
ont, Wheeling Greek Ia a very rapid,
crooked creek, and very expensive line
Tor n railroad.
Aner you get fairly on the Boggs Fork,
OF ron Big saltwater, there would be no
further difficulty, The town Of Freeport
isabout five miles below the mouth Of
Boggs' Fork. ..
At Urichsvillo, or very near that place,
yon cross the Stcubenville Il Indiana rail.
road.
The other contemplated route, com
mencing here, and crossing the Ohio ut
ne - a. r. . y NFNN