The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-12-07

or first secured by a deposit of
money to the owner irrespective Of any
benefit from any improvement proposed
by such corl Grafton" This road from
Bridgeport to Freeport runs through q
part of four townships in Belmont
county, and one in Harrison, hav.
ing in them perhaps (a) two small
towns, which will be directly in
terested in the road. II the above be
the truth as to the disinterestedness OF
the people along that part OF the route,
consisting 80 largely Of bridges, cuts
and tunnels, where will we get the
eight hundred thousand or a million
dollars which must be had, independent
OF other aids, to build branch di.
rectly to our doors on the Island 2
We may safely say that not three hun
dred thousand can be had along the
line, which leaves from 100000 to
100000 as Wheeliugs portion, without
bridging Back river. Suppose all these
obstacles can be overcome, to do which
there is not vet anything done, even
ION paper" and the road built, then
wbat2
We become switch by the grace and
at the mercy OF the Cleveland and
Marietta road. We get another road
TO Cleveland l72 miles long, or 80 miles
longer than the present Cleveland and
Pittsburgh road. 1t is SO miles from
here to Dennison and 95 from there to
Grafton, making l47 miles from here to
Grafton, l9l miles from here to San
dusky, and 235 miles to Toledo. By
the Cleveland and Pittsburgh road we
are now 80 miles nearer to Cleveland,
and by the Wheeling and Lake Erie
{ (Hopedale) route we will be 43 miles
nearer Sandusky, and some 40 miles
nearer Toledo than by the Wheeling
Creek and Cleveland road.
Does it make any difference to our
city that 95 miles of road from Grafton
to Dennison are under contract and to
be finished by October, 1872, so long as
a gap of SO miles from here to Denni-
son remains to be built, and that too
uuder separate charter, bya separate
com pany OF which we are expected to
be the fipancive head centre? The
whole thing reduces itself to PROPOSE
ton to us to furnish means to build a
switch to point on Cleveland road,
built by Cleveland men TO carry trade to
Cleveland. All this, with not a dollar
subscribed, nor a foot of right of way
obtained. There is another fact which
your readers perhaps ought to know.
This same Cleveland company some
time ago proposed to connect with the
Wheeling and Lake Erie company at
Navarro upon the express condition
that the road should not run further
north westward towards Sandusky and
Toledo.
Now, a few words as to the
WHEELING AND LAKE ERIE (sANDUsKY)
ROAD.
The road is so named because an
other road via Cadiz had already been
chartered by the name Of the Wheeling
and Toledo railroad company, but leav-
ing out, or scratching out, after the
thing was signed by some Of our people,
Jefferson county. The certificate OF the
Wheeling and Lake Erie company was
filed with the Secretary Of State OF
Ohio, April 6, 1871. due publication
made and the formalities Of the law
duly observed. On the 10Th OF Septem-
Der last, officers were duly elected, and
some tour business meetings OF the Off
GERS and directors have been held. The
books of the company are opened along
the route and nearly 100000 of the
stock subscribed or pledged, independ-
ent Of what Wheeling may do, and the
committees are busily at work all along
the route, who report great success IN
procuring subscriptions, the right OF
way, depot grounds, &c. A very large
majority OF the right Of way has been
secured, or, perhaps, it were better to
say. that not much in that direction
remains to be done.
1t has on the whole line from here
to Saudusky but three tunnels-one Ell
900, one OF 600 and one OF 2DO feet,
with very little approach. 1t has but
two bridges on the Short creeks, five on
Piney Fork, tour on Con notten, two on
the Tuscarawas and one one each on the
Killbuck. Vermillion. Huron, GIenns
rnn and Deep run. Thus from here to
Sandusky by this route we have not so
many bridges by l3, nor 90 many 'eet
OF tunnels by 300, nor 30 many eet Of
a approaches by about $500 as by the
little road up Wheeling creek, between
here and Dennison. So much faith
have eastern capitalists in this road a.
an investment that they offer, when
right OF way. depot grounds and ten
dollars per mile are secured.
TO furnish the money to build and equip
the road, investing their money first.
This may he all "only on paper" but
it looks quite refreshing,
This road passes through the same
counties: ,:.( J eferson and Carroll added)
as does the Cleveland and Marietta
wheeling creek) road, crossing it at
Navarro by a route Is miles shorter
than via Wheeling creek, running
thence northwesterly through Wooster,
Congress, West Salem, New London.
Norwalk and Milan to Ssndusky, and
thence, or from Norwalk, to Toledo. II
opens up to US 25 miles of the Short
creek valley, and reaches to q much
better advantage the rich deposits of
coal, ore and minerals, and gives to US
bee-line route to the northwest and to
our coal market, the counties Of Wayne,
Ashland, Huron, Erie, Sandusky, OF
tawa and Lucas, with the great and
growing cities Of Sandusky and Toledo,
and the great west and northwest be-