The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-28

Concerning the Railroad that We
are to Vote on Next Wednesday,

There has recently been such reviya
Of interest in the projected railroad VI
the river, from this city to Holiday.
Cove as to justify lively hope that tht
proposed subscription will be voted nexI
Wednesday, The matter was not hal
canvassed-indeed, scarcely canvassed al
all-prior to the vote last May. Nor has
1t been canyassed since until quite recent.
ly' The elaboration of the question by
Messrs. PENDLEToN and HUDBARD last
week, at the Court House, has done much
10 excite interest and inquiry, and from
oil We can learn, the people of this city
are beginning to wake up to the very
great value of tho proposed road. The
objection that many had to the PROPOSE.
tion voted on last spring, viz: that by
giving a mortgage the road was
liable to DO sold out, and our
stock to be totally lost, Is removed
by the modified proposition, under which
no mortgage on the road Is to be given
nor guarantee Of interest made; and It Is
generally considered, among men familiar
with such matters, that the proposition
Of the Pennsylvania Central to aid in the
building Of the road, as that proposition
now stands, Is a very fair and liberal one.
Considering that company has now one
line to this city, and could have no Incl
dental advantages to expect, such as
Wheeling has, from the new road, that
company manifests generous liberality
in Offering to incur hall the cost Of the
work on terms so nearly equal with our.
selves. II has been carefully ex.
planned in our columns, hut per.
haps cannot be explained too often,
that all the advantage the proposed af.
rangcment will give that company over
other stockholders Is that their stock Is to
be prelerred-that Is that In making divi.
dends theirs are to be paid first to the
amount ol z per cent per annum, 80 that II
the etprofts ofapy year are insufficient
TO pay 7per cent on all the stock, tho de.
tlciency will fall on the other stOCkhOld.
ers. Considering the relations Of the two
parties to the enterprise-the incidental
advantages which Brooke and Ohio will
derive from it-this preference Is not an
unreasonable condition. The Pennsylya.
mia Company can investits capital in 9th.
or places where a return Of Z per cent Is
assured, and we cannot expect any Capi.
talists 10 do better than 1t offers.
The greatest value of this road to the
city will be, as we have conceived from
the beginning, in It's competitive character
With It's depot in the business center of
the city we can reach the CHIEF centcrs of
business east and west just as well as by
tho Baltimore 8 Ohio. It will be q com.
petitOr with the latter, In either direction,
on terms Of complete equality. That
such competition would be worth thou.
sands Of dollars every year to the business
men Of this city Is beyond all doubt
This seems to us to be the most important
single advantage afforded by the new line
to this city. At the same time It will be
Of great Value-a value not easily calcu.
lated or antlcipated-in afording u
wholesome check TO the now threatening
and already dangerous influence Of tho
Baltimore & Ohio corporation in the al.
fairs orthc city. Nothing is 80 fatal to the
growth and progress oI a city as to beln the
grasp Of some monster corporation, which
shapes everything Tor its own advantage
and tolerates no competitors. Let us get
down Mr. SCorr and Mr.. GARnErr in our
city on an equal footing, and let them
fight II out. So long as we have
but one great corporation we shall be
Obliged, In self defense, constantly to re.
sist lis aggressionS. Il we havetwo, each
will hold the other in check, and we can
go Oh looking after our own affairs and
protiling by their contests. Wesay then,
that branch Of the Pennsylvania road,
with depot in the business part of the
city, would be almost invaluable to pro-
tect uS from tho aggresslons OF the Balti.
moro and Ohio, just AZ the latter would
be II the Pennsylvania Genital was our
only road The TACT that the Baltimore
and Ohio Company, through all It's ofIl-
GERS and Iuglcmen, Is so bitterly hostile to
this road Up the rlvar, ought, Of itself, to
be conclusive evidence Of It's value TO the
city as "a competitor for business, and
equally as n competitor for IN
iluence In the affairs Of city and
county, and for iavors at their hands
Another benefit that will be conferred
on Wheeling, and one that will grow 10
its proportions year by year for all time,
will be the development oI business and
population along the river from here to
The county line. Wheeling and Ohio
county must build q railroad up the river,
AZ n measure Of self protection. They
must do Il to develop manufacturing in.
tercst there. There are ten miles OF man.
ufacturlng sites on the river between here
and the Brooke line, with hills full Of
such coal as we have here and the river
underlaid With such asthey have at steu.
benville. Yet nd mahhfacIofies win or
can bo built above tho city without a
railroad; and II such facilities arc not
afforded in that direction, Wheeling capi.
A. - a -. N..,s a. Nforahatl