The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-05-10
NORTHWEST AND THE NORTH
WESTERN ROAD.

whose assumed title Northwest
can scarcely be said to conceal his iden'
tity, takes issue with us concerning the
advantages to be gained by the build
ing OF q railroad to Sandusky and q
bridge across the Ohio river at this
point. He is partisan of the proposed
Wheeling and Tuscarawas Valley rail-
road; which is to run from Wheeling to
some place out in Ohio not exactly
located, or from some indefinite place
in Ohio to Wheeling, nobody seems to
know exactly where or which and he
is therefore unwilling to see this city
contribute anything to the Wheeling
and Lake Erie road, lest nothing be
left for his. But as his road canno,
receive any aid from Wheeling
unless it comes to the east side
of the river and makes its depot here
and as his company is not yet organ
lied and don't propose, even when
organized, to come to this side OF the
river; and as it don't take any interest
in and will give no aid to the building
of a railroad bridge whereby it migh'
come in if it wanted to; his opposition
TO the Wheeling and Lake Erie project
has a decidedly dog.in-themanger look
He will not only not put his own road
in shape to receive Wheeling 8 subscrip
ton upon terms acceptable to and de-
manded by the people, but he seeks to
prevent any other road from complying
with those terms and thus receiving
that aid which his company cannot or
will not avail itself of.
Now let US examine the several state
ments contained in his article upon the
subject. lie says:
Admitting the statement as to dis
tances to be true, | would ask what
advantage it would be to Wheeling to
aid in building a short line to eastern
cities for the benefit of Sandusky at
the expenditure of 100000 proposed
10 be subscribed.
Right here we must remark that the
sum proposed to be subscribed to the
railroad is not 100000 as asserted
above, but only three-sevenths of that
amount. The remainder is to be APP
propriated to building a bridge which
will be available for use 10y all the rail-
roads that may desire to cross the
river at this point, not excepting the
Wheeling and Tuscarawas Valley road.
As to the advantage it will be to
Wheeling to aid in building a short
line to eastern cities for the benefit,
not only Of Sandusky but Of the whole
Northwest, it will be sufficient perhaps
to refer the gentleman to his own elo'
quent and oft repeated denunclations o.
the policy that has resulted IL
depriving our city of direct rail-
road connections and putting Vi
off tie main line Of any i'm
portant road. The advantages of be-
ing directly upon the main and short
est line of freightand travel between two
important sections of country are
too obvious to need enumeration here
Short lines between the points of com
munication are always preferred t,
roundabout ones by travellers and ship
pers and are more profitable to thei
stockholders, and because the Wheelin!
and Lake Erie road will be an import
ant part of road between the sea
board and the Northwest one hundrcC
miles shorter than any OTHER route, 1t may
safely expect large business and tina
profits will accrue. Surely the stranges
objection that can be urged against any
railroad nowadays is that it is thu
shortest and most direct line.
But what next? He says:
1t is a well.kuown fact in railroading
that rates of freight, or passengers, are
not controlled by distance. In evidence
of this it is only necessary to refer you
to the various conferences Of the genera
freight agents of the great through
lines Baltimore and Ohio included
fixing the same tariff of rates, to anc
from all important points to govern al
the lines regardless of distance.
Is it "a well known fact in railroadius
that rates of freight or passengers ART
not controlled by distance" Does thu
passenger pay the same fare when hi
wants to go to Moundsville that he pay
for a ticket to Baltimore? If he does
If it is fact, it can scarcely be said t.
be well known" and we doubt whetheI
the railroad companies have yet founc
it out. The conferences Of the genera
freight agents" cited in evidence cal
scarcely be said to prove so startling
proposition. Upon the contrary, WI
find the railroad companies everywher
endeavoriug to strengthen and shorter
their lines, relaying the track whenever
single mile can be saved, and, at grea
expense. going through the hills rathe
than around them, for the sole purpos
of making a short line. Every othe
consideration is made to yield to tn
shortness of the road-which Is Gel
tainly very strange thing indeed
"the rates Of freight or passengers al