Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-01-18

political economy is TO accomplish this
summing up, and secure just and equit-
able government, and we conceive the
main-spring to it all to be to encourage
production, and create q market. All
farmers the world over would not do.
All mechanics the world over would
not do; but the grand central native
power to prosperity is to so commingle
and combine all men as to conduce to
the good of one another by the law of
reciprocation. ID.
WHEELING s. TUSCARAWAS
z VALLEY RAILWAY.
Some Facts and Figures for the
People of Belmont County. 4
To the Editors OF the InteilIgencsr 81
I have read number of articles, by
different persons in your paper, in re-
gard TO the above named railroad,
Most of the writers of these articles
made it a point to tell the city of Whee-
ling and her citizens what their duty
was in regard to this and other pro-
iected railroads. While I realize the
fact that the city of Wheeling and her
citizens win have to lead and set an
example in giving that will encourage
and inspire Others to follow, still it is
just as Important that the citizens; OF
Belmont county, and especially those
of the north part of the county and the
towns on and near the line of the pro-
posed road, should be reminded that
no small part of this work belongs to
them In order to direct the attention
of some of our citizens to the impor-
tance of the road to ourselves, / propose
to give you some figures which think
we can all understand, and from which
we may learn our Inherit AID duty at
the present. stgo7s rl.a :. ls. s...l-..f u,
1t is now some thirty years since the
road up Wheeling Creek was first sur
veyed by Mr.. Purcell. Hon. David
Alien, of Bridgeport, President OF that
organization, with other prominent
men Of this county, spent much time
and means in attempting ,to. enlist the
public in what / hope they may yet
/ live to see accomplished, and realize
1.-THE fact that they failed then for the
reason only that they were in advance
of their day and their generation. -!
Some of us well remember at q cer-
tain time when the Central Ohio rail-
road was being projected, !, before it was
located, some of the leading men came
Ito Bridgeport, called on parties having
control of a large tract OF land, and
asked chow much land will you let us
have for railroad purposes II this road
lshould be located here ?" Just what
win answerfor depot grounds If ycu pay
for, it; not q foot for speculation
l"Won,t you offer US any inducements
to come to this place if we find we car
come through the Oyerbaugh Gap%'
l"No sir; you are bound to come here
lyou can't help yourself; you are bound
to come to Wheeling, and can't gel
there any other way" Other person:
land places offered inducements. Tha'
railroad company proved that they
were not "bound to come to Bridge
port,u and they could go to othel
places. The land has been, sold at hat
the price 1t would have brought If in
tducements had been offered and the
railroad located on twenty-five acres o
the best of it as free gift. s.,r.. -
n What would it have been worth Il
. the north part of Belmont county, and
to the city of Wheeling had the c. o. X
. lR. been SO located at that time?. Th'
! following figures will show what 9th
: Iers have gained by the present location
! of that road, and give us all an idea o
! what we have lost. In the figures u.s.
, below, 1 wish it to be remembered tha
: they are only the valuations for tG1a
!. ltion and hence do not represent thu
: lual,se of property. In the year 1850
1.-THE seven townships in in the nOrtl
part of Belmont county, to wit, Kirk
! wood, Union, Flushing, Wheeling
Richland, Colerain, and Pease, haC
i taxable property on the duplicate TO
r lw hich includes real estate ant
!. .lpersonal property amounting to 81, ,3l6,
The nine townships in the soutt
1 part OF; the county which have sixty
three sections, or 8, $50 acres more lane
than the north townships named above
|, had but So, ,275, 1856, which left the nortf
: townships worth S1,040,62 more thai
. the south, beside the excess Of territory
: at that date. tt E;s.
The G. o. r. r. is located in the souti
, lpart of the county, and was opened Il
I Bellaire in 1854. Now, mark well thu
, result. Every years returns increas'
: 1.-THE valuation of the southern town
iships. could give you the increast
II of 1860 and 1865, but it would take to-
q much of your space, and / will pass t
1870, giving the late appraisement Q
. lands, town property, and the return
of personal property of that year. Tb'
|. nine. southern townships place on tn
I duplicate S9,6O4, ,285. The seven north
3 epn townships place hut $9.405. .099 OF
the tax duplicate, leaving $l99, 1S8 .shor
. lof an equal valuation, in place of beinl
: lover million ahead, as they were il
= 1856. To make It more plain to all, lie
: us take the townships through whicl
: the G. o. r. r. now passes, and tn
! TOWNSHIPS through which the Tusca
: trawas Valley r. R. will pass on tn
I tlWheeling Creek route. The C. o. r
.stR. masses through Warren, Goshen
!. Smith, Riohland and PAltney. In lS5
!, these five townships placed on tn
! county duplicate properly amoqntip 2
I Railroad will pass through Flushing
= Wheeling, Colerain, Richiand an
q Pease; these five townships, with TWEEN
: ty-four sections less of land than tn
: other five, placed on the duplicat
!. I$3. .332, ,S05, or $3.50, ,073 more than tn
. other FIVE townships. But see tn
. change that 1870 makes: Warner
!. Goshen, Smith, Richland and Pultne
, come up with s., ,049, 300, while Flush
. ing, Wheeling, Colerain, Richland an
e Pease have but 81 ,079, ,543-falling shol
q 1870, ,1S7. s,z-. -. ~. a.. a
i Notwithstanding these township
4 have the best land, much smoother an
a be- ter cultivated, the other township
: with the g. o. r. R., gain a millio
. and a quarter on them in a few year
,s That your readers in the city an
= = Bridgeport may have these figures fil
:, ed in their minds, allow me to shol
= the same comparison between Peas
. township, Martinsyille and Bridgepor
n and Pultney township, the home I
- Rol1oiro