The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-01
The wheeling and Lake Erie Rail-
road.

to"usnlp correspondence VI she SN
benville Gazette:
l believe that will change my sub
ject little, and iet our neighbors know
how we are progressing with the Wheel
ing and Lake Erie railroad. l guess
that every person knows that a route
has been surveyed, and in all probsbil-
ity (if reports are correct) will be located
before this reaches some Of your numer-
GUS readers. But in case that some
have not heard that there is to be
great railroad built from the Ohio river
TO the Lakes, l will mention some OF
the points, so that they can, by the aid
of an atlas, find its course. 1t will
start at or near Wheeling, and run up
to Short creek, and from thence up
Short creek to where Piny fork
empties into it; thence up Pipy
fork to Hopedsle, Harrison coun-
ty. CDssing the summit at Hope.
dale, it will strike the Panhandle at or
near Fairview, running from thence in
a direct line with the Panhandle TO
Bowerstown; there it leaves the Pan.
handle, running directly 10 or through
the towns OF Zoar, Bolivar, Orrville or
Wooster, Norwalk, Milan and San
dusky. These, | believe, are the prin'
cipal points. But all projects, however
bright and fair they may seem at first,
will have their difficulties TO contend
with. After securing the right OF way
the whole distance, with the exception
OF few farms, and while the people
along Piny fork were looking with
delight, in Imagination, at the cars
dashing by, some loaded with lumber
from the vast forests OF Michigan, and
others with horses, cattle, sheep and
hogs from the surrounding counties,
and at the same time viewing the
heavy coal trains passing north
loaded with the beautiful coal,
mined from our extensive coal
fields, and while in this beautiful dream
OF coming pleasure, they were aroused
by the people on the dry fork Of Short
creek, and the citizens OF Smithtield,
surveying a route from Short creek up
Dry Fork via Smithfeld 10 Hopedale,
and which would forever end the
enchanting view on Piny fork. On
went the surveying party, needless of
breaking their necks up the narrow
detile that nature had formed for rail
road to Smithfeld, and pushed the
survey on past Smithtield through the
lands Of y. Hammond to an old potter
shop, about two and one-half miles
north Of Smithfeld, and there they
stopped for some reason unknown TO me.
Piny Forkers commenced TO think that
if they followed the ridge to Hopedale,
that when they got there they would
have to let the passengers down on the
Conotton Valley by means Of rope, or
some other way quite as pleasant, but
some OF them thought that they could
get back from the potter shop 10 the
Piny fork survey, some miles below
Hopedale, and 10 ascertain the facts oi
the case, some persons concluded 10
view the route between the two surveys,
and | have understood that alter care.
iul examination they report about as
follows: Commencing at the potter
shop they would tunnel north about
one-half a mile TO a pleasant little
ravine on William Coles farm; there
they would make a short curve by
means OF a turn-table, and run about
forty rods due west, where they would
make tunnel three4uarters oi a mile
long (the tunnel running southwest on
to the lands OF F. ?. Bell thence
nearly due south, down a beautiful
little creek that emptes into the prInc.
pal tributary OF Piny fork, and where
the healthy odor ofthe skunk would
make the weary passenger enjoy his
breakfast; down this valley one half
mile to where another delightful little
stream puts forth, and makes an exten-
sive bottom some ten rods wide. and
down this they will 60 until the longest
train passes where the last named
stream puts forth; then they will back
up in about one hundred rods, where
they will make another tunnel about
one mile long under the lands OF John
Hannah aud James Trainer, this tun-
mel running northwest to point on the
original survey; and in this shape they
will back into Hopedale, unload pass
engers and freight, make another revo-
luton on a turntable, and pass on TO
the lakes rejoicing. | will cay, in
conclusion, if Piny FORK wants the road
they must not dream any longer, but 90
TO work.