The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-31
The City Finances and the Railroad
subscriptions. '@@
10 the EdItots oi the IntellIgeneef.

To the Editors OF the 1ntelligeneer.
The city Is asked for q subscription Of
100000 to the Wheeling 4 Lake Ere
Railroad and The proposed Railroad
Bridge. Leaving entirely out q view the
merits Of these projects themselves, there
Is a wide difference Of opinion among the
people as TO whether the city should In
The present state Of her finances incur so
large an additional liability for any rail.
road. understand the present fixed In.
debtednesS Of the city TO be $780, 900. In
addition to this she will almost certainly
become liable for over $4,000 more Tor
the purchase Of the gas works, concerning
which litigation Is pending. There are
few who doubt that the city will ultimate.
ly gain her case and pay the purchAae
price fixed by the commissioners. 1hthe
event Of such termination Of the pending
suit between the city and the gas company
steps have already been taken by the city
council TO enlarge the gas works (which
enlargement Is an absolute necessity at an
expense Of $4,000. Then thearection of
new building and pumps, and probably
the construction OF a new and larger
basin for the water works, Is universally
admitted to be inevitable at the earliest
day possible. This will cost, It Is esti-
mated, from $4,000 TO $250000. This,
added to the present debt and the cost OF
purchase and enlargement Of the gas
works, will make q total interest bearing
debt Of from $52000Oitol $620OOO.p Add
to this the city's proportion OF the county
subscription 20 the Pittsburgh, Wheeling
u Kentucky Railroad, say $50 900, and
her share of the outstanding county debt,
$4,000, and VIC have grand total inter-
est bearing liability Of nearly 81, 000 900.
Under this condition Of our finances the
wisdom OF incurring an additional liabili.
tY otF$6000Q0 (pr 1850 000it the county
votes a. subscription 6fi$100, 900 10 the
bridge may, to say the least, be- doubtful.
But there isanother consideration which
Is worthy OF notice in this connection.
The expectation Is by no means rare, that
President Scott Of the Pennsylvania Cen.
trail and the Southern Pacific Railroads
will secure between these two great lines,
a connection along the Ohio river. Which
side Of the river such q connecting line
may take, will depend, doubtless, upon
the condition Of the Pittsburgh, Wheeling
q Kentucky road-(now in process Of
building from this city to the Panhandle
road opposite Steubenville)-at the time
MIR. Scott may undertake its construction.
The people at various points below u,
on this side of the river are al
ready manifesting considerable interest
in the extension Of the P. W. s. K. road
southwark; and should Wheeling be able
and willing, at the proper time, to aid IN
Its extension down the river, 1t would GER
tainly greatly increase the probability
that Mr.. SCOTS southern connection
would take the eastern side OF the river.
But without such encouragement from
Wheeling and points below, the probabili.
ty would DO strong that he will complete
the Marietta road from Bellaire SOUTH
ward and make that and the @. & P. road
his connecting line. This would certainly
be disastrous to Wheeling, as she would
be left entirely off great north and
south line that must rank tavorably with
the greatest lines Of the country. Z. ]
Would it not therefore be wise to hold
our hands for the present and not exhaust
our entire strength on an enterprise OF
uncertain benefit to US even when COM
pleted.
The entire abandonment by the city oil
road to the northwest, Is neither adso.
Gated nor advised. The entire Communi.
ty feels and admits the Importance ofsuch
road, but the feeling is evidently very
common among the people, that about
100000 is the most that should be invest
ed by the city in any one road running
from the city in any direction. Let US
not lose sight Of our north and south in
tercsts willie considering our northwes.
tern interests. VIEDRx.