The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-18
A Railroad into Hancock.


ing Il Kentucky railroad from this city
to Holiday Cove, may now he considered
an assured fact. The subscriptions by
the two counties have been formally
made, and the cash will be ready rs soon
as arrangements can he made To begin
work. The next step will be the survey,
and we learn the directors will arrange
for that nj the earliest moment
Now why should not Hancock county
wake up and run the road on up the river
into her domain? Hancock, though not
very extensive in territory, is 4 wealthy
and important county. She has over
10000 acres Of good land;a real estate tax
basis of $l,3SG, 500, and personal estate
taxed at $G43,553, or in all II tax basis Of
$2,O30,0j3. In this valuation the land
is put down nj only an average Of
$2i per acre. Almost every acre Of
land in llNncOCl; is worth much more
than that, most Of it double and some OF it
four times that. Hancock is worth three
millions Mt \ low estimate. But why
should not Hancock be worth much more?
Not only is the whole county rich in agr.
cultural resources, but along the river
there are splendid manufacturing advan-
tAgcs that if improved would dcvclope
immense business interests. There is
now large fire brick interest about
New Cumberland. 1t should be much
greater. The supply Of the best fire clay
is unlimited; so is the demand for the
brick. The sole difficulty is in the lack
OF facilities for shipment During last
seasons drOuth ten millions of
these brick accumulated during the
drOuth, and when the river is open the
losses by sinking barges is so heavy as
to impair the profits Of the business. To
ship by rail the brick must be sent by
barge down 10 Stcubcnville, unloadcd
and hauled u long distance up into the
city to reach the railroad depot. With
such heavy article Of merchandise this
IS eXpensivc-COsts more than shipment
several hundred miles by rail after the
brick are on the cars. The present fire
brick interests about New Cumberland
want railroad. So Do the farming and
mercantile interests Of the whole county;
and how greatly it would expand and
develope every interest in the county is
matter OF too frequent illustration these
times to need argument.
lfa road cannot be run the whole
length Of the county, it ought to 90 as far
north as New Cumberland at least. This
is, we believe, about the middle Of the
county by the river line. The route along
the river is an easy one and the road need
not be expensive. 1.-THE Hancock people
choose 10 connect with the +. G. IL St
Louis road and with the p. W. Il X. road
at Holidays Cove, they could shin byrail
in three directions, West by crossing on
the Steubenville bridge, East to Pitts.
burgh and beyond, and South to Wheel
ing, land after whilc;o Kentucky and the
whole South
1t is the policy OF the Pennsylvania
Central Railroad people to encourage 10
cal feeders and If the people Of Hancock
would make the road bed, SCOTr would
no doubt equip and stock it, Or il the
Hancock people preferred they could
hitch on to the +. W. ~ X, and could no
doubt obtain from It such facilities us
needed. They could come into this com.
pany and build their road to distance of
ten miles from Holidays Cove, under
the cOmpanys branching power. That
power Is conferred under the charter, by
section 8 Of the Glst chapter Of tho
Virginia code OSG0) We quote itin full:
~. The president and directors Of any com.
pany Incorporated IN construct railroad ~ 9th.
~ work OF Internal Improvement may CAll-c To
I've made In connection Herewith branch nil,
roads or lateral works, not exceeding two miles
each In length aud, uH,itT u TCstiHiiDu HiOIi,,i
In gen raj M|'ling by moMiTds NJ all ne iof,s
NJ all NE HtOckhOidsrs, may CGuE' h b. mT'is
6rdHch TdiiTOndS ~ kIisTi rO,ks, not rTcttiing
Ten nllL,s In tsi0h'
This would confer full power on the =.
W. d X. Co. 10 mike nm extension OI ten