The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-31

SNeAAS
the B. & o. Road opposite this city.
When the B. & o. Company applied to
Council for leave TO occupy the streets
with It's bridge, that leave was refused,
and after that refusal Council filed n bill
In chancery TO compel them 10 como here.
We all know what has been the result.
The Baltimore & Ohio by the iIliberal
policy OF the city was practically driven
from the city and compelled to make Its
practical terminus five miles below, where
II has built up rival city Of considerable
magnitude.
When the G. & p. Railroad was about
to be constructed It WINS desired by those
who had the enterprise In charge 10 build
on this side OF the river, but there were
special local influences, with view TO
personal speculation, that were sufficient.
ly influential 10 transfer the road TO the
Ohio side. Now we are obliged 10 ap.
propriate $925,000 10 build n road we
might have had by the exercise oI Ordi.
nary sagacity and public spirit at the
time the O. & P. road was built.
The result of these errors has been
shown you In the difference IN the pro.
gress in wealth and population oi some
other cities and this in the last 90 years.
The manufacturing enterprises of this city
have been perhaps more than ordinarily
successful. Your facilities for fuel are
such that you can manufacture certain
commodities cheaper than anywhere
else. II my information is correct the nail
mills and glass.works here for the last five
years have averaged 90 per cent year
on their investment Capital has been
accumulated, but what has become Ol il?
Capital has gone TO Bellairc, 100000 for
q nail mill and $4,000 for a glass.works.
Less than three years ago a glass manu-
featuring establishment in the city em.
plOying between two or three hundred
hands, transferred its entire capital and
operations to the Ohio side, in Martins,
vile. Two new rolling mills are now in
contemplation by Wheeling capitalists on
the Ohio side Of the river between Bell
aire and Martins Ferry. l hear OF no
proposition TO establish additional manu-.
featuring establishments on this side OF
the river, and you barely saved the Top
Mill by the construction OF the road to
Holidays Cove. know the proprietors
after their property was burned would
have abandoned their site, with its valua-
BILE coal privilege, and transferred their
whole capital across the river but for the
prospect Of that road.
The reason Of this migration Of Wheel
ing capital is that you cannot sustain
manufacturing establishments unless you
have immediate and present facilities for
transportation. Nail mills must have at
their doors the means OF bringing their
pig iron and taking away their nails.
Whatever commodities you manufacture
you must have convenient facilities for
transportation. These are obtained by
crossing the river. And there you obtain
competition as to freights. Here we have
only one road, and no competition except
by an expense in reaching the G. g. p.
road that would more than make up the
difference in lrt6ghts charged by the B.
s. o. road.
These arc the reasons why Wheel
ing has not increased in population
and wealth as rapidly as neighboring
cities. How 1t is proposed this city shall
get along in future, shall carry on its
business operations, maintain its capital
and population, without increasing its
facilities, when rival cities are constantly
increasing theirs, passes my comprehen-
sion.
Gov. STANTON then proceeded 10 say
that the Lake Shore s. Tnscarawas Valley
road, which would be built 10 the Pan
handle by next October, was resolved to
have an outlet to the Ohio river. They
would probably, if this enterprise failed,
strike either at Portland above the city or
at Bellaire below, by tapping tho Central
Ohio at point not far from that city.
The d. & o. Company had made over
lures to them for o line south by way of
Freeport and Saltwater so as to cross the
summit between MacMahon's Creek and
Saltwater, and strike the Central Ohio in
the neighborhood of Bcllaire and secure
such running connections as the l.. s. s.
T. V. would desire. This would bisect u
country whose trade now comes to Wheel.
ing by the common roads, and take large
part Of its trade to Bellaire or north.
ward.
he said there was abundance Of capital
in the city to construct this road and Sc
cure these connections but 1t must be
done at once If at all. Unless the legisla-
ton asked for can be obtained ut the pres.
ent session land the Legislature has agreed
to adjourn on the 10Th Of February 1t
cannot be done. Next winter will be
too late. The L. s. & T. V. Company will
have its connections to the river arranged
in another direction. A resolution OF the
City Council has asked the Legislature 10
authorize a subscription by the city to a
road from this city to Toledo, which must
be completed in IS months and whose ter
minus must be on the east side of the
main channel Of the river and all Of whose
shops shall be here. That makes that
project absolutely impracticable. 1t
therefore becomes a matter OF imperative
necessity that we shall do something at
the present session and there are
but about two weeks for do.
ing it. If there was any
difference of opinion about the resolutions
reported he hoped the dissent would be
expressed. The meeting, he was happy TO
see, was very large, intelligent and reSpec.
table-more so, he thought, than any rail.
road meeting he had ever witnessed In the
city.
THOMAS SWEENEY, ESQ.,, followed in
some very pertinent and lorcible remarks,
which the want Of space and time obliges
US to abbreviate. He understood 1t had
been said this Citizens Committee (of
which he was a membcr had something
back, some secret interest in this matter
which was to be promoted by the con-
struction Of this road. For himself rs a
property holder, he thought every gentle.
man knew from the location Of the main
portion of his real estate, his interest
would he greatly promoted by the
Toledo road, which was to come
in at tue northern end of the city. lie
took occasion TO say he was not opDCsed