The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-06-01
Plain Truth about the Bridge Scheme
-.What we have Advocated and

ssWhat we nave AuV0chteu anu
What not.
The Rtgistsr in its persistent purpose to
deceive Its readers in the matter Of the
subscriptions to be voted on to-day, finds
especial pleasure in lalsifying the position
of this paper and PeryertiDg our utter.
ances. 1t quotes with much itG!ic type
an editorial from our issue of March 9th,
on the feasibility Of building bridge IN.
der the charter then recently obtained
from the Legislature, to make It appear
that We then advocated what VIC now
oppose. Such is not the fact at oil, as any
one may see who does US the compliment
, to read that article and this. Tho line Of
argument then was as to the feasibility,
generally, of building a railway bridge as
proposed, independent Of the Companies
owning the lines crossing 1t. That argu.
ment proceeded on these important as.
sumptions:
LIST. That two now railroads, the Wheel.
ing g. Lake Eric and the Wheeling &
Tuscarawas Valley, were to be carried
forward with the Bridge, the success Of
the three being held to be inseparable.
End. That the Cleveland 6 Pittsburgh
Railroad Company would extend impor-
tsnt aid in building 1t, and would patron
lie it when done.
3rd. That the Bridge could be built for
from 100000 to 100000.
The spirit Of the article and the basis OF
the argument are embodied in this para.
graph oft:
AS we stated, yesterday, tie G. d p
Company are I0itling and anxious tOjoIn in
building The proposed bridge, by means Of
which they can come directly into the city
and save very large sum annually now
paid for hauling and tolls. little building
Of this bridge can DO made also to insure the
construction Of tho too projected railroads
as we believe 1t can't would be worth to
the city all 1t might cost US, and would be
in itself very profitable enterprise, and
being so the city could pay the interest
with the dividends Gnd ultimately redeem
the bonds with the stock, 80 that sub
scription would actually involve only the
loaning Of our credit.
Let us examine this.
1st. The assertion that the q. g. p.
Railroad would help build the bridge was
made on positive assurance given US by
the Chairman oil the Railroad Committee
of Council. The statement Of HENRY X
LIST, ESQ, which appears in this morn
ings paper, reciting statement made TO
him by the President of the G. s. 2. Rail
road Company, shows that that Com
pany will not subscribe dollar TO the
Bridge nor use it If it were built. That
Is a TACT Of first class consequence. II
alters the case very gravely.
End. Nothing is being done to carry
along the W. st. V. enterprise with the
Others. 1t is not even encouraged. On
the other hand, speciat pains are taken to
defeat 1t; for the proposition is to build
the bridge so that that road could not
possibly get 10 it. II pleases the bridge
projectors, so fur from making the bridge
insure the construction Of this road, us
suggested, to make the bridge certain
means of defeating it, and to force their
bridge project through without it. This
leaves, then, but u single line OF projected
railway in connection with the bridge,
viz: The W. & L, E. supposing that to
be Il practical enterprise, rs it does not
now appear tobe.
Sd. Mr. Unions estimate fora bridge
was $l,1OO,OOO-fronl 100000 to $780,
600 more than wecontemplated. The
proftableness of bridge used by three
railways and costing 100000, as con.
templated by US, and that Of bridge
costing $4,000 and used by only one
road, as now proposed, would DO widely
different. While we could advise one US
good investment, We can not advise the
other.
Itappears, therefore, at o glance that
what we have advocated, and what is now
proposed to the people, in the matter oil
this bridge, are two very different things,