The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-05-31
A LUCID INTERVAL.
What the Intel'igencer Said
About the Bridge.
1.-THE Best Investment Wheeling
Ever Made"


who i now doing his utmost TO defea
the building OF the bridge and destro..
all hope OF the construction OF either o
the proposed railroads into Ohio
especially OF that TO Toledo which wa
to bring here IAN immense traffic fron
the Northwest We appeal from III
advice now and his advice then. anC
heartily endorse what he said in 6
lucid interval less than three month:
ago. Read it The italics are oul
own.
From Wheeling Intelligencer Editorial
March 6th.l
1t is the opinion OF very many tina
II the city can secure the building Of
bridge, il would be the best contribution
we could make towards the building o
the roads in question, and that it would
be more a to each than any sun vel
proposed which it is probable the cit,
would lie willing to vote as direct sub
scription to either. 1t is true thi:
would build no part OF the road on the
other side Of the river, but 1t would
make the enterprise so much more de-
sirahle TO the whole route and the con-
nections as TO more than overbalance
this.
The river is the one great obstacle
TO all new line, from the city westward
The removal of that makes Wheeling
accessible By rail to all the outside
world. Seek first the kingdom Of God
and His righteousness and all these
things shall be added unto you" is, We
believe, a text of cripture, and il We
NAV employ it without irreverence, ii
seems aptly 10 illustrate the present
case. Let us provide bridge first and
then the railroads will be added unto
US; they will come Of their own accord.
"Noc as TO the question 'chether he
jmldiay Of a bridge is feasible. On tht
plan proposes By this charter it seems e'.-
tirelg so. The act authorizes much
larger subscription by both city
ami county than will probably be neces
sary. The building OF railroad bridges
by companies disconnected from the
railways using them has been found in
other cases a very profitable mole OF
investment. The chief interest in this
bridge would Of course arise out o. the
public benefits to be conferred by IT, and
il ia only with reference to them tina!
the city or county ought to Subscribe 10
il; but it has an additional attraction
for private capitalists in that it prom SEE
to p4y large dir;dsnds o. the stock
Let lis refer to the Steubenv:lle bridge
as an illustration. That bridge, We are
informed, was built by company or
ganized especially for the purpose and
not connected with the Panhandle Rail
way Company. The latter company
paid certain tolls, 20 much per passen
ger or ton of freight carried over The
bridge. When the Pittsburgh, Clncin'
natl and ST. Louis Company came Intt
possession OF the road they found with
the increasing business that these tolls
were becoming very heavy, and the,
sought for some more favorable ar
raugement. Failing to obtain 1t the.
tried TO buy up the stock so as 10 ge
the bridge under their control. Failing
in this likewise, they finally effected
lease, under which they now pay tn
fridge company 100000 year, il
equal monthly instalmenis The orig
nal cost of the bridge was S.5o,0oO; st
that under the present lease the stock
holders realize rate OF interest, con
sidering the monthly payments, nearl!
equivalent to - per cent. Yet tina
bridge is used only 10y single company
As We stated. Yesterday, the {. om I
company are ,ciiiu,g and anxious TO JON
ia jmldiag tie proposed fridge; bv means
Of which they eau come directly in,'
the city and save a very large sum ar
nually now paid :or hauling and tolls
If the building OF this bridge can b.
made also 10 insure the construction o
the two projected railroads,-as we be
lieye il cant ,oe,tld be scorth 10 hx CT
all Il might cost US, and coIld Be N ttSel
rs,.y profitable enterprise, and being s
tie city could pay tie interest 'o'th tie d':
ideRds and ultimately r.4{tsm TIE tOmd
Nth the stock, 80 that a Subscription
| would actually involve only the loanln!
of our credit. We cannot doubt tina
such a bridgs wotld be in a .fe'c years ii
oateaoay through rhich rould .ro,
a. immense traffic from the Northtc5Sf, ron
Meeting here aciM tie Baltimore ana
| Ohio 10 the East. With a Gat from To
| ledo connecting scith the HemahsH ,ohs1
finished through, this bridge ,oouM be [
connecting INK in the shortest Inc that cal
crer be 5mh bet,ceea the Northeast an,
the Chesapeake bag. TIE profits Of
BRIDGE under such circumstances, not lin
tied as 10 its tolls except by The necessities 9
he railroad using il, could not IA! 70 b
very great. t,,
we conclude that the success of Xix
| enterprises elsewhere, and the consider
stions we have mentioned, will 80 con
mend this project to capitalists that
large part OF the sum needed to build
probably half-cau be raised upo'
the company's own bonds. Their
would have to be q large enough sub
scriptiou by the city aud county to con
stitute basis Of security and insure tn
completion OF tue work. Until al
| engineer has made an estimate. no on
can speak with anything approaching
accuracy as to the cost, bat BY compar
isou with other bridges IT is believed 90
may be built within the city limits 70
something between 5000 ZOO and $500
600. How much Of this the CLEVELAND
and Pittsburgh company would take
remains 10 be ascertained. How mucl
il 10 advisable to ask the city AID count
10 take is for Council and the Super
visors to consider, in connection wit
the inquiry how much could be obtaine
| Il -, l,ets an the cnyn nADy