The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-01
WheeIing and Tuscarawas Valley
Railway.
-

wheeling and Tuscarawas Valley
Railway.
Editors Of the Register.l
It was not my intention to 50 excite
the ire of K. Y" as to force him t
plead the cause of the Wheeling anc
Lake Erie road as if he was pleading 6
case in court, in which all the evidence
was against him, and the only hope he
had was to excite the fears OF the jury
or operate on their sympalhies.
In his communication OF the Goth
inst he makes the declaration, itali
cized, "within the merit ten days, I hav.
no doubt, the road wW be under con-
tract from here to Toledo, on a sure stock
basis, and on more favorable terms in othe'
respects than any other road through SINH
lar territory ever kneso." This would
certainly be something new and strange
in the history OF railroad building. to
contract for the construction and
equipment of two hundred miles Of
Nilrosd at S35, 900 per mile, taking the
company's bonds cat par" without
having had even a preliminary survey
oil the line Of the road to be constructed.
II this assertion be true, then there
must be "nigger in the wood pile
somewhere.
As to the statement of distances oil
which he speaks, it ia only necessary TO
say that, as neither the Wheeling and
Lake Erie nor the Valley road has beer
surveyed, no man, even though he may
be an expert, can give reliable distances
on lines of road running through cir.
cuitous ravines as these do, within ten
to fifteen per cent Of their true length;
and, as a further reply, it is we'll known
to all business men that rates Of freight
are not controlled by distances on COM
peting lines.
My great object in my communication
Of the Both was to call the attention OF
our citizens to the fact that while we
were asked to subscribe to the Wheel
ing and Lake Erie road, and told it was
our duty and interest to do so, we have
had no data presented to US, by which
we could even approximate to the cost,
except as we find asserted in the various
communications through the papers.
Give US your survey and estimates; your
distances and the grades you have to
overcome, and also your various tun-
nels; their length and cost; the impor-
tant connections and the various points
of interest that are usually made in a
frst.class survey, and then we will be
able to act Understandings.
This thing of bushwhacking round
and saying that you can do this and do
that, and that you will accomplish this
and that in the next ten days, will not
suit the people here, when you ask
them to vote to subscribe S3O0,OOO
toward the building Of your road.
The Wheeling and Tuscarawa5 Val
lev railroad has made a report in
printed pamphlet form, (Which was
also published in our city papers, Of
it's grades, curves, bridges, tunnels and the
cost Of its entire line from the Ohio
river to Dennison, showing the cost Of
the entire superstructure ready for the
ties and rails to be 81 Isl, 723 Go, which
is less than $4,000 per mile, the dis.
lance being firty.two miles. This
survey and report was made by Mr.,
Blickensderier one of the most reliable
engineers in the country. The cost OF
ties (2600 per mile of road at 50 cents
per tie or $500 per mile) will De
SCI, 900; and the cost Of rails goo tons
OF iron per mile at so per tom will be
1864, O0), making the road cost alto
gether Sl,7l3, 1856 or fraction under
$4,000 per mile. Now for these figures
| refer you to Mr. Blickensder(er's
report, and to any railroad mill and
railroad man; as to the equipment OF q
road it is always in proportion to It's
business.
If these figures are correct, they
answer very fully large part OF KY =
extravagant assertions.
Our Wheeling committee made an
able, full and honest detailed report OF
their action, conferences, conclusions
and prospects on Tuesday night, at the
meeting at the Court House, and we ask
you to do the same and, in making
your report, we will ask you TO also give
us the cost of your depot grounds in
Toledo, in order that you may make
close connections with other roads at
that place; also, cost OF grounds for
docks for your lake trade, for coal and
lumber, &c. These matters all enter
into the cost of the road, and should be
forthcoming and well understood.
As to the charge made of corruption
of the directors of the Lake Shore and
Tuscarawas Valley road, they are
known to be gentlemen of honor and
integrity, and it shows great lack OF
wisdom on the part OF KY to en-
deavor to sustain his road by any such
slanderouS assertions.
do not propose to bolster up the
Wheeling and Tuscarawas Valley road
by inuendoes or hearsay reports, but ask
full and fair exhibit OF the cost Of
your road, from competent parties, and
then let the citizens of Wheeling judge.
Give us, especially, the cost and grades
of the first tifty-two miles from
Wheeling, and then let each road
"stsud or fall on it's merits" A. 3.
WHEELING, January 81, 1872.