The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-01
RalIroads antI theIr Ynlnn 10 CltIe,.

We had indnlged Q belief that the time had al.
most come when Ohio might call her railway
system complete, But II seems As II Il had lust
begun. With all our additional lines, there d
more business than tho railroads can do, Thus
showing that the multiplication Of CARRYING facIl.
ites "a creating business which did not and could
not. exist IN their absence. Population used to
st,Iraet iallroads now railroads Grc the pioneers,
followed BY emigrants, by commerce and BY
manufactures. Railroads lead, and population
follows. Valuable rs the water courses are, and
great AA their advantages arc for the carrying OF
the eoarBCr treHhts, yet no land is TO liu untGh.
anted, and no resources 10 be undeVclOped for
lack OF transporting facilities. Ohio must bend
her energies 70 manufacturing enterprises, as tho
magnificent acreage and great productlyeness OF
tho western pfatfleB snperSede her former YOca
tion Us bread prOvider for the RAsE-Ibled0 BldlS
He would have been regarded bold
prophet, who should, o quarter OF cen.
Jury ago, have predicted, generation
hence, that railroads would be pioneers,
opening up the way for emigration, com.
merCe and manufactures. Then railroads
were projected only through thiclIly set.
tied districts, and the opinion prevailed
everywhere that q numerous population
could alone justify their construction and
otter sufficient guarantee Of future remun.
Grafton TO the holders Of stock. Now all
this has changed. Instead of population
being IN lnducement for tho railroad, the
railroad Is an inducement for the pOpula.
tlon; and cities having great natural ad.
vantages must be energetic In the con.
struction Of the road to fully develop
them, or be lett to struggle along in the
rear in the march TO wealth and great.
ness; while those whose natural adyan.
tages are fewer take enviable positions in
the van. ...
Il Is just as certain that railroads make
business Us 1t Is certain two and two make
four; and cities, towns and counties that
ignore this fact are simply putting on the
brakes where additional motive power Is
needed.
Prestige wont save place surrounded
by enterprislng rivals. Natural advan.
tagcs, undevelopCd, arc simply ounces OF
gold locked up in tons Of quartz. Devcl.
6pment is what is wanted-developmcnt
OF material rcsOurces-the hedging in and
drawing in, ii every dollar TO which u
locality is entitled and which can be nd.
vantageously and actively employed,
Argument Is not necessary TO prove this
position. If II was, u comparison between
the growth oil Cincinnati and ST. Louis
and Chicago would afford u great and
grand illustration Of what railroads do
towards making Centers Of commerce,
manufactures, wealth and refinement
particularly as this is illustrated in the
case Of the two latter cities.
In 1910 Cincinnati was the Queen City
Of the West, having u population of 49,.
1873, nearly three times the population Of
St Louis and more than nine.times tue
population OF Chicago. In 1850 her popu.
lation was 115, ,43G, while that Of st. Louis
was 1880 and Chicago 90, ,003. Ten years
later and Cincinnati counted 161 ,044, 81.
Louis 1GO,773, and Chicago 109,260 But
in 1870, while Cincinnati numbered 2lS,-
900, st. Louis numbered 3l2,603, and
Chicago $4,000. 1t Is a well known fact
that the superior prosperity of the two
latter cities is owing to the energy which
the people OF each put forth To tap by
means Of railroad every locality that
promised future golden harvest from
present outlay, while Cincinnati, con.
tented with the high position gained dur
ing tho infancy Of her rival sisters, ceased
her efforts when she should have been
putting forth every energy To secure aud
extend her trade.
Now what is illustrated on so grand
scale by the course Of the cities named, is
also illustrated by thousands Of other
places of less magnitude. Two towns at
tho beginning Of a decade are about equal
in pOpulation-one OF them encourages
enterprises OF oil kinds, bends her cner.
gies TO furnish cheap transportation, de.
velops her resources-the other rests on
her oars, and when the decade closes, the
latter finds herself wondering how she
has been distanced by her rival,-Zanes.
viRe Courier. !. a'i q. ca' i.a