The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-09
From the Intelligencer.l
The Bridge Enterprise-The Other

Knowing that your columns are open
to discussions on both sides Of all public
measures, l desire to avail myself Of
the privilege thus allowed, to offer a
few thoughts on the railroad bridge
enterprise recently brought before the
public by the publication in the city
papers, of ian act to incorporate the
Wheeling and Union Railroad Compa-
nv" and by your article on that enter
prise in your issue OF the 9th inst.
That it is eminently proper that
Wheeling should, by her capital and
influence, aid in securing more and bet
ter railroad facilities than she now
possesses, | fully endorse; but that the
expenditure Of so large an amount Of
capital as will be required to construct
the proposed bridge, is the best way to
begin the acquisition Of such facilti"s,
| seriously and honestly doubt.
The people Of Wheeling have long
been convinced OF the imperative ne
cessity of railroad to the Northwest;
and two projects of that character are
now before them, and have been Tor
several months past. | know 1t is
claimed by the orignators and friends
of the bridge enterprise, that its pr'ma'
nv and main object is to invite and en-
courage just such projects as these pro-
posed northwestern roads. But let us
see whether the building ola bridge to
the eastern shore of the river would
really he an aid or encouragement 10
these roads or either Of them.
It pretty vel known to the people
OF Wheeling that certain parties, said to
be able and responsible, have proposed
to build and equip these roads upon GER
tain conditions. These conditions are,
as am informed, in one case--that OF
the Wheeling and Lake Erie road-that
local subscriptions of stock to the
amount Of $1,000 per mile be made
along the line, and that in the other
case-that Of the Wheeling and Tus-
caravans road-that stock he taken along
the line to the amount Of 100000.
Now, if the amounts OF local stock can
be raised without the aid OF Wheeling
or her citizens, then it is fair to presume
that the roads will be built, and, when
built, will use the bridge in winch
Wheeling proposes TO invest her avail
able capital. But can these amounts,
or either Of them, he raised by the pei
pie along the respective lines? That,
it seems to me, is the first and most
important question 10 he considered,
1t is well known that both roads have
already applied to Wheeling for her aid
to enable them TO raise the minimum
amounts of stock specified; one asking
for subscription OF three hundred
thousand dollars-ciiy subscription
and the other the same amount Of city
subscription, with an additional hun
dred thousand dollars individual sub
scripiion from citizens. Whether or
not the aid thus asked for would be
granted, should not the bridge enter
prise come in to absorb our capita and
divert it into another channel, is not
pertinent here, though the fact that our
City Council has asked Tor and obtained
the necessary legislation 10 enable us
to extend that aid certainly indicates a
willingness on the city to do so.
But granting that from any cause
whatever, these railroad projects proper,
shall not receive from Us the help thew
desire to enable them to fulfill the con
ditions upon which the roads are pro-
posed to be built, the question occurs,
can they, unaided by Wheeling in the
way of subscriptions to their capital
stock, secure the construction OF the
roads. think not For while | do
not profess to know precisely what
amount OF unconditional stock has thus
far been procured along the respective
lines, | do not know that after months
Of hard and preserving labor by the
advocates and friends OF the respective
routes, so much remains yet to be done
toward securing the required minimum
amounts, that unless they shall yet re-
ceive considerable aid from us here in
Wheeling, both projects shall fail OF
accomplishment, and we shall be left
without the much desired northwestern
connection after all.
|, for one, therefore, honestly and sin.
cerely believe it to the the first ant
immediate duty of the people OF Wheel
ing to aid at least one Of the projected
roads to the Northwest, in placing its
construction, within reasonable length
of time, beyond q doubt. Then, il a
bridge is found necessary, and we are
able to do so, build one. But let us
have a railroad, without bridge even,
rather than a bridge without the rail
road
| ain aware that the objection to
giving money to make railroads in Ohio
is very prevalent among the people on
this side OF the river; and on this point
[ would like to comment somewhat,
but this article has already grown much
longer than | intended. Suffice il TO
say at present that if Wheeling wants
another road to the West or Northwest,
it will hare to be built on Ohio terri
tory, and it is by no means clear that
the people OF Ohio need road so much
more than we do, that they will make
one for as rather than do without them
selves.
At another time | may have some
thing to say on other considerations
that, to my min !, lie against the bridge
enterprise. SPECTATOR.
WHEELING, March !, 1872.