The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-08-08
1ss'' For the Valley Virgi1lian. ss
PROGRESS OF THE CHESAPEAKE AND
OHE0 5saILRoAD.
COL II. D. JVdttcoaab, CHIEF Engineer.
HuNTINGToN, w. VA. JUNE %, 1871


HuNTINGToN, W. Va, JUNE 20, 1872.
, lNessrs. Editors The euent which has
been looked forward TO for so long time,
, with such deep solicitude, because of the in
| creasipg hourly assurance we have had there
from of the certain ultimate result-the COM
plction Of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway
:, has become fix I'd fact, and the people of
West sWir, mia are rejoicing that twenty ad-
ditional miles Of railway, up the valley of
the kanawha, are in successful operation !!
Il The first regular trains from Huntingdon to
Kanawha Falls commenced running between
those points Monday week, and hence
forth there will be two trains, daily f ON this
city to Charleston, and one ninety miles east
from this city. II
The present terminus of the road is at
Kanawha Falls, a short distance below eau
ley Bridge, to which point the trains will be
despatched a. very early day, thereby less
ening me stage ride to White Sulphur
From Gaulcy Bridge to the Springs The dis
taDcc is little over sixty miles. The ride
is not fatiguipg one; the traveller is ever
, interested IN the. lovely and picturesque
, scenery which encompasses him on every
, side, indeed relief after a. days conGnc-
, ment in7a railway coach.
To hasten progress, over four thousand la
| borcrs arc now employed by the Chesapeake
!, Il Ohio railway Company, between Gauley
! Bridge aud White Sulphur, and in some u
Z stapces, where ujtilcult rock excavation is
$ encountered, relay of hands keeps the work
iu progress, day and night, with view to
t the earliest possible. completion, and opening
, through, of thesline from Huntington to
i Richmond, if eeaseless labor and large ex-
| psnditure of money, can accomplish the de-
t sired result. s.
] sThe:@passenger business, and the transpor.
! tation of freight Especially the former.
r since the opening OF the road to KaDawha
Fails, have thus far largely exceeded the
: expectations of the Company. And every
e day seems to give evidence that the general
\ business will still be further augmented.
' The through passenger travel is becoming
t quite feature a,rcady-White Sulphur
S Springs being the attraction. Local passen-
n ger travel is large for so sparce settled
t country. 1t is amazing how a railway makes
v people travel! Whether it be business or
pleasure which has aroused them to such un-
wonted activity know not all [ am au7
: thorized to say is, that the inhabitants of the
: locality around the Fails have suddenly be,
come verv active travellers" Hitherto,
along the upper end Of the Kanawha
Valley there seemed not to be sufficient local
$ ocomotion, either on foot, on horseback, Or in
j. vehicles, to break the tonb-likc stiffness that
2 pervaded all nature-and sometimes became
:. so oppressive as make the senses ache =
: except now and then the famous SOLITARY
G horseman,' whose appearance, as he cahie
g cantering along, would not only Interest and
$ refresh everybody, but remind the happy be-
u holder thar somebody else "stip lived y
: it would extend my letter beyond reason
u able length. we're TO detail the history of
9 tie early organization, subscriptions, surveys,
u triumphs and defeats, successes delays,
'ihopes Deferred pecuniary cmbarrassments,
i. and nualberless troubles which attended and
E surrounded the ineipient movements OF those
s public spirited men who had in charge. for
many years, the various railway interests
: now consolidated into the organization known
" as the 'sChesal Ike 4 Ohio Railway COM
. pany." shall reserve these, and kindred
: particulars, for future correspondence.
= There is one conspicuous instance, how
ever, of long and uninterrupted connection
, with this railway that deserves special men.
tlUH, DeCaUSo VI tue ldIIty VI siiHiIdi odooo III
= this fast, and too often, unappreciative age
: an age, as we daily sec, when glitter out
shines gold and blowing goes up the ladder
: faster than merit; when the audacity of the
$ novice attracts Infinitely more than those
! quiet and unobtrusive qualities that ever de-
!, note genuine worth; an Instance where the
: merit of stern fidelity to duty, and talents
+ equal to his Office, have made the gentleman
: in question part and parcel, as it were, OF
the very work itself. l alude 10 Col. H..
: u. Whitconl the present Chief Engineer OF
), the Chesape5keS Ohio Railway Company
= Col Whitcomb's connection with the rail-
. way interest of Virginia ante-dates probably,
that of any other official now in service in
either the old or new State If there be an
exception to this statement, [ am not appris-
!, ed of the fact When quite young, he en-
tered the service Of the Virginia Central
, Railway Company, Gin 1851, bclieve,) as
Resident Engineer, with head quarters at
. Richmond Soon afterward he became Di-
vision Engineer, and as the construction and
extension of the road progressed, the Com
pany, in casting about for 'thc right man in
the right place." to assume what, 1t was
: then evident, would necessarily become a
very arduous and responsible post the rank
: and duties of Chief Engineer, UNANIMOUSLY
rendered that position to Col. Whtconb. At
:, the very outset of his connection with the
4 Virginia Central road his intelligence, &C
ros;;vity, ard untiripg energy, at once attracted
tho after tion Of the officials Of the Company,
some of whom--those with whom he came
most Immediately and constantly in contact,
and were the better enabled to judge-soon
i detected in him many evidences that he pos
sessed those qualities which in the profeS
sional character, always denote promising
and successful career ); that his attalnments
would keep pace with his ambition, and they
4 predicted that, sooner or later, he would take
his place, in the general estimation, among
tine most eminent railway engineers in our
country.
4 When; it was determined to extend the
Virginia Central Railroad west from Staun-
ton to Covington, Col. Whitcomb, who had
the work in charge, gave it his constant per-
sonal supervision He lived upon the line
as it were, and no task, however unusual
and oncrous, failed to receive his prompt at
tention. He made no exactions upon the
, time and labor Of others that he did hot make
l.. ,fnon himself To nrosecutad that roytl1n