The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-03-07
Toledo & Columbus.
Public Meeting atBoard- OF Trade
Rooms-The East and West Lines
Diseased by PresidsatsGreens and
Lee-An interesting Time

Began his remarks by. saying that
was no new subject to him or l
IS hearers on which be was to speak q
= he had already addressed the peop
;, thereon. The interest and the ps
q taken by him in the proposed COZ
n strnction of Railroad between Toll
= do and Columbus, made il proper til
: be briefly refer to the history of Il
It movement, together with some fac
e and considerations connected Their
t with, when he would leave the deeil
D ion OF the matter to the people
4 Toledo. l.
: The enterprise had been discusse
q for the past seven years. At the tin
t of the construction of the Columbl
t & Hooking Valley Road, he was urge
f by citizens of Toledo, to undertake j
J extension to this City but the way W
f not open then for it; but he assure
1 them that at the proper time he wou
r be glad to engage in it. In Apr
3 1872, he said to the people of ToleC
t and those on what is know as Il
b East line, that he would make persol
! al inspection of that line, and in Ms
q he passed the entire distance In a ca
0 riageover what seemed to be thebe
r routs, and found 1t In most respec
highly favorable. Arrived in tn
City, he met several gentleman an
endeavored to enlist them In the pro
ject, and while here addressed q pub
lie meeting, where be set forth a gen
eral idea of the enterprise, its feasibil
Ity, advantages to Toledo, and tn
steps necessary to success. At tina
time he was Unexpectedly met b.
large delegations from towns,o on whai
subsequently came to be known as tn,
West line, but which was then un
known to him. They there claimed
to have the best route, most traffic
and most means, and all they asked
was that their line should be surveyed
and their means fairly considered, anC
if, on such showing they could moi
stand, they would yield their claim
Mr.. Greene then took the responsible.
ity of assuring them that they should
have all they asked, and in accordance
with such pledge, he caused steps al
once to be taken to secure correct
surveys and estimates for both routes,
those for the Western being by an
Engineer selected by its friends
and from that day his hps had been
sealed as to the rival routes. Six
months were then spent in careful sur
veys and estimates, when both parties
met the Directors of the Company
As showing the state of feeling atthat
time on the part of the Company, he
might state that six OF the nine Direc-
tors were in favor of the Western line,
if found to be equally available, while
the friends OF that route were conf
dent of success and those of the other
in great doubt. So closely had every
thing been kept, that neither surveyor
knew the result of the others labors,
nor even the estimates based on his
own survey. The prices for work
were the same on each. At this meet
ing Of the Board, a full showing oi
each route was had whereby, its COM
parative advantages were made clear.
The three Toledo Directors were
quite anxious that the West line be
taken, If practicable, as the people of
their city were reported as partial to
that route Seven of the Directors
were old and experienced Railroad
men, fully qualified, to judge of the
matter before them. The result OF
showing-with surveys, estimates and
amounts of local aid before the Board,
it was unanimously decided to be the
interest of the Company TO adopt the
East line, provided its friends made
good the conditions proposed by them.
He might say that neither one OF the
Directors had any interest on either
one OF the two lines and he believed
them to be entitled TO as much conf
dence in such matters as any other
nine men in the State.
Mr.. Greene Stated that at the first
meeting addressed by him in Toledo,
q proposition was made that the City
commit itself in favor of the West line,
when he stated that that was a matter
for the people Of Toledoto decide, but
that he would not undertake to work
up a Road with Toledo committed
against him. From the fact that the
proposition for a eommittal was then
abandoned, he inferred that such pol
icy was given up, and that Toledo
would 90 forward in good faith, ready
to Join Columbus in building the most
eligible route.
As to the case now in hand, he said
one of the most important elements
was the question of distance, and the
survey showed the East line to be
from u to 81 miles the shortest, and
he believed the actual distances would
be found to be l19 and 1874 miles,
The gentlemen composing the Board
OF Directors believed the day had
passed when a single unnecessary mile
of Road could safely be built. A lead
ing object in the enterprise was to
secure a Coal Road, and he was salts
fed that with the East line, Coal could
be put down at Toledo, to successfully
compete with any other point on Lake
Erie, but of the West line this could
not be said. His calculation was, that
the extra cost by that route, in distance
alone, would amount to ten cents per
ton. if not more; and on the present
amount of traffic OF the Hooking Valley
Road, this would make difference OF
100000 per yesr-and he was well
assured, that within five years Toledo
trade would amount to that. This
being so, he was unwilling to give any
rival such advantage He-would come
to Toledo, fin doing 81, ,he could com
pete with all other Lake points; but
If not, he would see no object in com
Jog here.
Mr.. Greene then referred to the
natter of grades, Stating that the
MAXIMUM OF each line was 20 feet,
but the East line bad not a single
mile Of CONTIGUOUS grade OF that
height; while the Western had much
longer slcetches-s0 mach longer,
"a ~ make ad:BeTeEce Of nYs cars
in the capacity Of 30 Ton loeomo-
tive. Over the Ess. line trains OF 30
ca,s of II tons each could be moved
fron the mines TO Toledo by the
same locomotive; whereas, with the
West line it would be nex9ssary to
drou off 5 at Columbus. lie explained
this by stating that grade OF 20
feet for one mile might be overcome
by aid of momentum, which coald
not be done ou longer sketch of
the same grade. Uniting the differ
euces IN both distance and grade, ne
calculated tha: the totsi extrs cos VI
the amount of ihe present traffic OF
the Hooking Valley Road "ouid nO'
h1 less than 100000 per snnum-
uo gas not wiling to attempt snen
- - cn.erprise. 1t would be better
O. the Hooking Road 20 turn its at
.o-,ion TO- wholly to Cleveland, where
Il already was dong . large business
over the Cleveland & Columbus
Road. at 81 so per ton from Colum
bus. against 81 40, the probable rate
to Toledo. Beside that, the recent
chance in the control Of the Cleve.
land Road would greatly improve the
present facilities, inssmuch as IL
would give that Road seeess to the
admirable dock and depot accomIno-