Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-21
4 LINE OF RAILROAD wBsTwARD-THE
PROPOSED EXTENSION TO OXFORD.

The Extension Of the Wilmington and Western
Railroad which is now proposed, ,andi in reference
to which the meeting was held last Thursday, ls
that part Of the line between LAndenberg and
Oxford, distance by the route surveyed, Of 16
I o II miles.
1t was never intended by the projectors and
builders of the Wilmington d Western that it
should permanently stop at Landsnbsrg. They
expected to get q road, under Wilmington con-
troll, at least as far as Oxford. and hoped to go
beyond that. And they never supposed that the
capitalists and business men of Wilmington,
pereeiving the immense advantages to be derived
from good railroad extending from their city
through Southern Pennsylvania would give up
the effort with line ending anywhere this eide
Of Oxford. They built to Landenberg, first, be-
cause naturally that was the first step to be TAX
on, but did not doubt that the second link in this
important and valuable chain Of railway would be
promptly commenced, when the first was fin
ishsd.
The route last surveyed, from Landenberg to
oxferd, crosses the streams and ridges for about
half its length and then extends along the valley
of Elk Creek taking either the Big Elk or Little
Elk, as may prove best
The first half, across to the Elk, is through a
farming country, though passing by two or three
mills on the West and Middle branches OF White
Clay creek. The land is very productive and
well cultivated the people intelligent and we'll
to-do. They formerly traded in Wilmington, and
they have warm feeling towards our city, but
many now go Northward to the Baltimore Cen.
tral road, and by it to Philadelphia, on business.
North Of the line Is New London, and South OF
1t Kimblevllle, both busy and pretty villages.
After crossing this farming country, and
reaching the Elk creeks, the road will enter up
on very important manufacturing section. On
either stream there are located number Of eX-
tsnsive industrial establishments many Of them
being paper mills. These now have no railroad
facilities they must haul either North to the
Baltimore Central, or South to the p. ". & b.,
an average distance, in either case, OF from sew
en- to ten miles.
That railroad through such country would
receive large amount OF frsighting is beyond
doubt. Lime, coal, fertilizers, and store Roods
are needed by the farming section, Lime IL e1-
tensively used and coal generally burned. Pre-
duce for our markets will come to Wilmington,
in exchange. The mills need IN machinery, rags
and other paper stock aud they ship. daily many
tons Of paper.
The present situation Of Affairs ought to en-
courage the immediate construction OF the Ex-
tension. The people along the route are aroused
to its importance, and want it built. We be-
lieve they will do their share Of the work in se-
curing the needed funds. The Wilmington
Western has already good equipment OF roll
ing stock, and can as we'll operate with it a road
to Oxford, as one ending at Laudenoerg The
same Rumber Of locomotives, cars. and train
hands could run through thirty-1ge miles, in-
stead Of stopping at the end of nineteen.
The expense Of building the extension will be
materially less than that of tue first section. It
does not need to be 30 costly. There may be
less attention paid to reducing grades 1t will
cost per mile not much over half the expense Of
grading and bridging mile of the line from
here to Landeuberg.
III owned the Wilmington 4 Western Rail
road said Colonel Il S. McComb. recsntly, af-
ter riding over the road Il would extend it Ia
Oxford, at once n. sir ,ceets, if it we're possi-
BILE, the rails should reach to that point"