Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-02-07
Local.
,rsse Great Railroad Opening.

local.
'TSse Great Railroad Opening.
THE FIRST TRAIN FROM The OHIO -HIsToRY OF THE
OPENING INTERVIEW WITH THE GREAT VIRGIN
IA RAILROAD CoNraAoToR-How THE CHEsA
pEAKE & ONO MISUNDERSTANDING FOR THl
New CoAL-WHAT THE ROAD FIRST BROUGHT
FOR SrAuNroN's PROSPERITY THE FIRST THROUGH
FREIGHT TO CINCINNATI.
&C., &C, sc.
A headlight came rushing from behind th,
hills west of Staunton Friday night about II
o'clock, which headed the first train that had
come all the way from the Ohio River. Tho
train wa, drawn by a coa-burning engine con-
suming htl.yh. COAL of which only one ten
der full was consumed between Huntington and
Richmond The opening of the road and the
arrival of party from Richmond at Hunting
ton was published by telegraph in the VINDICA-
TOR of last week; and we Aow give account OF
the return train gathered from passengers.
TIE TRIP THROUGH.
On Thursday at ii o'clock, the train left
Huntington on its return. Among the psssen :
gers were Col. John B. Baldwin, of Stanton,
He Parsons, of West Virginia, director of the
G d O. R. R, j. II. Russell, cashier of the
Huntington blnk, W. Il. Peasants and E. Fl.
Fisher, of The sDispatch, Chief ngiueer Whit
comb and Superintendent Perry of the railroad,
and Mrs. Reed and Miss Reed, Of Guyandotte
and some of the employees of tho company.
A brief stop was made at Charleston, where Col.
Baldwin N ade short speech. The route has
been 50 frequently described that We need not
repeat it here On Friday night the train came
IN SIGHT OF STANTON
and short halt was made. 1t consisted of a
conductors car, passenger coach and four coal
cars, and the gathering citizens and rapid NOV
ing to and fro of lights on the platform, showed
that al interest little short of excitement was
felt among the Stauntonians 1t looked rather
queer to see enormous travelling trunks of the
passengers being hoisted off the coal cars, whore
they had oaea carried OF the trip in default of a
baggage CIR. Four or five passengers got Oft
here aad stopped at the American Hotel. The
crowl GA tae platform begau to pay undivided
attention to the camel and splint coal, where
upon
Col Whitcom5-( looking out Of the Car win
dow)-''rell the conductor he hal better 60 on.
five don start We won't have ha We coal enough
left to run to Richmond WITH
In a few minutes the train sped away into
the dark, leaving Stanton about six bush
els of camel coal as a remembrance.
INTERVIEW WITH THE GREAT VIRGINIA RAILROAD
CONTRACTOR --How THE CHESAPEAKE L OHIO COM
MENcED-$5 SUBSCRIPTION s-THE OLD RULE.
The best idea of the greatness of the Chesa-
peake & Ohio R. R. compared with the COM
nlsncement is to be obtained from Mr. G. R. Ma
son. the great railroad contractor, who may be
called the father OF the road. The VINDICAToR
reporter called on him and found him to be
short, stout, firmly built m IN, with head like
a Senator's, plain Of dress, direct and brief OF
speech, with that unde6nabe aie Of ease that
comes to a man who has acquired ali he knows
from experience, and is perfectly sati saed that
he knows all in his profession worth knowing.
The object Of our business being mads known,
Mr. Mason told the history of the road.
THE S. SUBSCRIPTION.
SIT wash tina summer of 1895, that three of US
at little place in Hanover, called Tay lorsville,
determined that it would be a profitable thing to
build railroad from tina, point to Louisa G. H.
aud we subscribed SIS paid up capital, the
three bsing W. D. Taylor, Speaker Robertson
and myself and the subscription S. apiece. The
month after, a meeting was held at Louisa G. II.
and SlO0 was subscribed, and the Richmond &
Fredericksburg R. R. Co., agreed to send en-
igineer to rey the route from Taylorsvile to
Louisa G. H. A company was then formed md
books were opened at Frederick's Hall, Bird s
Eye Mills Gofdonsvlla and Louisa G. H., and
AT the session of 1886, the legislature char
tered the company, Capt. Frederick Harris ben e
the first President. The first FIVE miles was then
let out, the letting taking place at Taylorsvile.
The first mile and a quarter was taken by Will
Hams 4 Hagerty, the second of a mile and three
quarters by G R. Mason, and the third by Jno
Hackett, of Caroline. The same evening, after
dinner, went up and started the work,
THROWING THE FIRST SHOVEL OF DIRT,
and never since that time have been out Of the
have labored for them in every capacity black
smith, carpenter, foreman of machine shops and
car building, section master, director and super
intendent, and l have never lost day from
pleasure or sick ness. I was superin tendent from
'37 to so. And in '65 at the end of The war
while the road was torn up, Hoge. and myself
ran little horse car from Meechum river to the
!Rivanna. l have been contractor On it for
many years, and at one and the same time, was
interested in work on the road, u miles long,
and estimated at 81 ,50O,O00 At one time in
1872 the credit of the company that was carry
ing on the line under the name of the Louisa R
r. was
NOT GOOD FOR THE HIRE OF NEGRO,
and the hiring bonds given for hands had to b,
given by Presidents Fontaine or Kimbrougt
and myself as individuals.
There no idea of carrying the road to thu
Ohio when it was first commenced, nor for year,
after. And when il was first thought of run
ming road this side of the Blue Ridge, it wal
not with any idea of tunnel through or tenn
porary track over the mountain, but wha
was intended was to build good mac
adamized road the mountain and wagol
goods and passengers over to the termini OF tn
roads on either side. 1t was about 1916 wher
the idea of going to the Ohio gained real ground
In 1867, undertook to nance and finish tn
road from Jacksons river to Covington and dit
it. Isubscrioed 500, ooo the largest single sub
.scrption ever made. though had before tina
subscribed 800, 900, but felt that though i
was risky business, it must be done and as 20,
know it went through successful. All the