The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-01
Projected Railroad IN Preston
County.

county,
Correspondents OF the Pittsburgh Commercially
CHARLEsToE, Feb. 90, 1878.
The Legislature OF this State, now in
session, has under consideration the pro.
priety Of making liberal appropriation
Tor the development Of It's resources by
internal Improvements throughout the
State. Among the numerous bills now
pending is one that is likely to pass, pro.
viding for the survey OF the "IrOn Valley
and Pennsylvania Line Railroad" which
will be OF great importance to the Coun--
try through which 1t is to pass, and to
the iron interest Of your city. The bill
referred 10 provides for d survey Of q
route for the above road, commencing at
point on the Baltimore & Ohio Road
twelve miles east Of Grafton, and running
by the way Of Franklin Furnace, King
wood (the county seat OF Preston.)
Muddy Creek Furnace, BruCetOn Mills,
Brandonville, and thence to the Pennsyl.
vania line in the county OF FaYette. Last
winter, through the energy and influence
Of The late Hon. Andrew Stewart and
Others Of FaYette county, your Legisla-
turc passed q concurrent act authorizing
the construction Of railroad from Falls
City, point on the Pittsburgh & Con-
nellsYille road, some sixty.fve or seventy
miles east Of your city, to connect with
this road. The entire distance from the
Baltimore s. Ohio Road to the Councils
vile Road by this route will be about
fifty miles.
The route contemplated is a continuous
water line through valley Astounding
with valuable timber, coal and iron ore,
the coal veins running from four to eight
feet, and iron ore from two to fourteen
feet In thickness. The Franklin, Muddy
Creek and Wharton Iron Works are To-
Gated on the line Of this road. The
Franklin furnace, / understand, is the
most extensive in this State, and could DO
made valuable feeder to the iron interest
of your city, could you be reached by
this contemplated enterprise. l also
understand that an enterprising company
from the State Of Vermont have bought |
the Muddy Creek furnace, and are put. |
ting their machinery, Sc, In ample order,
with view oil extending their capacity |
to manufacture pig metal. This valley is
decidedly the richest in iron ore of any
place know this side Of tho Iron Noun
tains of Missouri, and why it has been
overlooked up 10 this time, when iron
have had 10 pay such ex-
orbitant prices for pig metals, is mys-
terry to me, especially when it is known
that pig metal can be manufactured in
this valley for less than one.hall the prices
now paid by the trade.
There is another important matter con.
nGCtGd with tne construction OF this road,
which is worthy OF the consideration Of
companies aud capitalists, to
which desire TO call attention. / am in.
formed that nearly all the coke shipped
from the ncighbOrhOod of UniontOwn and
COnnellsville TO the southwestern market,
is shipped to Parkersburg by the way Of
Maryland, making dis
lance by rail OF about $50 miles, whereas
The same market could be reached by this
route by u distance not ex.
2eediDg 200 miles. In other words, in.
stead OF running east to Cumberland and
hen directly buck west by the way OF
1ralten, making a trip something like 200
miles to Grafton, tho latter place could be
reached from Falls City by this route in
ess than seventy.fiVC miles, thereby say.
ng in travel nearly two hundred miles, to
'ay nothing OF the heavy grades to over
come from Piedmont to Newburg, on the
Baltimore and Ohio Road. Before clos
ng. allow me to say that, having been a
citizen of West Virginia for the last
twenty years, throw out these reaec-
ions and suggestions from personal
knowledge of the country, and would add
hat don't know Of any section Of coun.
Try within one hundred miles Of Pitts.
DHrgh, where capital can DO so prOtitably
invested US in this region, from the fact
hat lands can now be bought from ten 10
twenty dollars per acre, whereas no better
lands in the FrOstburg mining district are
selling from one hundred to five hundred
dollars per acre. PRESTON.