The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-16
4rADltn' REGISTER.
Z lR mn or TRAINS NJ
acknowledgements,
Isgu " s1uis3li' - brAiyig.
Wheeling Steamboat lIaieTsslss
THB HARRISBURG LINE.
specially wlLlOn for mo IitollIgOneer,l

Especially writLon for tho Intelllgeneerl
THE HARRISBURG LINE.
An example Of tho truth OF the closing
paragraph Of our first article, may be
found in q brief review Of the trade Of
Parkersbprgh and other places. ir6g5s,. II
hedifilCuldes in the way Of establish.
ing anything Ike permanent, wehrrgi-
lated trade from W heeling to points below,
were many, and Though not mountains,
were still veYations and disCouraging. In
the frst place, Wheeling was not consid-
cred, even by uupretODding people and
towns, as being bylany means the head Of
navigation, and itseetied q little green, not
TO ssyfediCulous TO them, that she should
max any pretensiDns to an independent
trade. She had then but few manufac-
lures, and they scarcely. well established.
Her dry goods came largely by way Of the
National Road, or through Pittsburgh,
and the latter place having no such great
net work Of railroads as now centre in her
limits, was extremely Jealous Of every
effort made by our steamboatmen to build
up q trade which should have its upper
terminus in the city Of Wheeling There
were always those among tho business
menuf Pittsburgh who knew that Wheel.
ing had eminent advantages for a manu-.
featuring city, and II not Jealous Of her
advancement, deemed 1t al least the part
Of prudence, so,long rs the outlet Of her
own trade; toa very large extent, con-
sisted Of the river, 70 secure the trade 81
the river by whatever means might be
found necessary; hence her inducements
in the way OF irelghts, which were suffl-
Cient Of themselves, for long time, to
carry much trade to. her markets that
might have found but little difficulty in
accommodating itself in our city, as it has
been able TO do with perfect since.
Against these and many other difIlulties
best known TO steamboat men, have our
bOstmen labored earnestly and faithfully
for the city Of Wheeling in their efforts
TO build up her prosperity with their
own. .'.a sas = ~.
We shall give a brief history Of the
Parkersburg trade. IA t5ir..,s
80 many men have beer connected
with building up to this trade, ina greater
or less degree, that We fear in IN article
Of the length OF which we must necesaa-
rily conilne ourselves 60 as not to weary
our readers, some may be overlooked, but
we assure them that Il Is not q matter Of
design, as we wishpt give every man
credit for the good he has done the city.
The first boat that ever ran as a Wheel
ing and PArkefsburg boat was the Robert
Wghtman, about the year 1913. She was
owned in Pittsburgh and was command
ed by Capt. Williamson, and ]. G.. Jelley
was clerk. She was a little stern. wheel
dinky about ITO feet in length, and had
carrying capacity ofabout 40 tons. Her
passenger accommodations were very
sCaut, having been originally intended. tor
u towbOat; her cabin was not larger than
the Texas oil ordinary stern=wheel
boat OF the present day. The totah re-
Ceipts Of the boat Tor her first trip. were
tweHty-seVens dollars. She ran about q
month in the trade, when she blow DIP.
The receipts for her last trip amounted
10 about 0nehundred and fifty dollars.
After the loss Of this boat the, trade
was temporarily abandoned. Earlyin the
winter OF 1880 Che Bfiendskiip was start.
ed out with view Of running to Mats
lnoras, George Davis, Of West Wteel-
ing, was Captain, and Hiram rmslfofif,
Of Fulton, was clerk. She .rSn till some
time in April, making three trips per
"i Shortly after tho, F+tsSasatD COM
mencel running, and Parkenburg still be.
ing considered q desirable terminus, the
ATroipline was purchased by Captains
Reed, Roberts and MlLure, and was the
second oat>pht into the t.Parkefeburg
trade propeEsA She was small boat Of
sbouta hundred tons, with cabin accom-.
modations Tor about thirty passengers,
and carried only single crew. SheinAde
Three trips per week, only one Of which,
however, wascleAr through'to Parkdfs-
burg, the other two being 10 N[atam0Fas,
Although the ArTosoline scarcely paid
expenses, thecompany reSolutely kptheg
IN the trade until thes4all Of 1850, when
they succeeded in getting a contract to
carry the mail from Wheeling to:Parkerss
burg, three times ner week for which thew
received about thirteen hundred dollars
per year. About the same time thew
bought the Allegheny Clipper, to be used
as a mail boat, making a second boat S'i in
the trade, and was the first Establishment
otanything like daily line,
This arrangement continued; N, fhO
spfing Of 1859 when Capt Reid died and
Tie boats were, sold, but continued N thS
Trade only a short time. By the untirinG
euotts Of those from time to time engaged
10 tue work, with the aid of the mail con.
TsSS the PGkGsbufg Aiads began 10
LOOK IKE a permanent thing.
Sapt, Roberts re.purchased the Arrolo.
IIne and q now hun on Inc stocks sat A.
ParKersburg, which, when finished IN
0SI SoSS 1872, was The frst Courier, in in
V waIe ~ oa I Rooetts was three. Ioutths
and captain Jelly one.fourlh owner SSe
was the 1rst new boat ever put into the
specially built for II. She continued ain IN
d r. . 70