The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-09-08
TINE WHEELING, WEST LIBERTY
AND BETHANY PIKE.
Mr.. Morgan Replied TO.
Editors of the Register:

Morgan, in Thursdays paper, may create
! false impression, although unintentiCn -
al on his part Indeed, he seems to write
without "information" on some points,
and, as it rather reflects upon those who
! have advocated certain road improve
ments, which he claims are OF "no use in
developing the county," 1t cannot be i'm
proper to add something further.
It is notorious that the Bethany Pike
has been improperly located. Had it
been located up Woods run mot Long
run, as Morgan terms, it, or Waddle's
run and past Kelley's, the changing of
the route on to Woods ruu would not now
have been needed, and, being upon a
proper location, would probably have
been Macadamised ere this time. entirely
through. This, right here shows the
necessity of putting our roadssupon tn
proper location at the start.
The repairs which would be needed to
keep up the West Liberty road over
the hills for the next ten years,
to let out "the finest country in the
! land" over which goes "more of the pro-
! ducts of the soil than any road Of double
! its length" would build and keep up the
route up Woods run-owing to the diff
Guilty of getting material-which lies
! along Woods run in ineXhauStible guam
tiblc quantities, besides being a shorter
and better. grade. Over the hills is
scarcely mile of level road 1t is either
pulling up hill or drawing the rubber
going down hill, while on the Woods
| run route there need not be more than
a half mile of five degree grade, while a
great deal of the hill route is over that;
and. indeed, the entire Woods run route
over the low gap at McCollochs could be
made with Il grade easy enough for street
cars to run over. a road is needed up
Campbelrs Hill, but not to accommodate
the travel from West Liberty to Wheel
ing.
Mr.. Morgans criticisms in regard to
the neglect of the eastern end Of
the road, are certainly just, but
those now having control of the appro-
priation are not to blame for this, except
It be the commissioner from Triadelphia.
They have to take things as they: find
them, and they are probably doing moro
for the county generally, than any, other.
similar body of men since our conntyaor-
ganization.
The policy of our county authorities
has indeed often been very short-sightcd
as example this very W. W. l.. q b.
Turnpike, as it is termed. 1t was built
to give Bethany and Brooke county an
outlet to Wheeling, yet Ohio county
failed to keep her portion of the road III
proper repair, and Bethany and Brooke
county were compelled to seek an outlet
to Wellsburg, which has resulted in the
Wellsburg and Bethany road, magniti-
cent affair, of which the little county
of Brooke is proud, and COM
pared to which the great coun-
ty of Ohio has nothing within
her borders as the result of her
enterprise. But it is to be hoped that
she may have ere many years.
This is not what intended to write
about when l commeneed-probably l
am like a bull with red rag, show me a
road and become eXcited-but If some
one does not get ''eXcitcG' over the mat
ter we will have no improvements. MIR.
Morgan is entirely mistaken in saying
| that "Kelley's Barn" is the nearest and
best grade for the Potomac people. TINS
has been tested. We can have less than
tivei degree grade in striking at Gin
ton, in place of Kelley's barn, and does
the travel from Castleman's Run want to
90 to Kelley's or Robin Hoods barn
and zig-zag back to Clinton? And II we
attempt to make the road as Mr.. Morgan
proposes, and get the same grade that we
! can get from Harvey's down the valley
to Clinton, it will cost almost as nuch,
! and the damages asked would 0uild
two or three such roads, probably.
! Samuel Smith says he will spend his en-
tire farm before he will allow
the road to be charged on him. True,
| we can cut the hill down, but to get the
same grade as is attainable on the other
route the cutting would probably cost
hundreds of dollars, and where Is the
propriety of expanding such sum when
we can 60 round the hill for half nun
bred, besides making cut that would De
, likely to drift full of snow in the winter
as the road along this high ridge Is at
times impossible from drifts In ITS present
location. Near the Bethany Pike, Mr.
Kelley would be injured to a greater en-
tent than Mr.. Smith, to get the same
grade that we can get on the other route
10 connect at Clinton.
As to Harvey, Curtis and Dunlap OPP
posing to the bitter end" any further ex-
tension of the road, this is presenting the
matter rather strong. Mr.. Harvey wants
the road, but will oppose certain ioea-
tions. He is 'road man., yet Is II u
wonder if he squirms sometimes, as some
eight or ten roads have been asked tor
through his farm. Of course the travel
of the community do not need all these
Mr.. j. A. Curtis bears the reputation
of being liberal man, and Know ne ne
would not "oppose to the bltter emu
anv road which the interests OF the COM
munity demand. A proper compenS,a-
ton for damage would satisfy him ifthe
road was properly located. As to MI
Dunlap, his son told me that If every one
else was giving the best locations he recK-
oned they would also; they would eX-
pect compensation for damage, as 1t
would injure them more, probably, than
any one else.
Locating roads is difficult business
One hundred men are interested. Each
one has different views about the location,
management, &c. Ninety-nine are dis
satisfied if it is undertaken, and may De
one hundred NEEDLE who are not inter
ested. And who shall decide?
You seem DESTROYS to give the people
chance to be heard. This seems fair al
least, but had scarcely supposed that
these local "road quarrels" were worthy
e h.,