The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1874-07-23
[From the Hillsboro Gazette of July 10th.
Southern Ohio Railroad.

Southern Ohio Railroad.
EDITOR GAZETTE Tho article in your
paper of the 9th inst, copied from the
Wilmington journal of the I'd, and the edi-
torial of the Gazette, seem both to have
been written under the misapprehension
that the Directors of the s. o. r. &. we're
80 welded to the one idea of building the
road in connection with the G. & o. R. R.,
that they could consider no other plan, how
ever feasible, even after all hope of aid
from the c. & o. Company had been
abandoned.
AS evidence of the inaccuracy of this
conclusion, it is only necessary for me to
state that I have for several weeks past
been in correspondence through Captain
cambridge, Chief Engineer of the Compa-
ny, with the President and Directors of the
Washington City, Cincinnati, st. Louis &
Chicago Narrow Gauge, and that they are
so fully impressed with the value of our
line for the extension of their road to the
West and Northwest, that President Borst
has asked conference for himself and his
Chief Engineer with the Directors of the
S. o. Company, and have invited them to
be present at a business meeting of the
Board called for the 22d of July, to be held
at Hillsboro.
The plan of this company is to build
from Richmond, Va, by Washington City
aud Harrisonburg, Va, to Point Pleasant,
Va, on the Ohio River. They propose to
meet us at jackson on the way to Chicago,
continuing the line from Hillsboro to Gin
cinnati either under the present organiza-
ton of the Hillsboro & Cincinnati Short
Line Company, or one of their own, as may
be agreed upon.
Another narrow gauge enterprise has
been presented for our consideration, and
several months since some of the friends
of this enterprise who regard our line as
the most favorable for its extension, West
and Northwest, addressed me on the sub
ject. This is line from Richmond, Va,
up James River by Lynchburg, Clynch and
Licking Rivers to Covington, KY, with a
line through Pound Gap to Portsmouth, o
In connection with this is the projected
narrow gauge road from Grand Haven at
the mouth of Grand River. on the eastern
shore of Lake Michigan, via Columbus to
Portsmouth. This would cross our line at
or near Piketon, making a system of mar
row gauge connections highly favorable to
the future success of our own road.
Since it became apparent that the G. &
o. Company could not aid us in building
our road, have given time and attention
to the investigation of the subject of mar
row gauge roads, realizing that, compelled
to rely upon our own resources, it might be
wisest and best for the communities inter
ested in the enterprise to agree and authorize
the Directors to commence at as early day
as practicable the construction of narrow
gauge road from Dayton to Jackson.
These investigations have convinced me
that a narrow gauge between these points
can be built and equipped for the same
sum or less than would be required to pre-
pare the line for the iron for common
gauge. The estimate for the latter, using
the estimate prices of the Columbus &
Hooking Valley Company, is $1,235, 600.
Taking the comparative estimates of mar
row gauge and common gauge roads pre-
pared by able engineers, and making prop
er deduction from the reliable estimate
above given on our road, from Dayton to
Jackson, it can be built as narrow gauge
with all necessary side tracks, water stations
and depots, and thoroughly equipped, for
81, ,25O, 900. III addition to the great saw
ing in original construction, it is shown in
the practical operation of roads now built
and running in this and other countries,
that there are such decided advantages in
favor of the narrow gauge in cost of main
tanning and operating and amount of ton
mage that can be transported by the same
weight of train, as to cheaper transporta-
ton largely without diminishing the profits
Ol otOCAuOIOo1S. 10y tOhJ ooOAoOAJ anu 1hO
communities on the line, can build and own
this road and afford to give even the most
liberal terms to any and all other roads that
may hereafter wish to use it.
1t is a question of the highest importance
for the consideration of the stockholders
before and at their meeting on the 23d,
and for the Directors at their business
meeting on the 22d, whether we shall re-
solve upon building a narrow gauge road
from Dayton to jackson, to be extended
down Symmes Creek, hereafter, as the
ability of the Company may justify. 1t
viii be well, also. to consider the question
of building a narrow gauge road with
bridges and culverts wide enough for COM
mon gauge, SO that when the c. & o. Com
pany aids in money to a sufficient amount
to justify, the road-bed could be widened
and third rail laid; SO that both narrow
gauge and common gauge trains can pass
over the line.
Notwithstanding the position assumed in
both articles of the Journal and Gazette,
that the Southern Ohio is a dead corpora
ton, the carcass of which should be remov-
ed to give place to some fancied new or
ganization, I assert, without fear of Sue
cessful contradiction, by any right mode
of reasoning. that the Southern Ohio enter
prise is the strongest new railroad enter
prise in Ohio, with a single exception-the
Columbus & Toledo. 1t is strong in the in
trinsic merit of the line and the belief of
not only the communities on the Gne,- but
of railroad men, that its vast resources and
valuable connections must necessarily make
it profitable road when built. 1t is strong
in rights of way secured with isolated ex-
ceptions) on over one hundred and fifty
miles of ground. 1t is strong in an agree
ment between Mr.. King, President of the
NJ. & c. Road, and myself, as President of
the S. o. Road, by which all question as to
the control of the old road-bed is settled in
favor of its occupancy and control by the
S. o. R. r. Company. 1t is strong in hav-
ing well-estabished thirty-foot grade line
perfected by numerous surveys and such
thorough investigation of the country as
establishes the important fact that the
country, both North and South for many
Ell, a,o1,