Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-11-19
The Marrow Guage Project.

ing come over the route OF tne pro
posed narrow guage railroad from
Xenia to this city. There were alto
gether twelve gentlemen in the party
representative men of their several 10
calities. In the evening public
meeting was held at the Court House
The room was well filled, and the in
terest manifested was very encour-
aging. R. ALEsHIRE, Esq, was
chosen Chairman, and Captain JOHN
A. HAMILTON, Secretary. Speeches
were made by Col. IEoMAN, Presi-
dent of the Railroad company, Col.
HURLBURT, an experienced and intelli-
gent Engineer, Hon. JOHN LITTLE, of
Xenia, GEO. H. FRY, of Springfield,
and IRVINE DUNCAN, Of Jackson, be-
sides by Messrs. DAVIES, VANCE
and MILES, of this city. Col. HURL-
BURT spoke of the advantages of the
narrow guage over the average
guage. They would cost less than
half of the broad guage, could han
die freights and passengers with the
same facility and speed, and best OF
all. could do it twenty-five per cent.
cheaper than the common guage
roads. Their cost, built and equip
ped, is from $4,000 to $4,000 per
mile Their operating expenses are
about one-half less than present
roads, and their carrying capacity
but little less than the best roads in
the State. The Colonel sustained his
views by reference to roads of this
character now in operation, and by
facts and figures drawn from many
years experience in railroad build
ing, which struck the common sense
of his hearers as unanswerable.
Whatever may be our judgment in
regard to the practicability of narrow
guage railroads, we could not fail to
appreciate the able and logical man.
ner in which Colonel HURLBURT pre-
sented what he deemed their advan-
tages.
Colonel YEoMAN's remarks were
confined to a brief history of the
present movement, and report OF
its progress up to this time. He, as
well as Mr.. LITTLE and Mr.. Fry, as
sured our people that the road would
be built from Xenia to Jackson, and
that it would be left to the people of
Gallipolis to determine whether it
should strike the river here or at
some other point. Altogether it was
an interesting meeting, and has re-
suited in awakening a new, and, we
trust, better and more harmonizing
feeling in behalf of our railroad pro-
jects.
On Saturday morning another
meeting was held at the Council
Chamber. A large number of our
prominent citizens and business men
were present, evincing commendable
interest in the subject. We leave
the Secretary to tell the results of
this meeting, to whose report, else
where given, we refer the reader.
After the close of the Friday even
ing meeting, our guests, with large
number Of citizens, were right hospi
tably entertained at the residence of
Col. VANCE. We are glad to know
that our visiting friends were pleas
ed with their visit to the "French
city, To most of them it was their
first visit, and it is a credit to our
people and town that they left, as
their reporter, Mr. r. T. FTNDLEY, of
the Xenia Gazette, expresses it,
"with the most pleasant recollec-
tions."
The party left here Saturday noon,
for Pomeroy. A committee Of our
citizens accompanied them, consist
ing of the following gentlemen: ].
M. KERR, D. B. HEBARD, ]. p. ALE
SHIRE, w. @. HAYWARD and j. l..
YAAcE, The delegation were met at
point below Middlepart and escort
cd to Poineroy. The meeting was q
complete success. It resolved in ia
vor of the narrow guage plan, and
appointed a committee for active eff
fort. After the meeting the visitors
were sumptuously entertained at the
residence of S. W. PoMERoY, Esq.
What is to be the outcome of this
movement we are not prepared to say.
The friends at the western end of the
enterprise believe the road will be
built. at least so far as the coal
fields of Jackson county. Its con-
tinuance tothe Ohio, and especially
its terminal point, are much more
matters of uncertainty. We believe
our people, certainly SO far as we
have heard an expression, do not en-
tertain the idea of building a new
road, and thus abandoning or even
ignoring the project already well nn-
der way. Some of them hold the
opinion that we should rednce the
guage of our road to the narrow
standard, and in that way make 1t a
part of this extensive and important
route to the cities of the west. A