Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-08-12

ton was paid to that letter. 1t was
read as among the marvellous state.
ments of newspaper correspondents
although entirely private as it was
and very little thought was given tc
| it after the day Of its appearance
People here knew not where Toledo
was located, and seemed to care less.
They did not know that it was at the
western end of Lake Erie, very near
the line of boundary between Mich
gan and Ohio, and at a point Of con
siderable accumulation of commerce
and wealth, which could in no sense
be prejudiced by the power of Chica-
90; for such was the eastward ten
dency that neither trade nor produce
originating east OF Chicago could ever
find its way there.
| The people of Toledo looked steadi
lly towards connection with the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. They
at last discovered that the prospect
of the construction of the Scioto Val
ley railroad was placed beyond q
doubt, and they saw that if they built
railroad to Columbus, Ohio, they
would with the Scioto road be placed
in connection with the north bank OF
the Ohio river by route not far from
straight to Huntington, and they de
termined at once to build a road to
Columbus. Our readers know that
we have recently announced that the
Scioto road from Columbus, the
State capital, to Portsmouth, on the
OHIO river, was let out to contractors,
that it, would be Immediately com.
menced and finished next year The
floods have interiered, and the work
is slightly delayed. And now We
have the following important news
COLUMBUS, August THE con,
tract for constructing the Columbus
and Toledo railroad was awarded by
the directors, tonight, to Benjamin
f. smith, and nine associates from
Columbus and Cincinnati, including
Colonel Orlando Smith. There were
III bids, of which nine were for the
whole line. Smiths was the lowest.
The contractors get about $4,000
per mile, taking 81 ,064,000 of the
company's bonds at eighty-three cents,
receiving the balance of their pay in
cash. They put down one half steel
and one half iron rail, sixty pounds
to the yard, and all bridges are to be
of iron; the company to furnish the
right of way, stations, and equip
mcnts: and the whole cost Of the
road will be about $40, 900 per mile.
1t is to be competed November l,
1876"
This is very admirable news. We
see now that there is but forty-eight
miles between us and Toledo; that
the statement of our accurate and ear
nest correspondent is completely
borne out. We not only have way
TO Toledo less torty-eight miles, but
we have also and equally way to
the great city of Chicago by Il line
as direct rs any that we could proba-
bly, make. Once at Columbus, Ohio,
we are in connection with system OF
communication with tie entire North
west that can hardly be improved.
Cincinnati, the ruling city of the
Ohio Valley, comes in just here. 1t
was for her to complete the grand
line from the Ohio to the Chesapeake.
She has turned her attention, under
Il mistake, as we think, directly to
the South to the neglect Of the line
East and West, in which lie her pc
culiar force and prosperity. We find
that lake city has sought that union
which of all Others should have at
tracted her highest sympathies and
hopes. That lake city has, in fact,
achieved connection by "perpen-
dicular line" with the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad. 1t is true this
line is at right angles with the Ohio
river. But that is all the worse for
Cincinnati for her interest in is
making the commerce Of the Ohio
bur the Ohio river and find its way
to eastern tide-water with as little
deviation from the latitudinal line as
possible Manifestly her interests
are imperilled by this railway from
the lakes t. the Ohio at right angles
with the line which is properly
hers. Now, then, what will Gin
cinnati do? That is her affair ;
but if we were to decide for her, she
would reach Portsmouth with her
river road before that from Colum
bus is finished. We shall see what
she will do with it.
The facts here stated are quite
enough to produce no little excite
ment in Richmond. People may
laugh at US for the remark. If 50
we beg them to get their biographies
and atlas and see the real bearing OF
the points in question. We think
they will hardly laugh when they
have made the proper examination.
Clearly, in our view, the great
volume of commerce flows around the
globe in the middle temperate zone.
On this latitudinal line are the de-
pots of distribution. 1t would, in
deed, be folly to start produce South
that could find no market and should
20 North ; and produce once started
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