The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-02-08
Thus seated we,
STARTED FOR pArSEsvILLE.

STARTED FOR PAISEsyELLE.
Colonel Robinson of Ravenna, Civil
Engineer; Gen. Mckee, Engineer and
Contractor; and james Farmer, the Rail-
way veteran, OF Cleveland, were also in
our party, aud ut gainesville, n. V. Dren.
men, Editor Of the Ohio Valley Ne,gs, joined
Us.
Mr.. Farmer is pioneer in theoretical
narrow.gauge, and, at large mass meet
ing held in Akron in January 1872, in
the interest of the Valley Railway then
prospecting, was tho only man with the
grit and wisdom to publicly favor a mar.
row.gauge. i was at that meeting and
the balance OF US, if five or six hundred
may be called balance after subtract
ing one, were from Ignorance, prejudice
or other cause, against narrow-gauge'
How our prcjudiccs do govern the objec'
tive case, and how frequently We allow
them 10 obscure the path to mechanical,
commercial, financial, social and political
reform!
The mental and moral habits Of men
carve for themselves narrow groove,
whence light, and things Of larger growth
are excluded: We hold on to that which
is old because it is old, We reject that
which seems new to US because it is new,
even when it is founded on the soundest
laws Of science or northumberland our
reasoning is analogous to
"our old COW abe crossed the road
Because she crossed tho road sir,
And tho reason why she crossed the road
WaS because she crossed the road, air."
Every facility for seeing and testing th'
general and special features OF narrow
gauge. and gaining information, was givet
US by Mr.. McAlccr, Horace Steele, direc
tor at gainesville, the employees Of the
company and prominent citizens on the
line who joined our party at Niles, War
rem, Chardon and other. points en- route
THE PASSENGER CARS
are 80 feet long inside, 40 including plat
form; width 7 feet Q inches inside, feet
3 outto out, with 20 double and one single
seat arranged as in other cars, seating d
persons.
Two Of our party weighing, respective,
ly, 2O5 and 2lS pounds found they could
sit together
IN THE sANEsEAT
with entire comfort. Their average
weight being Ella pounds, shows sucl
cars to have capacity for q passenger ton
age Of l2,2SS pounds more or less" as
the eoRreyuneer would say.
When 1t is remembered that Pull
man car weighs $4,000 pounds and cost
$4,000 to $50, 1000, tina. n standard gauge
passenger car weighs $4,000 pounds and
costs $4,000, that many OF the trains RUM
ing over the d. & O., and other great
lines, carrying so few passengers, weigh
from 100000 to 100000 pounds may We
not we'll stop and ask
WHY Is THIS THUS?
In some places the engine had tt
plough through snow drifts on n curve
and up grades Of SIS feet to the mile, which
tdid with apparent ease. In some places
We attained spcedof So miles an horI
and whether in or out OF snow, on nc
grade or heavy grade, on straight line OF
curve, at high or low speed, OH old TRACK
or new, was utterly surprised to find thu
oscillation, iOlting and Earring much les.
than on most Of the fifty or moro stand
ard and broad gauge lines in this country
and Canada over which have travelled
A train of given number OF tons, pay
ing weight, will start easier when the
power is applied, and stop quicker wher
Withdrawn, than a standard train. Thii
renders collision less likely, and dCStruc
ton Of life and property much less. There
ls also less danger Of upsetting, because
lne lowering Of the center Of gravity ii
the nsrrow.gauge more than compensate'
Tor the narrowing OF base.
At an evening session at PaincsvilI'
the Board
ADOPTED THE NARRow-oAUaE,
or three feet track, and such other order
awere necessary to press tho work for
ward during the coming season.
Rcserving for future letter iurthe
mention Of the admirable harbor o
gainesville or Fairport, and the uniform
courtesy and kindness Of every one vi
met, and the incidents OF our return trip
will pass 10 other matters.
This is tho first action Of the compan,
establishing gauge. OF the authority