The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-01-20
RAILROAD MATTERS.
a New Narrow Gauge Pro-
iect,
Cincinnati, Batavia, Will
iamsburg & jackson R.R.
--HilIsboro LIKELY to be a
Point on the Line,

1ne people or Batavla ana WI
iamsburg, and the adjacent porto
q q of Clermont county, seem to ha'
. . caught the prevailing railroad feve
and are earnestly moving in favor
the construction of Narrow Gaue
Railroad from Cincinnati via Batavi
to Williamsburg, and eventually cas-
ward to the jackson coal fields, I'll
fame of that celebrated coal regio1
and the desire for cheap coal havin.
it appears, stirred up the Clermo1
t ters as well as the people of othe
portions of Southern Ohio.
The ball seems to have been set i
motion by Messrs. Woodward ant
Wilbur, two gentlemen from Indian
apolis, who are said to have hat
large experience in railroad construc
ton. They visited Batavia las
month, and proposed to some of th,
leading citizens to build a narrow
gauge railroad from Milford through
Batavia, Georgetown, and Adams
county, to the Jackson coal fields, i
the people along the line would give
the right of way and subscribe $4,000
mile. A public meeting was held
IN Batavia on New Years day, at
which committees were appointed to
arouse the people in favor of the pro-
ject, and obtain subscriptions. The
meeting adjourned to the 6th, when
another and still larger meeting was
held, at which the committees ap-
pointed at the previous meeting re-
ported.
1t seems that two rival routes are
proposed for the road from Batavia
to Cincinnati, one via the valley Of
East Fork to Milford, and the other
via Mt. Carmel, and Olive Branch to
Columbia. The meeting adopted a
resolution that committees be ap-
pointed to procure subscriptions on
each route, and also make SURVEYS.
and report to an adjourned meeting
IN Batavia on Saturday next, Jan. %.
East of Batavia to Williamsburg,
only one route seems to be proposed,
and the Williamsburg committee re-
ported that they had already obtained
from $4,000 to S25,000 of stock.
We are glad to see this movement
of the people of Clermont to secure
what they have SO long needed-a
railroad outlet from their rich and
county to the East and
West, and we hope their efforts will
be crowned with success. In com
ing to Williamsb lrg, they are on the
best, shortest and by far the most
practicable route to the Jackson coal
fields. They lave only to extend
their road from Williamsburg up the
valley of East Fork to Fayetteville,
thence to Hillsboro, over the very
favorable line surveyed three or four
years ago by the Southern Ohio R.
R. Co., and from Hillsboro east to a
connection with the Springfield and
Jackson Narrow Gauge road, at or
near Bainbridge, Is miles east of this
place. This, as we have said. will
give them the desired connection
With the Jackson coal region, by the |
shortest and most direct route, run
ling through rich and thickly set
lied country, the people of which are
lbundantly able and anxious to build
he road.
The route east of Williamsburg.
irst talked of, through Georgetown
md the northern part of Adams
county, would be much longer and
more difficult to build, besides pass
ng through a country where the
people are less able to build rail
Dad.
We hope, therefore, the people of
Iermont will decide to adopt the
Fayetteville and Hillsboro route to
Jackson, and think we can safely
promise them a liberal amount of
material aid" in the construction of
hat portion of the line which would
'ass through this county, both east
nd west of Hillsboro.
While, however, we heartily wish
hem success in their effort to secure
railroad connection with ''the rest
f mankind" we respectfully sug-
,est, whether it would not be better
'olicy for them to increase their
inscriptions to say 1900 or $1,000
mile, instead of $4,000, and build
road of the standard gauge instead
+ the narroao gauge. By so doing,
nd extending their road to Hills
'oro, our people would join them
n extending it over the old road bed
f the Hillsboro and Parkersburg
DAD to Piketon, 80 miles east of
ere. There it would connect with
he Scioto Valley road, now being
uilt, which will be finished to Ports
Mouth next fall, and will no doubt
ventually be extended up the river
o Huntington, the present terminus
f the Chesapeake & Ohio R. r.
his would give Cincinnati and the
'eople of Clermont, Brown, High
and, Pike and Scioto counties, a new
nd very favorable railroad route to
he Atlantic seaboard. besides oivino