The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-04-16
TRE b. RO.H9OPs.


week, Mr., KxxsER, 2nd Vice President
of the B. i o. Railroad, and Mr.. QUIN-
cr. the Superintendent of the Central
Ohio and Chicago Divisions, were in this
city and Bellairs, looking into the condi-
tion of the Company's shops at the two
points, and discussing plans of consolids-
ton, enlargement, &c. The Company
owns l8 acres of land at Bellaire, and
considerable amounts Of machinery
What it has at Bellsire is In pref.
ty good condition, with ample room
to add almost without limit. The shops
are conveniently located, and it would
probably be a stroke OF economy for the
company to consolidate the shops and
machinery now on this side of the river
with those al Bellsire. This, as we un-
derstsnd, was the question that ged
the attention of Messrs. KEYsER and
Quincy while here last week. The
Wheeling shops are IN bad repair, and are
of limited capacity. To put them in prop.
er condition al d make such enlargementS
as the interests Of the company demand
in the near future, will require the ex-
penoiture of largo amount Of money.
hn kae ~
in the Wheeling shops, We believe, is not
more than l25 to $50, but when tine
Hempfeld extension is completed, as it
will be at no distant day, that number
will have to bs doubled and quadrupledi
therefore large additions will have to be
made to the buildings and machinery.
L, is possible, no wever, that in making
the Hempfeld part of the great through
line between Chicago and Baltimore, the
road will lind it necessary to tunnel the
hill from the vicinity of Boggs' Run, in
the direction of Elm Grove, IN order TO
avoid running the numerous heavy trains
through the heart of the city. In that
case, Bellaire would be u more Conven-
lent point for the shops. There Is q
strong feeling in this city agalns. ran
ming any kind of steam cars within or
near the corporate limits, and this feel
ing could bs appeased by the course sug-
gested. BY tunnelling the hill south
east oil the city, and the
removal OF the shops to Bellaire. II
would no longer be necessary for loco
motive to pollute the pure ali of Wheel
ing with its smoke, or startle INTO tits any
of its nervous citizens. Once upon a
time, we have understood, the b. q o.
road desired to cross the river from this
city to Bridgeport, but few OF our VIDE
awake citizens compelled it to cross at
Bellalre. Afterwsrd, the Cleveland
& Pittsburgh road was extremely anxious
to come down this side of the river into
the heart of the city, but our people were
on the alert aud drove it TO the other
side. There is something of this spirit
still lingering in the bosoms OF some OF
our citizens who ought to possess more
enlightened sentiments. This crops out
occasionally when the question OF asses
sing the property of the b. " .. road
within this city for taxation purposes
comes up for consideration before the
Board of Commlssioners-or, at least 1t
used to do SO when Kaiser WILHELMs
fatty substance filled chair in that body.
Two or three years ago we remember the
b. s. o. Railroad proposed to materially
enlarge and improve its machine shops
in this city, if basis of taxing the
property OF that company, which it
thought equitable, could be agreed
to by the Board of Commis.
sioncrs; but after much discussion
nothing ever came of it. We doD't
know how far this question of taxa
tion enters into the proposition
now pending to move the shops, but we
do know that, if the shops are removed
the revenue W which the county loses direct
" will be small compared to what it will
lose indirectly. The removal of the shops
means the removal of one or two hun.
n-ed families as well, and the only con.
ISOLATION we will have will bs that our
loss is Bellsire's gain.