The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-06-13
COMPLIMENTARY TO WHEEL
ING.
Her Present Relations 10 the
Capital Question.


CLARKsBuRo, June II, 1877.
Editors IntCllEenccr;
The strange and, we may say, uugener.
Gus position assumed by the Wheeling
EegiGT on the Capital location, 10 many
OF its phases, particularly in limiting that
a spirit Of Indifference Il not hostility
exists in Wheeling, Parkersburg and
many other places 10 Clarksburg, is 40
foreign from the facts, as we understand
them, that rebuke seems justitiable.
To be brief, we say il because we know il
10 be true, that the city Of Wheeling, the
home OF the Register, has no better friends
in the State than the citizens Of ClNrks-
burg. Through all her past history Of
the last two or three decades, in her
heroic struggles with selfish, ungencrOus
men and warning elements, she has had
the warm, earnest, hearty sympathy Of
our people. Well we remember (atter
working nightly for the right Of way
through Northwest Virginia for the rail.
road) her magnificent offer Of 100000 |
stock by the then little city to the b. 80.
K. Il. Co. to secure the terminus there.
Then came the exhausting, expensive
struggle, costing, ii We remember Alright,
some 100000, against that great
corrupt corporation to compel them
to stand by their contract and terminus.
Then again came n subScri ption OF $780,
600 or $4,000 TO the Iiempfeld road.
And during this time she built the first
suspension bridgespanning the broad Ohio
river, being one OF the mightiest works
Of that day and generation, and at the
same time whilst building that magniG.
cent structure with the one hand fought
OF with the other, at great expense,
combinations Of selfish men and parties
at Pittsburgh and other cities and towns
along the river. Then came the great
storm that dashed that monstrous work
Of progress and art total wreck 10 the
bottom Of the river. With all these dis.
cOuragements did Wheeling fold her
hands in despair? No; not moments
unnecessary delay. And, although fighting
the II. & o. Company in an expensive
law suit, and paying up her stock to the
llempEcld road, besides making many
substantial city improvements, she re.
solved to build that great bridge on a
broader, stronger and more magnificent
scale than the former, and she did il and
paid the last dollar on her contract, as
well as her stock in the B. 30. and
llGmpiield roads, and has made such other
city improvements and grown and
strengthened with such incredible energy
~ is found nowhere else outside Of in-
domitNbIc New England. Aud during
all these mighty struggles and heroic
works by the city Of Wheeling our people
have been no idle, Indifferent spectators.
We have swept with those that weep,
and rejOiCei with those that rejoice"
We have ever felt proud of Wheeling
AZ the great commercial city OF our State
We hope and trust that the Register will
have the fairness TO report us to tho
Wheeling people as their friends, Capt..
tai or no Capital. As to the city OF Par.
kersburg, why, we know that city ia our
friend and always has been. Our inter-
eats and associations have been mutual
and cordial, and We number some of our
best friends there. IA for Weston and
Buckhannon, We are all one. Associated
~ we are by affinity or consanguinity no
newspaper can separate us; and in regard
to the Gordon OF counties south OF us,
from Jackson county to the Potomac,
they are all the honored oti5prings OF old
Harrison, and will all go for and with us.
One word more: The Capital bill pro-
vides Clarksburg, Charleston and Mar
tinsburg as the three places 10 be voted
for, one Of which IL 10 be the Capital.
The claims OF Charleston we consider less
hy far than either OF the other points.
First, because the largest amount OF pop
ulatiOn and taxable property 1.-THE only
voice TO be heard in this matter) ia north
Of and adjoining the b. Il o. railroad. 1t
is true that the valleys of the Kanawha
and Ohio rivers have excellent land, but
the great body OF land in the southern por.
ton Of the State now ia and ever will be a
wild, mountainous, barren unprOductive
territory; and, second, the associations,
trade,tratliC and intercourse Of Charleston
IL almost exclusively with Cincinnati.
Socially, politically, and in point Of trade,
Charleston is about ~ eiieCtually cut of
from the main portion Of the State "a Al.
giCrs Martinsburg, though her trade,
traffic, interests, &c, are with Baltimore,
and situated on the extreme Eastern Pan.
handle, would still be preferable to
Charleston, as that place can be reached
with ease and certainty, and without ex-
hHuSting the treasury with mileage in SEES.
stons of the Legislature. We are slow to
believe that newspaper editors would
Stoop no low as to rcll the best interests
OF the community in which they dwell, or
the interest OF the State for money or
such other considerations. Their posi-
ton should DO held too exalted for
that. Finally, whether the benefit Of ca.
ttbIishing the political Capital at Clarks.
burg shall exceed the blighting influence
Of pernicious, real or Imaginary aris-
tocracy OF wealth or position, which is
often the death blow to small towns,
(though naturaliIed and lost in the deep,
strong business current Of industry and
enterprisein cities Of the size Of Wheel.
ing) is a matter we do not ut this time
propose to discuss. That tho best inter.
eats Of the State point Enthusiastically to
Clarksburg as the desired point Of tho
three places designated in the bill there
can be no doubt. RUFUS.