The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-08-25
NaRRoM GAsGEs.


that is proposed to be built, viii cost
and earn. 1t only requires an effort
all together to build this road. Citi-
zens, why can't we have this road. 1t
is no use to sit idly waiting for the
railroad to be built You must beup
and doing, Improve the opportunity
YOU now have. Build the road and
we predict that word of regret will
never be uttered
We have before rs the report of the
President and Directors of the Wes-
ton ~ West Fork Narrow Gauge r. II.
extending from Weston to Clarks-
burg. Fifteen miles of this road is
now ready for the ties, and the whole
of it is placed under contract.
The length of the road is a miles,
and the contract for grading-mak-
ing it ready for the ties-was let for
$4,000, or less than 81, 500 per mlie.
Upon the road, there are eight or ten
heavy culverts, several heavy iills,and
a good deal of trestling. Owing to the
loose, loamy soil of the land over
which the road passes, along the hill
sides the road-bed had to be made
l25 feet wide-3 or feet wider than
it otherwise would have been.
Through this county it would not
be necessary to make the road-bed
over s or 10 feet wide.
On the route of the road there are,
also, two large bridges, which were
built by the contractor and included
in the S42, 1000 mentioned above.
The iron to be used upon the road
will be that known as the 30-lb. rail
"a rail weighing 30 pounds to the
yard-and will cost only $50 per ton.
When finished and ready for bust
ness, and equipped with two lotion
locomotives, two passenger and sew
eral freight ears, the entire road will
cost Sll0,000-or less than $4,000 q
mile!
In this amount is included the fol
lowing items For right of way,
$4,000; engineering, $6,536.9S; ut
torney fees, DC, $500: total, $l2,
622.2S. Now, we believe that a large
amount of this Sl2,G22 could be say
ed in the building of the Morgan
town, kingwood u - n. G.. II. r.;
for certainly we should not have to
pay $4,000 for the right of way. The
$4,000 paid for engineering, was
money well spent" for, by change
of the original route, $20, 800 was saw
ed in grading alone,
lnasmuch as our proposed road
will be, in nearly every respect simi-
lar to the Weston d West Fork X. r.,
and what is true of that, in general
sense, applies to us, we take some ex-
tracts from the President and Direc-
tors report OF the value of rail
roads, the report says
1T has been the experience of see
tons favored with railroads, that they
have a magical influence known only
to those who have enjoyed them, in
increasing growth and trade, and
adding to the general wealth. Take
for example counties in our own State,
five ON the Northwestern Virginia
Railroad, Taylor, Harrison, bod
bridge, Richie and Wood, compared
with seven counties without q rail
road, Barbour, Randolph, Upshur,
Lewis, Braxton, Tyler and Peasants.
We give their increase in property
valuation for period Of Is years
from the construction of that railroad
in 1851, to 1870: Five railroad coun-
ties, increase in realty $685. 66,
personality, $4,33S, S9l-total, So,
IT'S, 257.-Seven counties off the rail
road, increase in realty, $l,S47,392,
personality, 81 ,976, S5S-total, 1884,
$50. Difference in favor of Railroad
counties in realty, -, 1912, 374, person
atty, $2,361 ,933-total, $6.954, 307.
In these railroad counties the aggre-
gate valuation of real and personal
property in 1852 was $7,513,Sl5; the
mere increase up to 1870, in lS years,
was $10,77S,557. The same ratio on
our present tax basis would in a like
period give Lewis county an increase
of So, 100000, and make our total val
uation $6,750,000.
'sThis increased valuation will de-
crease taxation In so far as real es-
tate is concerned increased value will
not affect taxation in one way or the
other, the sum to be raised being the
same. For if ten thousand dollars is
to be raised, it will take ten per cent.
upon 100000 dollars worth Of proper
ty to do it, but one per cent. upon
100000 dollars worth Of property,
will raise the same sum, thus an in
crease in value of taxable property
will decrease the per cent. OF taxation.
But an increase in value of personal
property will result from an increase
of property itself, and will increase
the taxable fund of the county and
tend to decrease the amount which
each taxpayer must pay"
Under the sub-heading Of ''Proba
BILE earnings" the report says:
"The very lowest estimate Of the
gross earnings annually which has
been made is $4,000. Allowing 80
per cent for operating expenses,the
remains $1,000 net, which would pay
over per cent. on the cost of the
road. The estimate of the gross earn
ings usually made for it range from
600 000 IN gao 600 Exnariprca alone