The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-19
weston q CIarksburg Railroad
Interesting letter from the
President.

Railroad, at Clarksburg, "A miles. Grad
ing began in the winter Of 1907, and
during the sumner Of 1877, very much
was done covering 10 miles Of the Wes.
ton End, including the heaviest work,
and t~restles oyer four miles, when about
August, 1877, the contractor failed. This
occurring in the midst Of the working
season delayeda ui for a time discouraged
us, and so work ceased until April last,
when II was resumed under new contracts
covering the ground from Clarksburg to
Lost Creek, II miles. Some weeks since
contracts were made for the construction
Of the t~restlework from c%larksburg to
Weston, aud for finishing the uncom.
pleted grading from Weston to Lost
Creek.
Only three .fourths Of mile connecting
with the B. & o. road remains inlet; and
this is delayed only because Of a change
Of location now under consideration; and
this will be determined within q short
time, and that part will be let. About
1870 hands are now 1t work. Thus the
work OF finishing the road ready for ties
goes industriously forward, and u few
months will witness It's completion. Its
safe to say that three-fourths Of the grad.
ing Is at this date done, with t~restles over
four miles. Lewis county voted $4,000,
Weston $4,000, Clarksburg $4,000, and
private parties subscribe 5000. Lewis
county was asked Tor S50,OOO'mote, but
though q majority voted for it the propo'
sition did not receive the requisite three
fiths, and thus the county left us in the
very crisis. But our directory thinking
that SO good a work should not be
abandoned, picked up fresh courage,
struggled on, and they are determined to
20 through TO success.
Our assets will pay engineering, dam
ages and construction Of roadbed, bridges
and t~res,les, thus making the road ready
for ties. The cost Of superstructure and
equipment will range from 100000 to
$4,000, with a good Trail. We are con.
ident that by means Of the pledge OF the
road we will raise this. Our prospects
are brighter than ever before, spirits
good, and we believe the year 1878 will
see the road open for business.
As to the Importance OF the road there
can be no question. It connects Clarks:
burg, with a population Of 5000, n Of
the important towns Of the State, already
having considerable manufacturing i'm
portance and steadily gaining. with IVES.
ton having a population Of 1900, exclu-
siye OF the State Insane Hospital, con-
tanning a population OF 500. Its course
is through the finest lands In the State,
already thickly settled.
THE COUNTRY TRIBUTARY ToTHE ROAD AT
WESTON.
Reaching Weston the road drains
Lewis county, and the south Of it for a
distance Of IS miles, taking in all OF
Braxton county and a email portion Of
Nicholas; on the west 1t drains AZ miles,
taking in Gilmer county and a small
portion OF Calhoun; and on the east and
southeast il drains 80 to 60 miles, taking
in Upshur county, . portion Of Ran
dolph and half OF Webster. Much OF
this scope is already highly improved,
much 10 It's infancy, but all expanding
and improving. The country tributary
to this road, which has no mother COM
peting outlet, already contains $4,000
population. Unless this extensive ter
ritory were u barren and ~unproductive
waste (but II ia already a ine productive
seclion), It certainly deserves and will
pay a narrow gauge railroad. Strange
as il may seem in these days Of quick
transit, one can stand in the streets OF
Weston almost any day and see heavily
loaded wagons dragging their slow way
over the worst roads in the State, someto
Braxton G. H., O. miles from the track
Of the Baltimore & Ohio road at Clarke
burg, some 10 Birch River, in Nicholas
county, so miles from that road. Nearly
the same may be seen IN the streets OF
| Buckhannon, on their way 10 Randolph
and Webster. Our road will shorten this
by "a miles, bringing Buckhannon with
in Is miles, eilenville within 81 miles and
Braxton c. Fl. within 4S miles Of a rail-
road.
Our state is rich. All she needs is OUT
let and development. These she cannot
have with her terrible roads. In this
age commerce Is carried on by steam, not
By horse power on mud roads over long
mountainous distances. Our only hope
for improvement lies in narrow gauge
railroads, the only railroad suited to a
rough country, and certainly the only
system within the limit OF our capacity
to build. A good macadamized turnpike
will cost about as much as a narrow
gauge railroad.
THE LOCATION oFTHE ROAD.
Our road was originally located by
George Barrett, civil engineer, and the
location il regarded on all hands as the
very best possible over the ground. It is
under construction under the supervi.
sion OF T. Moore Jackson, Of Clarksburg,
as chief engineer, and is being built with
a wide and substantial,bed and when done
II will compare favorably with any mar
row gauge in the country, and will likely
be a model among them.
Clarksburg voted her subscription last
year almost unanimously, though the
formal subscription was not made until
recently, when General Northco,t, her
Mayor, and D. c. Lee, Esq., her Recorder,
under orders Of her Council, made the
formal signed subscription. Perhaps a
few OF her citizens objected to this action,
but the great mass Of them and her
Council were prompt to preserve Clarks.
burg's good name and repute by living
up 10 the pledge made by her people at
the polls. Some Of her enemies foretold
that she would prove recreant 10 this
matter, but, while writing on the subject
Il gives me pleasure to certify 10 the good
faith and public spirit Of her people and
Council. Some think the road Will in
jure C~larksburg; but whilst II will take
from her the wagons that now 60 there,
it will give the interior quicker, easier