The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-11
CIV WHEELN6s WEST VA SATURDAY MORNING


would originate and grow up. The hors
would starve while the grass was growing
; Situated as we are, We must get more 70
our local business than the New Yor
Central gets, line that runs through
constant succession Of cities, towns On,
villages, and also through very ricl
country, aud on q dead level as compare,
with our road. Why, my dear sir, It cos
nine millions Of dollars TO build the 10
miles between Grafton and Parkersbure
and II isa very expensive piece OF road &
keep up. And yet you see how light Ii,
local business Is. =
R.-But, Mr.. Keyser, could you not hay,
iostered special industries, such as the Goa
interests at Fairmont and Clarksburg, ant
the iron business OF Preston county, t
better advantage than you have done2
Mr.. k.-That question Is easily answer
ed. We hold ourselves always ready tc
foster any business that does not compel
US to break down our business elsewhere
met this very question at Fairmont some.
time ago. There are three great coal fields
upon our lines, viz, the Monongahela
on the Connellsville line, the Faifmont
field upon our main line, and the Clarks.
burg fields upon our Parkersburg branch.
Now look at the 81 iluatiOn OF these fields,
Our hauls between the Monongahela coal
tieldsand thoseof Fairmont and Clarksburp
are very different. From the two latter we
haul over two ranges OF mountains, the
ktngwood and Laurel Fork, at great ex.
pense, while from the former we haul over
only onerange. There 10 o diderenCein the
market value Of these. Goals. The first
named always commands a higher price In
the East. Even five were to put them all on
an equality, notwithstanding the relative
expense in the hauls, still the first named
would be preferred In the market, and
tairmont and Clarksburg would be rela-
lively just where they arc now. Where
then would be the advantage in breaking
down the price, TO our own great injury
and without compensating advantages To
Fairmont or Clarksburg?
R:-Does this same view apply 10 the
local iron interest OF Preston county?
MIR. K-To some extent. You have,
Tor instance, iron interests at Wheeling.
We haul ore for them from Sandusky and
sometimes coke from Connellsville. Now
we have double duty to perform-to
protect both the iron interests OF Preston
county and those OF Wheeling. II we put
the Preston county iron In here at too low
q rate we do so at the expense Of the iron
that Is made here, and thus hurt
that interest and our own carrying
trade as connected with that interest.
And yet We have not hesitated to
lend every possible encouragement to the
Preston county iron interests or any SINH
lar interest on the line OF our road, as Mr..
hurd, Of the Irontown furnace can testify.
We Will do oil We can TO keep them all
alive and prosperous, but we must not
shorten the blanket at the top merely TO
lengthen 1t at the bottom. We hold our
selves ready TO lend q helping hand 10
anything in the way Of business on our
line that has the germ OF promise in 1t,
but we cannot 60 into o speculative sys.
tenn OF experiments. No railroad can. It
is not legitimate, and it would be done at
the possible expense Of our solyency. Our
debts and our expenses are naturally
with US a primary consideration. 1fI
R-These considerations, Mr.. Keyser,
arc certainly entitled to their Just weight
at the hands Of the Legislature, and /
doubt not that that body will meet you in
q fair spirit Of compromise. They can
have no interest in forcing the company
TO the wall.
Mr.. KAN that the company asks or
expects Is just that fair spirit OF COM
promise. We have an abiding confidence
that the Legislature does not Intend to do
US an injustice. The company's main line
and its great properties are largely in the
territory OF West Virginia. They are
there to stay forever. We spend
thousands and tens OF thousands Of
our earnings in the State every year. We
do notintend 10 be an alien corporation on
West Virginia soil, but part and parcel Of
her future, and we hope that a better un:
derstanding between the Company and
the people Of the State will grow out OF
this present discussion before the Lceisla.
ture. We claim to be listening with both
patience and sympathy to all the charges
against US, and all we ask in return Is that
the people will listen with the same pa.
tlence and sympathy to our story.
And thus concluded the interview be.
tween our reporter and Mr.. Keyser. We
have put it in print as matter of great
interest to very many Of our readers at
this time. s9E