The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-23
CARD
From Vice President Keyser, OF the RaI.
tiInore d Ohio Railroad Company-ThG
Issues between that Company and the
r. W. q Ky. Road.

| va my uIElNhl u6Ie Illb ulOIuluR
learned that a disturbance had occurre
during the night, and that the tracks
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Compan
on It's own properly, north Of wheelin
Creek, had been forcibly displaced an
one OF Its cars thrown over, and that
force In the employ Of the 7. ". & K,
Railroad Company were actively engage
in laying their tracks upon the land own
ed and for nearly quarter Of a centur,
occupied by this company, with a view i
the extension Of their road to Benwood.
learned also, to my regret, that these law
less proceedings were openly counte
nanced by the municipal authorities ant
Sympathlzed in by large class Of the citi
zens. Believing as l do, that the fair
minded inhabitants OF Wheeling do no
desire any injustice done TO the Bal
timore 4 Ohio Company "a cor
poration which, whatever they ma,
have thought TO be Its short comings, ha!
certainly been largely instrumental In de
veloping the resources and adding to thu
material wealth Of their city, and thinking
however much they may differ as 10 The
policy Of the company, the citizens Of
Wheeling will not countenancc any open
and tlagrant invasion OF its rights, l have
thought best to submit the following briel
statement OF facts pertaining to the contro.
versy between the two companies:
After the completion Of the eP., w. & Ky.
road to Its present terminus on Four.
teenth street, Its managers expressed a de.
sire to make connection with the B. & o.
road, in order, as they alleged, to reach
the large manufacturing establishments
south OF Wheeling Greek, and with that
view they prepared and presented to the
Legislature bill authorizing tho p, W.
4 Ky. Railroad Company to connect
or intersect with the railroad Of
tho Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com.
pany, at any point or points within this
State, and authorizing the said company
to exercise and enjoy the full right and
privilege reserved by the fourth section
OF an act passed by the General Assembly
OF Virginia, on the 10th day OF March,
1877, entitled ian act To authorize the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company 10
construct the extension Of their road
through the territory Of Virginia." The
second section OF this act reads as follows:
All reasonable facilities for the full and
Tree enjoyment OF the benefit Of such con.
nection or connections shall at all times be
afforded by the said Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company, and upon failure to
receive and transport, according to their
turn, any freight and passengers arriving
upon or offered by such connecting or
lntersecting railroad, upon payment or
tender Of the lawful or customary tolls, or
TO furnish other usual and necessary
facilities, the said Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company shall forfeit and pay to
the injured party not less than twenty-five
dollars, &c"
AS the bill thus prepared conceded 10
the ?. W. < Ky. the full enjoyment Of
rights aud privileges over the line Of the
d. " y. road, the managers OF the last
named company thought Il but equitable
and fair that the line Of the P. W. & Ky.
road! should be opened TO It upon equally
rs favorable terms, and it, therefore,
caused an amendment TO this effect 10 be
added to the bill, and urged upon It's
friends in the Legislature the passage Of
the bill thus amended.
Whilst it must be manifest to every fair
person that the bill, as amended.
was just aud fair 10 both parties, the man.
agers ofthe P.'W. & Ky. road saw fit, moi.
withstanding the fact that the two com.
panies had already joined their tracks, i'm.
mediately to oppose its passage, and
through their influence it was defeated.
Had it been the simple desire OF that
company 10 reach the manufacturing in
terests. as alleged, what possible objection
could IL have had to the passage OF bill
which simply provided that such facilities
and advantages as were accorded to it by
The u. x 0. road should be in return con-
ceded on its part? This, however, was
not the sole object, nor do l think It the
one.
The managers Of the 7. W. & Ky. road
must have been aware OF the intention Of
The Baltimore & Ohio Company to
complete its HempfeId extension at as
early a day as the reviving industries OF
The country would warrant, thereby SO.
curing direct line to Pittsburgh, via the
Connellsville coke fields, and giving these
latter an outlet at Wheeling to all parts Of
ne West, in favorable competition with
Pittsburgh. By the extension OF their
line to Benwood they might reasonably
hope to indefinitely delay II not entirely
defeat the completion Of this road 10
Wheeling.
The nature OF the ground between
Greek and Caldwellis RIM Ia
such that it affords but limited facilities
for the present traffic OF the B. & o. Com.
pany, and by forcing a parallel line be-
tween these points it Is clear that no large
increase OF business, such as would Of
necessity follow from the completion OF
the Hempfeld road, could be accom-
modated, and between these two points
all acess to the river would be cut Oh, un.
less by grade crossing, which experience
has proven is almost Impossible 10 secure
when opposed by powerful company.
For these reasons, at meeting with the
President and Chief Engineer Of 4ke-P.
W. K Ky. Company, / stated that the B,
q y. Company would oppose the contem.
plated extension, and do all in its power
to prevent the construction OF the road
through its property, stating at the same
time that upon the completion OF the
Hempfeld road the present tracks and &C.
commodations would be inadequate for
the business, and should new road be
built upon the line designated by them
additional track room could not be acouir.
ed unless at such an enormous outlay as
would prove practically prohibitory.
The r. 4 D, Company has already a
large sum invested in the Hempaeld road.
1t reluctantly ordered suspension Of this
work, and then only after tho financial
outlook had become threatening to all the
leading interests OF the country, and the
title to the property had been violently
assailed, in both the State and Federal
Courts, by p rites claiming under The
original company. JU l1ET
After several years Of protracted litisa.
ton, during which the road has been once
sold by the United States Marshal and
twice by the Sheriff, tho company has
only within the past three months sue,
ceeded in perfecting its title, aud It is now
unwilling, after this costly and protracted