Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-08

Telegraph line o SO per mie..~..............s',00l
Total cost Of Road and Complete Equipment
Per Mae:
Permanent sO,lel
Shops and ~,
Equipment -,
Telegraph llne.....,.......'... '
Grand total nor mile $500
You say in your note that the line
can be shortened TO ninety-two miles.
As the estimate is based on ninctv-iour
miles, it will give you sufficient sldlngs
for your present needs.
This equipment would, ii properly
handled, move 500 tons OF freight and
500 passengers daily. Ii your freight
paid YOU ! &c per ton per mile and your
passengers &c per mile, your annual
gross earnings would be S6S6, 400, or
S. 400 per mile, while the Cleveland
and Pittsburgh road reports its earnings
at $40, 700 per mile. That your business
wonld be large there can be no doubt.
| do not quite agree with you in your
plan of no bonds, but think it better to
have limited bonded debt, and place
your bonds among your stockholders.
also think that you should raise your
stock and make your surveys during the
winter, and open work early IN the
! spring. | will take great pleasure IN
| giving YOU any information that You
| NAV desire in regard to the narrow
gaugel question, but would caution you
not To- attempt to build your road on the
| standard gauge principle, which many
| engineers, | am sorry To say, have at
| tempted to do Adapt your machinery
| TO the use 10 which it is TO be put in the
carving of passengers and freight safely,
| quickly and in the most economical
| manner.
HON. J. n. CAMDEN's VIEWS.
Mr.. Camden was introduced by Capt.
| Mcclure as the President Of the Clarks-
! burg and Weston railroad and gentle
man having such experience as to en-
able him to talk intelligently about this
enterprise. In response, Mr.. G. said
| that while he was in full sympathy with
the object OF the meeting, he did not
know that he would be able TO give any
| connected information on the subject.
! He had had some experience in the
building OF the Clarksburg and Weston
! road. the actual cost of that road had
not exceeded $500 per mile. 1t is
true it is laid with thirty pound rml,
and the iron was bought when that
! article was lower than it is now. But,
having carefully read Capt McLure's
estimates regarding the proposed road,
he said they were very conservative
and decidedly on the safe side. This
would apply both to his estimate OF
! the expense of constructing the road
and to its earnings after being put in
operation. He illustrated the latter by
a comparison with the Clarksburg
and Weston road, which is
only about one-fourth as long
as the Wheeling and Parkersburg road,
and runs through a far less developed
country. That road, in its infancy, be-
ing entirely local and through an unde-
velopcd territory, earns over SlOO per
dav. while Capt. Mcclure estimates but
$500 for this road.
In regard to raising money, Mr.. Cam
den thought Wood county would be
LIBERAL as would, doubtless, all the
counties interested: yet $4,000 was a
considerable sum, and he doubted the
propriety OF relying upon subscriptions
alone TO build it. With moderate sub
scription, the six per cent bonds of this
road would sell more readily than the
bonds of counties and towns. That it
would pay good interest upon its stock
and bonds he had not doubt. If re-
lance is placed upon raising the entire
amount by subscription there is danger
that after part is raised and expended
the work will come TO stop, interest in
il will flag, wastes will occur through de-
Law, and bonds will finally have TO be re-
sorted to. Mr.. Camden then very clearly
recited the advantages that this road
would be To the entire country between
the objective points and to each termini,
and concluded by speaking for the Par
kersburg delegation.
c. d. HUBBARD's VIEWS.
Hon. C. d. Hubbard did not think the
project had been ovcrratcd. \ railroad
from Wheeling TO any place, operated
carefully and economically, would pay.
He was not decidedly in favor OF the
narrow gauge, and thought the standard
would be best, for obvious reasons, the
facility OF connections, etc. The T., w.
4 XIV. railroad had more than met the
hopes OF it's friends, had supplied a need,
reduced rates of freight and tTavel-all
this in spite of a competing line on the
opposite side of the river, and was in
close connection with one OF the best
through lines in the country. lie did
not think bonded debt necessary,as by
individual subscriptions and individ-
nal attention the road would be better
managed than by corporation represen-
tatives. He thought that if the move
n 90 a
successful conclusion, the project would
be a bygone, and railroad not be built
during the present generation. The
present is period OF prosperity, and the
people are more able now than they
have been to take hold of an enterprise
of this character. Railroads are civiliz-
ers. and more good can be done by open
ing up the country with them than in
any other way.
i delegate from MOundsville thought
if railroad would pay in the barren re-
gions of the West it would certainly pay
along the Ohio river.
BUSINESS Fer THE MEETING.
DIR. Logan suggested that considerable
time might be saved by talking to the
noint Having decided the main Ques-
ton, that there should be railroad,
there remained two points to be decided
upon. viz: how shall the road be built,
and what shall be the gauge2 The most
important of these, he thought, was,
shall it be a stock, or part bond and part
stock company.
Mr.. Prayer, of Parkersburg, said there
were none present from his city that
were not decidedly in favor of the rail
road. and he moved that committee OF
one from each county be appointed to
report upon the points suggested by DR..
Logan.
The motion prevailed, and the follow
ing were appointed: Wood, j. y. Cam
den: Pleasant, r. II. Browse; TYLER,
Vim. NJ. Powell; Wetzel, Robert McEl-
downey; Marshall, J. w. Gallagher;
Ohio, T. II. Logan.