The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-12
"He THAT Glyeth 10 the Poor Lendeth %
the Lord.n

utueE ppEuous M .. II,
C3artsbuy, February 10, 1870,
"He That Glyeth 10 the Poor Lendeth ID
the Lord"
ElIiou d 1nteliseneer.
From the tone Of several articles, which
have appeared in your paper the past two
weeks, we arc pleased to learn that q
vigorous effort Is being made by q wealthy
corporation, in our midst, TO do something
practical for the poor man. The Elm
Grove Railway company Is trying to hayo
bill passed by our Legislature, to permit
the use Of steam engines on their road,
for the sole purpose Of enabling tho poor
man to take his wife and children to the
country in the summer time, to enjoy
themselves after their day Of toll is ended.
There is nothing sordid in their motives.
No thought Of self. No idea Of increased
profits, but the onlyobject Of the company
Is to contribute to the pleasure and enjoy.
ment OF the poor man.
This exhibition OF beneyolence Is the
more striking as 1t, in part, emanates from
two men, Directors OF the Elm Grove Com.
pany, who, as directors OF one OF our nail
mills, made an effort, In the past year, TO
have the employees Of their mill TO give
one days labor in each week to enable
them 10 run the mill with profit to them.
selves and other stockholders. This was
genuine benevolence, as not only the poor
men employed by them would have paid
a bonus to them In labor for the priv.
lcge Of earning their bread, but every
other poor man In the city who was EN-.
ployed In the other mills would have had
to submit to the same tax, as all the mills
would have hal TO adopt The same system
or be undersold by tho mill which sue.
ceeded in obtaining one DAVIS work in
each week free OF charge. This Is not
mentioned as q reproach TO the Directors,
but as u proof that in oil their actions
anxiety TO promote tho poor mans vel.
fare is their governing emotion. II their
claim, that the use oil steam will enable
them to run their road cheaper Is true, let
them make apractical showing Of it. The |
fare Tor each grown person Is now fifteen
cents each way, or thirty cents round
trip, and for children ten cents each way.
A poor mai wishing to take lis wife and |
three children on one OF the delightful |
rides your correspondents speak OF would |
now pay ST 20 for the privilege. This
would make large thread in the weeks
wages OF man getting 81 90 or 81 25 per
day.
Ifthey will voluntarily insert in their
bill Tor permit some member OF the Logts.
lature to do SO when the bill comes up
for consideration proviso that the rates,
charged by their company, shall not ex-
coed the rates now charged by the Citi-
Zens' Passenger Railway Company, the
public will be convinced that they mean
what they say about benellting the poor
man. The Citizens Railway Company
charges six cents for grown persons and
four cents for children for the entire
length Of their road, or at the rate Of il |
cents per mile, and use horses as a motive
power. Let the Legislature limit the Elm
Grove Company to the same rates by in
sorting an amendment to that effect In the
bill, and all opposition to steam will DO re.
moved
This will make the trip for the poor
man, wife and three children, amount to
IS cents, and possibly induce him TO make
use OF the road.
Come. now, Messrs. Directors, "put up
or shut up" Either adopt the rates
charged byt company which uses the
dear motive power, viz: horses, and whose
track Is OF equal length with yours, or
else acknowledge that even with steam
you can't afford to carry passengers at tho
rate OF contS per nile, and intend 10
charge 4 cents per mile, as you now do.
DO this, and your cars during the great