The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-04-20
TaEc.T.Y. W. 3. p.
Arrival oftho FirstTrain at BridEepOFt
Yesterday-Some Information About
The Road.


the Road.
The inst through train over the oleve-
and, Tuscarawas Valley and Wheeling
railroad arrived at the passenger depot in
Bridgeport at half past ten o'clock yester-
day morning. That was the hour at which
It was due, according to the time card OF
the road, and It arrived with promptness
and precision which would have done
credit to the Oldest road.
An old frame building standing near the
road Is undergoing the process Of trans
fguration into a passenger depot, and a
substantial oak platform has been built in
front Of 1t. This was well crowded with
people for quarter OF an hour or SO be.
fore the arrival OF the train, and the
sounding OF the whistle as 1t approached
the station was the signal for the appear.
ance, apparently, oithe entire male popu-
lation OF Bridgeport, with q respectable
representation OF the female portion.
The train consisted OF three box
freight cars, one combined baggage and
smoking car, and one passenger coach. A
good showing Of passengers dlsembark ed,
the larger part OF them ladies, and we
noticed several trunks In the baggage
car, as II the owners had come TO stay.
The train was in charge OF @. Westervelt,
a.conduCtor who has been in the employ
OF the company ever since the first train
was put on the northern section, which
was some six years ago. The first engine
ever purchased by the company, number
ed l, and called "S. Chamberlain" in
honor Of the President, pulled the train,
and A. WEIGH, a veteran engineer who
has been in the employ OF this company
for the past five years, and prior to that
served the Pan Handle road for twelve
years, was the engineerin charge.
Mr.. A. j. Baggs, General Agent and
Manager OF the southern end OF the road,
accompanied by Hon. R. ]. Alexander,
Mrs. Alexander and one or two other
friends, went out on the construction
train in the morning aud returned with
the passenger train.
This train is the first regular train fol
the transportation Of freight and passen'
gers that has been on that part OF the
road east OF Flushing, but for the past six
weeks trains have been operated with reg
ularity on the road between Flushing and
UhriChsville.
From Bridgeport to Flushing the dis
tance as the road runs Is twenty.six miles
and from Flushing TO Uhrichsville thirty
one miles. The stations on this part o.
the line are as follows: Bridgeport, Pasco
Barton, Henderson, Fairpoint, Bruce
LaHerty. Flushing, Holloway, Clevenger
Butler, Freeport, Tppecanoe, Saltwater
Newport, Uhrichsyille. At Barton, clever
miles or less out from Bridgeport, the
road Is nearest to st. Clairsville, and here
1t is proposed TO tap the track with {
switch from that town. The project hal
already gone so far as the incorporation o
company, the "St. Olairsville and North
ern Railroad Company" TO construct thu
switch, which would only be some three
miles in length.
By the first OF May the officials OF the
road say they will have all trains running
regularly through from Bridgeport L
Cleveland.
The trestle work for the track from
Bridgeport to West Wheeling is nearly al
In place, and the barges for the transfer o
freight cars are about completed. Mr.
Baggs, who has charge Of all terminal al
fairs at this end OF the line, Is confident
that In two weeks, ct the furthest, the
company will be prepared to transfer
freight OF all kinds TO this side OF the river
and TO deliver coke, ore and other heavy
freight for the furnaces directly to their
own landing.
SIS it true, Mr.. Bags" said gentle
man in the hearing oil . representative o.
this paper yesterday, that you have re
Ceived proposition from the p, w. &
KY. Co., looking to your using their track
to carry ore TO the Top MILF"
"No, sir" was the reply. "If they
were willing to concede US that privilege
it would only be at such cost as to make
our acceptance OF their offer out OF the
question. There was also report in cir.
culation to the effect that we had received
a proposition from representatives NJ the
O. & 2. Co. offering US on behalf OF that
road the privilege Of running to Bellaire
over their ground II we would enter into
contract binding US not TO carry iron,
iron ore, coke or limestone. There is, Of
course, no truth in such rumor. The
@. & P. Co. would be foolish to make il
and We would be more foolish to listen
10 It."
"Your terminus, then, will be on the
river bank at West Wheeling2" put in
the 1STRLLIoEScER man.
"Yes, sir" said Mr.. Baggs. "Though
through no choice OF ours. When l was
soliciting subscriptions from Wheeling
men, they nearly all stipulated on their
subscriptions that the road was 10 go 10
West Wheeling. tried to convince them
that 1t would be just as well for all pur.
poses to stop at Bridgeport, but they re.
fused to see 1t in my way. Now MAORI
ty OF them are sorry that they did not. OF
course the moment we accepted their
go to West Wheeling"
Numerous matters were claiming Mr..
Baggs's attention, so the reporter sought
Mr.. K. ]. Baggs, ST., the venerable father
Of the energetic manager. This gentle.
man had the honor OF driving the last
spike in the road, coupled with the seri.
Gus misfortune Of losing his left eye by an
accident on that occasion. A splinter OF
iron from the spike he was driving few
up and pierced the eye-ball, depriving
him of the sight OF that eye and impair.
ing that OF the other.
From him We learned that 1t has been
three years in June since the construction
OF the southern section OF the road was
begun. The present officials OF the road
are: President, s. Chamberlain; Vice.
President, W. S. Streeter; General Man.
aGer, Oscar Townsend; Auditor, Secretary
and Treasurer, P. A. Hewitt; General
Freight and Passenger Agent, W. FL.
Grouse; Master Mechanic and Train
Master, W. F. TurrefF; Chief Engineer,
W. W. Gard Solicitor, ]. w. Tyler. The
general office OF the officials named is at
Cleveland.
Tho passenger coaches OF the train re-.
turned yesterday afternoon with good
showing OF passengers, leaving Bridge
port at 2:SO. 1t being Mr.. Welch's first
trip over the road with an engine, the
freight cars were not added to the train.
They will be attached TO the train which
leaves at 2:3O P. ". to-day. A car Of lum-
haH and lhin0laa fnr ElnahinU frnn1 tho