Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-10-15
THE W. VA. RAILROADS.
WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN THE EAST
ERk PART OF THE STATE.
Railroad Men as Thick as fiddlers in Piu-
tonian Shadows-West Virginia Cen
tral-Atlantic and 0hio-Pitts-
burgh Southsrn-Adyantages
and Attractions.
POcAHoNTAS COUNTY THE FOCUS.

Special Correspondence.
HUNTERsvrLLE, w. VA, October 8.
As Pocahontas county seems destined
10 be focal railroad centre, it may be
of some interest to the readers OF the
REGISTER to know what is being done In
that business in this section. A year
ago the county was moving along in
sleepy Rip Van Winkle sort OF way,
the good people only bending their
thoughts to fattening cattle, sheep and
horses to be driven out on foot to the
markets, in no wise turning their
minds to near future when
they were to be brought
into railroad communication with the
outside world. To-day, your cores
pondent returning to q field where
twelve months ago all was quiet and
contentment, finds hustle and anima-
ton. Everybody talking railroad, the
white tents of engineering parties dot
ted along the woods from Huntersville
to Gloverlick and to Big Spring, every
little bit tripping your foot in the road
against the stake of some marker. In
Tact engineers and railroad men seem to
be as thick as Dan Rice proclaimed sd
dlers to be in the Plutonian shadows.
There are now four district lines Of
railroad, seeking passage through
the county. The boom was first started
by the appearance in July OF party Of
distinguished gentlemen, including Sem
ators Davis, Camden and Bayard, under
the lead of Engineer Sickles, pioneering
the
West Virginia and Pittsburg Road.
There seems to be more confidence
expressed in the certain completion OF
this road than. OF the others, although
all of them are promising. The conf
dence probably arises from the charac-
ter and financial ability OF the gentle.
men composing the company. When
the Secretary of the Treasury is prom
inent director in an enterprise OF this
sort, the common people are apt to i'm
agine that there can be no lack OF funds
where his hand is seen. Another
ground of confidence is the well known
push and pluck in business matters of
| Senator Davis, who is at the head OF the
company, as we'll as the business like
manner with which the company is ad-
| dressing itself to the work in hand.
| They are making no parade about it,
| but the work is being built right along
all the same, stretching itself quietly
but rapidly along from Piedmont south
ward. This road will probably pass for
the distance OF fifty Bi!es through this
county, striking it at the northern boun-
dary at the head OF GretubrIer river
and passing out at its southern eXtrem.
| ity on the north fork OF AnthOny's
creek.
Tie next road of importance is the
Atlantic and Ohio.
an east and west road. There seems to
be little known OF this company, but it
undoubtedly occupies sound financial
basis, and by those who assume to know
is said to be under the special guidance
| of Jaw Gould. The Atlantic and Ohio
is the Aaron's rod which has swallowed
! up a number OF smaller enterprises. As
| it now stands, it is the successor OF, or
rather the combination OF, the Potomac
and Ohio, the Washington and st. LOUIS
and the Virginia Royal Land Company,
| having its eastern terminus at MsLhias'
Point on the lower Potomac and its
western terminus at Pt. Pleasant. There
are forty miles of road in operation
from Fredericksburg to Orange G. H.,
Va. From the latter point to the State
line at Frost Gap in the Allegheny
mountain on the line between Poca-
hontas and Highland counties the road
is located and partially graded. An en-
gineer corps has been actively at work
Tor the last two months locating through
this county, and there are two other
CORDS of engineers on the same line on
the Lower Elk, all under the supervi.
sion of Col Thomas Doane, an accom-
plished engineer of Boston. General
Thomas Ewing, OF Ohio, is
the most active manipulation
of this line, and it is an open secret that
he is at work in the interest OF Jay
Gould, who desires an eastern outlet for
his western railroad connections. 1t is
furthermore asserted that Gould has re-
Quested Senator Camden OF this State to
accept the presidency OF this line.
The Atlantic and Ohio will pass for
thirty miles through the centre OF this
county, entering at Frost Gap in the
Allegheny, intersecting the West Vir.
ginia Central at Laurel Gap near Dun.
more, crossing the Cloverlick Gap in the
Elk Mountain and passing out OF the
county at its western line on the Elk
river, thence down through Webster
Braxton, &c to the Ohio river at Point
Pleasant. -- -.
A historical feature OF this enterprise
was the fight last winter in the legisla
tura over the Potomac and Ohio bill the
design OF which was 10 confer upon this
company the same privileges as had
been bestowed upon the Davis road.
Next comes the
Pittsburgh Southern
a narrow gauge r0al under the presi
dency of Hon. Jdmes IL. Hopkins, o.
. PltIsOurgh. TaiS company is seeking
To extend its line from Pittsburgh to the
White llphur Springs. II now has ar
engineer corps in the field endeayorinS
10 find a suitable grade across the
barrier of mountains setting uE
between the headwsters OF tht
Tygart, Valley river and thu
waters flowing into the Greenbrier
1t is likewise looking for this passway
through Cloverlick Gap. where it inter
sects the Atlantic and Ohio, and dowr
Cover creek and possibly on some o
the Eastern Grsenbrier waters. Tn,
30 roads will c:upy the same line, anc
some little emuaTIon and jealousy il
aIraady dEyRlODinV hatWeen the two
surveying parties.
The company is displaying energy
and pluck, and there are only tive lea
lures 70 rob it Of theconiielce il VT ulC
otherwise merit. Ohe is that it Is nov