The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-05-12
ANInPORTAHT sUsGEsTIOH
To the CIiy COaneil InI,sgaFd TO the Pre-
posed Right OF Way 10 the BalIimOFS
q Ohio railroad Company.

posed Eight OF Way 20 the Baltimore
a Ohio railroad Company.
ELTON Int0lllgOneer.
The proposition OF the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad company to have the city |
OF Wheeling furnish 1t with free right Of
way through the city for overA mile and
quarter by new line running upon,
under aud across not only public streets
and alleys but also through considerable
amount OF private property, is one that
should not be carslessly acted upon. There
can be no doubt that the long promised
short line OF the B. & o, R, r, 90. will be
Of great value to the city when completed.
It will be especially valuable to our manu-.
featuring interests, provided there will be
secured thereby a proper reduction on
ireiGhts upon coke shipped here from the
Connelsville region. Upon this subject OF
freight rates, however, we find nothing in
the proposition submitted by Vice PTesi'
dent Keyser. He calls 1t proposition,
bnt it has the popularity oil proposing
only what they want the city OF Wheeling
TO do, with the statement added, that
1.-THE proposed extension will place the
city OF Wheeling upon the main line oil
ne Baltimore 4 Ohio Railroad and secure
to it all the advantages Of being the west
ern terminus OF one oil the great trunk
lines Of the country"
So far as the writer has noticed there
has been but one plan suggested Tor re-
curing the B, & o. company 70 give
Wheeling manufacturers the benefit oil
cheap freight rates on coke, and that is TO
require clause making 1t o part OF the
grant by the city that the B. 4 o, company
shall at all times charge the same rates for
freight on coke delivered in Wheeling As
| In Pittsburgh. The writer respectfully
suggests that such aClause, even II theYery
manufacturers TO whom the coke 10 10 be
shipped In the future were parties 10 the
contract, would be difficult to enforce and
would be the subject OF litigation In very
short time, unless the B, 4 o. r, r, com.
pany should, by reason Of competition, or
Tor other considerations, hnd Ii 10 their Pc
Cuniary advantage to keep the freight
charges down to the rates suggested, As
city we should not, in dealing with this
matter, forget our experience with the b,
( o. r. r, %. To willingly ignore our
experience would be worse than simply to
forget 1t.
In the act Of l847, authorizing the B.
4 o. Company 10 construct lis road
through Virginia to Wheeling, the city
was permitted TO contribute generousl " 10
the building Of the road, and provision
was made for the City OF Wheeling being
tho western terminus Of the road. BY q
solemn contract made between the city
and the company In the same year (by
which the city Was TO furnish depot
grounds and right Of way for the company
| It was expressly provided that 1t was the
Intention OF the parties ITO secure 10 the
city OF Wheeling the practical benefits Of
tho western terminus OF the Baltimore 4
Ohio railroad according to the provisions
OF said law The city afterwards, In
1852, in consideration oil $4,000, paid 10
the company, was released by the COM
psny from liz obligation 10 furnish the
depot grounds and right Of way, and the
company assumed 70 procure It's own
depot grounds. The other proyis.
ions Of the original contract
were not changed. In 1864
the city, having paid the $50. 900, and
having complied In oil other respects with
It's part OF the contract, brought suit In the
Circuit court OF Marshall county 10 re.
strain the b. 4 o. Company from making
its improvements at Benwood aud divert
ing It's trade to Bellaire, and westwardly
through Bellaire, instead Of giving this
city the practical benefits oil It's western
terminus, as agreed 10 1S47, This city was
successful In the lower court, but the
Court Of Appeals held that the company
might make its connection (by boat) Of
Benwood with the Central Ohio Railroad,
under power which had been granted TO
make branch onneCtions-l Wheel.
ing the terminus OF the road, 10 and from
which all through trains run.
80 the "branCh" at BenwOod was bud.
ded. All Wheeling citizens know how
the branch has grown, and the main stem
or trunk to the Wheeling terminus has
witherGd In comparison. They have
heard the warning, "Benwood Change
cars"
Even Mr.. Ksyser, in bis Accommodation,
practically admits their breach Of the
original compact by holding out the in.
dnCement that II the city will procure
another right Of way and depot grounds,
&C., this city will be upon the Main Line,
and the western terminus Of the Trunk.
Now the proposed clause as 10 future
freight rates 10 future consumers OF coke
could hardly be made any mora binding
than was the contract above mentioned,
and there is nothing In all our experience
with the Baltimore 4 Ohio Company 10
indicate that such clause would be re-.
speCted for moment, when 1t would be
10 the interest Of the company to disre.
Igard II. 1t would, perhaps, do no harm
to insert It, but there is another and more
practical way 10 accomplish the same 70.
suit. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Company now has suit pending against
the city Of Wheeling and the Pittsburgh,
Wheeling 4 Kentucky Railroad Company
In the United States Circuit Court which
ought TO be settled In connection with
this matter. To enable the Pittsburgh,
Wheeling 4 Kentucky Railroad Company
TO reach the lower mills with the Con.
nellsville coke, the city granted TO that
company right Of way, 80 far as city
property was concerned, along the river
bank from Wheeling creek 10 Benwood.
Soon after this grant was made, the BAlh.
more 4 Ohio Company, without consent
Of the city, commenced laying tracks on
public streets over the line oil the grant
10 the other road, obviously and solely for
the purpose Of obstruction. Because the
lefty resisted their digging In the public
streets In plain violation oil her ordi
nanCeb, che was made defendant In In.
Junction suits by the B. 4 o. Company
and charged with being In collision, con.
spirscy, &C.. with the r, ". 4 Ky. r. r.