Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-09-03
SWITCHED.

That's 9 singular situation for q town-
But that description accurately fts
the eity Of Whsslings
We boat of our railroad fscilities and
wonder why it ID that Wheeling has not
become sereat city.
But what are our railroad fseilitles7
When We begin 10 number the rsil-
roads We call our Dan, We name b
Baltimore and Ohio That was former-
ly a road running 10 Wheeling, butsone
years ago it Was diverted at Benwood.
and we now have only q little { mr. mile
branch or switch connecting Us with the
Baltimore and Ohio.
We claim also a Pittsburgh, Wheel
ing and Kentucky Road" which is only
a twenty-five mile switch Of the Pitts
burgh, Cincinnati and st. Louis Road.
II lacks about 200 miles OF reaching
Kentucky and about 60 to IS miles Of
reaching Pittsburgh except by another
road.
We claim the Tuscarawas Road, which
does not enter the city or the State. The
same may be said Of the Cleveland and
Pittsburgh Road.
We might have been a railroad CEN
ter" but unfortunately We have beer
switched of.
Talking with a prominent merchant
Of this city the other day, we were very
forcibly impressed by his presentation
Of the disadvantages Of being on a
switch.
"Did ven ever consider" said he,
"how much We lose by this switched
condition in the one matter OF adyer-
tisement?"
why" he continued, nobody
knows where Wheeling is any more"
Nobody comes here except those al
ready familiar with the city, or drawn
here by special business"
"Now," said he, suppose that the
immense passenger traffic over the Bal
timora and Ohio road between the East
and West went directly through Wheel.
ing instead Of four miles outside Of it."
There might be very few OF the pas
sengers stop of. But they would all see
our town. They would note the evil
dences of thrift and industry. They
would know where Wheeling is, and in
the course OF their business enterprises
between the East and West, many Of
them would drop down here, by chance
as it were, to see what was TO be made
out OF the town. As it is, they pass us
by without so much as a thought or a
sight, and the fact is that Wheeling has
entirely dropped out OF the public mind
except as to her own citizens and imme.
mediate neighbors."
Further than this" he continued,
"ii Wheeling was directly on the line OF
a through road, look what an amount
of free advertising we would get through
the road ITSELF"
"For example, the Baltimore and Ohio,
are Just now doing some very extraya-
CANT advertising. The new Passenger
Agent, C. X. LORD, believes in the vir.
tue OF advertising, and is distributing
millions Of circulars, which have increas.
ed the passenger traffic OF the road in
the last year, perhaps fifty per cent"
"Now suppose the little gap between
Washington and Connellsville were
built up, and the B. & o. had a straight
line from East to West over this route
and through our city. Why, all the
advertisements Of the company would
show Wheeling a prominent point on
the road. The name would become IA
miliar to thousands and mil
lions OF travellers. The name
would appear On the through ticket Of
every passenger. There would, doubt.
less, be an eating station here, and
v heeling would become one Of the best
known and best advertised towns be-
tween Baltimore and Chicago"
"Why Wheeling could afford to al,
most build the extension OF the Hemp
field for the sake OF the advertisement
alone. No such enterprise or oppor
tunity has ever been within reach ofthe
city as is made possible and practicable
by meeting the B. & o. Company on
reasonable grounds and giving them
right of WY through the city. The
Hempield is emphatically a Wheeling
road-the only road that is a Wheeling
road. Let it become a through road,
and it will make the city. 1t will en-
nance the value OF every foot OF proper
ty within her limits. In other words
we would cease to be switched, and fol
the frs. time get on the line Of a road
we could call our own"