Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-29
WHEELING AND ELM GROVE RAIL.
ROAD.
The Through Route 10 the Northeast in
the Hands Of the New Regime.

To The EttttpF ~ me Hhetttnq Register.
SIR: II may not be known to many OF
your readers that within the past fcw
months the Dewey or Jay Gould interest in
the Elm Grove railroad and It's connections
has been practically swallowed up by the
Vanderbilt crowd, as rcprescntedby shrcwd
operators like Michael Reilly, Michael
LOTUS and Michael Reymann; and that
this great .thOroughfarc which was
intended by Col. Parks and his associate
founders To be an independent link between
the Pennsylvania system at' the Second
Ward Market House and the b. Il o. system
at Elm Grove does not now connect them
amy more than link oi the Cnuucl~ saul
sage formerly connected the canine with
the human race.
Tu thoroughly understand the causes
which have brought about these Important
changes il will be- necessary To go back
TO the period in which the Elm
Grove line was established. At that
time Mr.. Could was cndeavnring
aN will Toe readily remembered, to open up
communication with Billy StamniS by the
StOclyard Hollow and Purtcr'> Field route,
and Vanderbilt was trying tu effect the
same end by securing control 0t Walters
Gap and the slack water navigation from
Schcrt'> This ncces>itated great caution
on the part al early directors. and it was
no uncommon sight in the first years of the
road. To find four OF five vi these
with knives. canes. Stop-watrheS
and eternal vigilance. The con-
dUCtor> We're provided With horns and the
directors had Tree par>cs and everything
worked To the best advantage. The road, ii
not trunk line, established an early rcpu-
tation aS 4 clothes basket route. and the
Monday manifc>t~ al the Auditors office
showed Il grand total ui shirts. underwear.
collars. CUllN. stockings and '>OX,' which
was cheering 10 the management and COM
plimcntary 10 the rural public. Beside
this large amount uf freight the road
hauled every body out Oi town who wanted
fresh air ur fresh beer: took the old ladies
and their butter buckets tO market and up
set them periodically at Capitol square;
~portrd the children Ia and from
school: delivered To- and returned from
church in good time and good order Bap-
lists. Prr>hytcrau, Mrth"diSt>, Cath
"ljr> Epi>rupaliau> and other de
nominations ami ram extra cars Tor
rircu>eS mite >ueictic>, concerts, pivuj">
and Fourth uj JUly excursions. The situ-
alton i'm uIl Respects wa> serene and salts
Factory. The officials in char@r ri the
rump"ry> "firc>. in dealing with the ,puh-
lie, never dropped their urbauity, and the
drivers when they had occasion Ia al'U>-
rruph~r the rear elevation ol u mule, adj
dressed it in Il cha,tc and evangelical man
uvr without descending e. either sarcasm
oy prumiSyuou~ profanity.
At this halryou period. Sir. when every
thing was pcarc' and prosperity. the de-
~rroycr came. The Guuld interest aS rep
resented by Col. Dewey subsidized small
stockholders, got controlling interest in
the management. and from that hour the
reign of idle innovation was begun. The
we'll considered schedule, Ia which the pcO-
pie had hrrnmr accustomed were kept IN 4
chronic condition al change. The en-
ployc~ were governed t"n much and be-
came >ulky, and when the venerable Col.
Ruttcr. who, - ticket agent, had been in
vested with large discretion and ticket
hclt that looked like the bucket strap uf an
elevator. became di>gu>tcd and threw the
! weight al hi> influence in favor oi Mr..
/ NaNdcrbilt- agents, the triumph Of the lat
! Ter was easy
/ Now. Mr.. Editor while il /, tu he expect
{ Cd that every new hand at the bellows will
/ blow little differently, Ia begin with.
/ from hi, immediate predecessors, the time
must eventually come when the blowing
will bC done in the manner best approved
/ hy Use and experience.
! What the public asks oi the now rEgiH'
/ j that il will not Waste time i'm trying plans
that have been tested and found To be-
/ failures. Cmnomhull schedules. in which
the driver has I" turn himself inside cut
! Tor want Uj time To- turn round, and whcr"
waiting fur q lat passenger &" get out >poiiN
the programme iur the day, have been tried
and found useless. Long Waits between
/ regular car, and shorter waits bctwcru short
distance ears. have been tested and found
/ unsatisfactory II has hcru demonstrated
. hy prutrurrcd Investigation that the public
schools will not close in time ior the $40
| y. VI. car: that the average preacher will
/ not cut it short enough toilet his CongrcEa-
/ ton out i'm time ior tn" ll:lO \. NJ. convey
| ancc, and that no we'll regulated place Of
/ entertainment winds up in time Tor the
! last train at =. n. Goggles on the mules
( have been shown to be- valucleS1
/ iur optical purposes, and only tend I" foS,
! ter luyc of mcrrtricjuu, ornament aud
! false display on the part "l other opera
/ tive, and all the drUwNy Nyrup> "i tn"
/ world will not ,nuJhc passenger who
/ misses one car and has to wait an hour and
/ twenty minutes for another
/ Hoping these suggestions may find a
/ place in your valuable paper, and with the
/ most sincere assurances ri distinguished
| consideration / rcmuiu my dear sir,
! Your ohcdirut servant,
! Az UNvoNNEEoIN. TRAVELLER.