Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-14
HOOKING VALLEY.
New Railroads 0rganizedto Replace
the Old Canal.
Trip Of the Legislative Committee Over the
Proposed Line-The People Unanimous
for Its Characterization It VIII
Benefit Our State.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP,

SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP
Spectol Correspondence or the Register.
CoLuMBUs, O., MARCH l3.
Since last report the sum and substance
of legislation has related to sumptuary
laws, proposed amendments to the Consti-
tuition for all option law to regulate the
sale of intoxicating and malt liquors, to in
crease the pay of convicts in the penlten'
tiary 70 amend a section Of the code which
proyides for and defines what may be libel
Gus matter in a newspaper, and several
other matters of local importance only.
The redistricting scheme has not yet been
developed. 1t is supposed to be all cut and
dried ready for passage, but the bill Is
buried in the secret recesses OF the COM
mittee rooms, and is liable to be sprung
without a moments warning The all alb
sorbing question at the Capital and IN leg,
islative circles now is whether the general
assembly will agree to surrender any por-
tion of the canals for any purpose, whether
used or unused. That the people along
certain disused portions Of the canal are In
earnest for abandonment, and that there IS
q strong feeling being made for utlllzatlon
appears from what hereafter follows.
The Hooking Valley Coal and Iron
Railway Company.
Immediately upon opening the BOOKS ior
stock subscription TO the above railroad the
whole amount of ten per centum OF one
million dollars of stock was subscribed.
This corporporation seeks 10 utilize LOT
rapid transportation by rail the Columbus
feeder and Hooking Canal property. Inc
stockholders organized temporarily ana al
once proceeded tC elect officers Tor the en-
suing year. The following gentlemen were
elected TO the Board of Directors: MessrS.
+. l.. Hinman, Charles Parrott, b: B.
Brown VIM. Monypeny, Henry Miller,
Jacob Reinhard, Samuel Thomas, John
joyce, W. w. Franklin, G. c. Hoover
iTpon motion, Mr. f. l.. Hinman was
elected President and Mr.. Charles Parrott
Secretary and Treasurer.
Mr.. f. L. Hinman, the President, is one
of he most conspicuous citizens not only
of Columbus but OF the State OF ONO lie
came to Columbus sixteen years since to
accent a clerkship for one of the manufac-
turing firms at the Ohio Penitentiary. HIS
| fidelity, foresight and industry soon enabled
him to secure an interest in the business,
| and for several years the firm OF Brown,
| Hinman a. Co., have been one of the lead
| ing manufacturing firms of Central Ohio.
Plenty OF Cash.
The company represent six millions OF
money and q vigorous policy IS to be adopted
| at once.
Several members accompanied the legis-
| lative committee to Nelsonville, Saturday
morning, and confidently expect to CON
vince the members of the committee OF the
absurdity of further fight against progress
| in persistently spending the people, smoney
| to support the useless portions oil the canal.
| The terminal has not, of course, been de-
| tcrmined-so far rs the other end is con-
| cerned-but it will reach the Ohio river
about Parkersburg, and will shower It's
| benefits upon all the counties in ONO
Kentucky and West Virginia, which border
the river from Wheeling clear to Clncln.
natl and even reaching, commercially
speaking, Indiana and to the interior OF all
those States wherein there are arteries OF
travel. The attention OF
Railroad Builders and Capitalists
of West Virginia are respectfully called 10
! this new enterprise as the men are deter
| mined to push the measure to success,
whether they secure the right of way or
| not 1t will afford fine field for the in
| yestment of capital, as new beds OF coal,
| new veins of salt water and new quarrlcs
will be opened all along the line OF the new
road through the mineral district, and
| doubtless men of energy, pluck and deter'
minatiOn will be attracted thereto
Hon. David Wagner.
| of Belmont, accompanied the Legislative
| Committee down into the Hooking Valley.
| lie says that he was aStoniShed to discover
| that at the very first station out from
| Columbus, a large crowd had assembled,
| the houses were decorated with flags, and
in every direction there were large posters
and canvass signs put up with the words,
Canal Railroad: Ies!''
| painted thereon in large letters and
| further down the valley the iron horse
| travelled the greater the enthusiasm OF the
people for the abandonment Of the canal
From Nclsonville to Athens, distance OF
| l3 miles (which portion of the canal has
long since been abandoned and is now
rapidly filling up and becoming Over-grown
with thorns, weeds and brambleS) the
whole population appeared to have turned
out for the purpose of approving the con-
| temDlated action of the Legislature by the
most enthusiastic cheering and waving OF
! flags.
Perfect Ovation
awaited the committee at Lancaster. A
band of music, flies and drums and con-
| course of two thousand people had assem-
bled at the depot to welcome the commit
tee, and all eighteen-pound gun belched
forth the arrival of the train. Great
stretches of canvass across the street, with
| the words, utilize the Canal, Abandon
the Canal, Canal Railroad, Yes, Vote
| for the Bell Bill" etc The leading citi.
nouncing that, outside of the Hooking Val
| ley interest, the people were unanimously
| in favor of abandoning the canal
| From Lancaster the Committee proceed
ed direct to Nelsonville, The farmers,
miners. and all classes of people, had turn
ed out to welcome the delegation of inspec-
| ton.
ReOrganize the Canal
was painted on boards and canvass, on the
| fences, on the trees and on the rocks. 1t
reminded one of the famous Plantation
| Bitters advertisement, 'S-T-N-lS60," which
| was painted on the mountain rocks, the
| cliffs, the big fences, and all other available
surfaces from the lakes to the Gulf, and
from Maine to Texas. The Nelsonville
populace were enthusiastic in their demon
strations. They set up lunch, and the
leading citizens briefly addressed the COM
mittee, urging it to recommend the passage
of the Bell Bill to utilize the canal for
railroad purposes. aside from the men
in the employ of the Hooking Valley Rail-
road Company" said speaker, there is
not single man within the hearing of
my voice, or in the whole country
round about, who is, in any sense,
| opposed to the abandonment Of the canal.
and could vote be submitted to. the peo-
| pie il would carry unanimously. for the
abandonment of that portion of the canal
system which has for years been a heavy
burden-upon such portions-as return q
net revenue 10 the State or the leeseeS"
The committee had been honored beyond,
and above, and over the hopes and expec-
tations of the most sanguine of its anti
canal members. The hospitality and en-
thusiasm of the people had greeted them
from the time their train left Columbus
until it reached Nelsonyille, not only st
the stations, but all along the line, while
their train was shooting like all arrow
through the air. That enthusiasm did not,
however, reach its eliminating point until
the iron horse once more turned his face