Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-03-18

Senators Davis and Cam
olen's Talk About w. Vir-
gini;a's Wealth.

Mr.. Dana l.. Hubbard, the Wash
ington correspondent of the Wheel
ing Register, furnishes that paper
with the following result of recent
interview with Senators Davis and
Camden. The article is full OF i'm
portant information, and will inter
est all who are interested in the flu
ture Of our ) ate:
NOT A CANDIDATE.
Senator Davis, many of our people
are DESTROYS OF knowing whether you
will he candidate for reelection 10
the Senate or not
While highly appreciate and am
grateful for the political hOnors be-
slowed upon me 10y the people, | do
not wish To be considered or under
stood as candidate. desire to give
more attention TO my private bust
ness. and to internal improvements
that | hope will aid in developing the
resources of the State.
THE WEST VIRGINIA CENTRAL.
What are the prospects for the
completion of your West Virginia
Central and Pittsburg Railroad
We VII soon have the railroad
completed from a junction with the
B. & o. road, near Piedmont, south
ward to the summit of the Alleghl-
MES, near "FairfaX Stone" 1t will
run through the counties of Mineral,
Grant, Tucker and Others and will
open up for market both west and to
tide-water, IA rich coal, iron and lum
Der section of our State. | venture
the assertion that, in the next ten
years, the country through which the
road passes will have doubled III pop
ulatiOn and in wealth.
RAILROADS GENERALLY.
You seem to take considerable in
terest in the building of railroads
through our State?
Yes, | think we ought. by all
means, to encourage the building of
all railroads through the State,
where the enterprise is backed in
such "A manner as to insure that it is
a legitimate one, and will be pushed
forward. 1t is plainly apparent that
a county, State or nation without
the facilities of railroad travel aud
transportation is behind the times in
point of wealth, increase of p0pula-
ti0n, and every material advance
ment. The only way to keep pace
with the times is to encourage the
building of every new road. that has
"a solid foundation. Who will doubt
that. if the w, p. 81 Z. r. r., the
survey of which is now being pushed
forward, and in which my colleague
Mr.. Camden, is taking al active in
terest, should be completed from
Wheeling to Point Pheasant, il will
greatly advance the prosperity, bust
ness, wealth and population of the
terminal points and the country and
towns along the whole line.
COMPARATIVE MILEAGE.
How many miles of railroad has
West Virginia,and how do her rail
road facilities compare with other
States surrounding her?
POur's Railroad Manual of 1881
gives West Virginia 693 miles OF
railroad, although other authorities
make it less, of which less than sew
enty miles have been built in the last
ten Yeas. This does not look as if
our State was making much progress
towards unlocking aud opening up
her vast undeveloped resources.
There are but three or four States i'll
the Union that have as few miles OF
railroad AS this State in fact, some
of the Territories even have more
miles of road. More railroads have
been built within the last two or
three years than at any previous
time, but none of them have betn
built in West Virginia, during that
period, except few miles on the
West Virginia Central.
AS To the country at large, and the
States surrounding us, OH the East,
West, North aud South, we are lett
in the shade. The facts are shown
on this slip which you can print if
you desire.
OUR INDIFFERENT SHOWING.