The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-19
WHEELING'S PROGRESS
As DEFINED BY AN OLD CITIZEN.
lie Talks About Railroad rat,,r,, Telephone. aud
the Gas IsatIns Sehtms-rhS Reasons for
AssAuiting the LAttsr-A Gas HtatinE
Incorporation Determined - 10 Stock.
"Hurrah for progress" exclaimed an o'd
citizen to an ISrELLIGEScER reporter yea

|
terday.
whats the matter now?"
~ see that the menagarie is roaring over
the gas heating project. I've been living
in this town for good many years and
hope before die to see some scheme DE-
vised to put Wheeling ahead that won't
arouse the stalwart resentment Of that clais
Of my fellow.citiEens aptIy termed old
iogies'. Any old citizens Of Wheeling ctn
give you chapter ol its history that would
make your blood boil. We ought to have
had the Baltimore & Ohio bridge at
Wheeling and Wheeling ought to have
been on the main line instead OF being
calml, and coldly deposited on switch of:
We didn't get tho bridge and everybody
knows why; We didu'L yet the maIn line
and that's no secret either. Ever since, the
Baltimore ( Ohio has been Furnishing
Wheeling, and Wheeling has been punish!
ing herself by trying TO out-punish the
Baltimore & Ohio. 1t is something to get
satisfaction and II We have got much OF it
Of thing that Suit everybody thar wants
that kind Of thing There is a good deal
more progressive railroad history but 1t
lsu't necessary togo into that now. You re-
member the railroad talk OF last winter"
MORE PROGRESSIVE RAILRoADISG.
"Then you remember that there was
great alarm lest the South Pennsylvania or
the Wheeling & Lake Etie, or both, or
somebody e!se should derive some advan-
lage from proposition which would un-
doubte,lly benefit the city. The hand Of
Vanderbilt was suspected, and aglod deal
was said about monopoly. was glad to
see that the lSTELLtGISCER had the cOur-
aye to stand up ior Wheeling and advocate
It's progress. ..m o..
"rhal is a plank in the lNrELLIoEScER's
platform" ...
"Yes. know that, and hope that the
lSTELLIGRSCER will not let the railroad
problem rect until the point Is carried.
Wheeling cannot live forever on its siNgle
advantage OF cheap coal, constantly grow
ing dcarcr as the haul becomes longer.
ThOn We have the RIVER road" '"' T'.
"What about THAR
THE COUNTY GIVEN A wlIIRl.
swell, the county subscription OF $4,000
has been withheld on a very slim pretext.
That road will be Of more than 10000 ad-
vantage to Wheeling every month in the
year. The company has earned it, and yet
in the time Of our boasled progress We
hold it back-I don't know Just why, except
perhaps, III the hope OF finally ,wriggling
out OF it. You remember about the tele-
phone-tbat Ia u recent story" ..I
"What feature OF that do you reier TOT"
"Well, some Of our ctiz4is formed q
telephone company to introduce the new
contrivance into this city; unfortunately
they were our own people and had the
money to carry the enterprise through.
They were Obliged, Of course, to go before
Council. There rider was clapped on to
The ordinance, putting upon the home
company certain conditions which the COM
pany thought unfair and burdensome.
1t was about to enter upon a new field
and wanted fair chance for Its lie.
1t wanted time to consider before 1t accept
ed the concession With the imposed con.
ditions. A week or 80 later 1t seemed that
Council might deal little more literally
with the company. Correspondence was
re-opened with the parties with whom our
home people had been in negotiation. The
response was that there had been CONSOLE
dation oil telephone Interests and that the
Wheeling company could now have for
$25, 900 what It could have had before
without any bonus at all. The home en-
terprise was shut out Foreign capital
came in, got what it wanted for the asking,
and Wheeling IL now paying to outsiders
profit OF from $4,000 TO Sl5, 900 year that
might ju.t as well have been kept at home.
Tais is our idea OF progress You see the
application Of all tnis?'
TIE GAS HEATING OPPOSITION.
"To the gas heating company"
Exactly. The men who are in that en-
terprise will make money II everything
goes we'll. That is enough to arouse ami
mostly and jealous opposition. The peo-
pie who oppose Il don't consider the pub
lies interest at all. Wheeling would be
immensely benefited II that project should
succeed beyond the dream OF anybody