Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-07-15
Gov. Jackson Interviewed On Tax
alton, Ia,migration, Land
Titles, Etc., Etc.
Something About tbs Railroads
That Are Now In Course
OF Construction.
Ex-senator Davis Great Wealth.
His Early Pursuits In tho
Struggle Of Life.


lows:
"we are gradually getting into good
shape in West Virginia" said Gov. jack
son, in reply to questions concerning I'M
migration, land titles and taxation. "Fhe
State has now no regularly organized i'm
migration agency OF its own, but sm sat
isfied it is getting fair share Of settlers
from abroad as we'll as from other States OF
the Union. The influx is more noticeable
in the rural sections than in the town sand
cities, although the latter, especially
in the mining and manufacturing neigh
borhoods show a considerable increase.
We have
and the creation of one is prohibited un-
der our Constitution. The arbitrary action
of the old State in setting apart third OF
her indebtedness to West Virginia deters
no intelligent observer from settling among
US, since il is conceded that the only set
Element of the alleged Indebtedness repre-
sented bv the deferred certificates must be
bv the mutual consent of the two States,
and any appointment based on moneys
contributed and received by the new
State TO and from the old one would
result in making the old State re.
sponsible to her creditors for such certiti-
Gates. These she has now gotten out OF the
way by making them orders payaole Wnen
She settles with an institution where her
account is believed 10 be overdrswn. mat
she is not desirous Of coming TO any settle
ment is evidenced by the fact that no at.
rention has ever been paid by the author
tiles at Richmond to overtures made BY
West Virginia to ascertain the true state OF
the account, and commissioners appointed
by West Virginia To confer with the Old
State officials on the subject has never been
able TO find any Virginia Representatives
willing to consider the question.
There has been considerable talk IN
the -
Republican Newspapers
of the State concerning an alleged increase
of taxation by the Democratic Legislature
which recently closed its sessions in this
city. but the fact is that the act referred to
only authorized the equalization OF the
State assessment without increasing the
gross amount, in other words permitting
the Board of Public Works to reduce the
assessment of lands in countries where
over valuation had been made, and to raise
the valuations in counties where there was
an under assessment proportlonate
emount-the total OF the State assessment
remaining the same and State taxes, which
are less than per cent. upon two'thlrds
valuation, undergoing no increase what
ever.
AS TO land titles, the insecurity of which
was formerly source OF great complaint
in many portions OF the State, the clause
in the last Constitution which makes ten
wears possession q sufficient answer as
against outside claimants, has settled the
ownership of most disputed tracts. The
provisions for the escheat and sale OF de-
iinGuent tax lands to and by the State
have done much in the same direction.
There are also responsible agencies estab
lished which not only select land for set.
tiers. but examine and guarantee titles for
purchasers, and investments in this dlrec'
lion can be made as safely and convenient
IL as in any other State of the Union,
a Railroad GridirOn.
Looking over the list OF railroad incor.
porations in the office of the Secretary OF
State found that no less than seventy'two
certificates of incorporation had been issued
10 different organizations for the purpose
of putting griiles around the cross bars
through this portion of the vineyard. Some
of these, as a once prominent lawyer ex-
pressed it, are railroads after the order OF
Melchisidek, without beginning or end,
but a considerable number Of them have
been begun and are likely to reach
completion. The Ohio River Rail
road, better known as the Three RS,
into which the Wheeling, Parkersburg aud
Charleston railroad has been merged, will
be completed from Wheeling to Point
Pleasant within the present year, and con-
Meeting from the latter point with the
Chesapeake and Ohio at Charleston, will
ha Statp
which has hitherto been confined to uncer.
tain insufficient water transportation.
There has been some delay in the payment
of county subscriptions at the northern
end of the line, owing to charges that the
compapy proposed to use the Baltimore
and Ohio approaches to Wheeling instead
of building an independent line through.
out; but
President Thompson,
who has charge OF the construction, states
that the company will parallel the Balti.
more and Ohio lines from Moundsville and
have its own connection with the Pitts
burgh, Wheeling and Kentucky road, tn rs
giving it its own outle. TO the Pennsylva-
MIA system. Surveys for the new link in
the Vanderbilt chain, knswn as the
Wheeling and Harrisburg Railroad, have
been completed across the upper Pan
handle and estimates completed for the
bridge over the Ohio river which will
connect the road with the Wheeling
and Lake Erie and Wheeling and Tusca-
rawas Valley lines, already IN opera
ton. With the present facilities OF the
Baltimore and Ohio road East and West,
and its proposed extension, now nearly
completed to the Connellsville coke sec
ton. which extension is likely to be parail-
eled by the Vanderbilt road the present
outlets to the Pennsylvania system; the
River road and dire. connection with
the lakes, the upper portion OF the State IS
likely to have all needed railroad facilities
within the near future. There has been
considerable work done within the past
wear also on railroads in the interior part
of the State which are designed ultimately
10 connect the b. & o. and c. & o. lines
;Jhe West Virginia Central Road
in which e1 Senators Davis Blaine and
Window and Senators Bsysrd and Cameron
are interested, has been finished from Pied.
mont to Fort Pendleton, a distance OF 30
miles, and will probably be extended TO
some point on the Ohio and Chesapeake
shortly. Built by syndicate strong
enough to secure the greater portion OF the
coal and timber land through which II
passes, it is believed the main owners OF II
have laid the foundations for fortunes be-
SlOe WHICH tueIE pIcScut Slupic pOsScsSiou'
sink into insignihcance. Davis who began
life as brakeman. has been the moving
spirit in the enterprise. He is already put
down as worth $1,000, 900. A newspaper
friend here who has some knowledge ot
this last investment, says, in the ordina1y y
course OF events, he is bound to qusdruple
the amount within the next ten years.
other Railroad Ventures
in the interior OF the State are being p ush
ed with more or less activity. Clsrksburs
which has secured q connection with the
geographical center of the State by the ex
tension OF the Clsrksburg and Weston rail-
road to Buckhanpou, wants direct roi"
through Morgantown, the seat of the State
University. 70 Pittsburgh. and ex Congress
man. p. T. Lowndes, and other promoter
of the enterprise are confident that the
project will succeed, although they ar
hampered by other propositions which di
vide public attention. The Grafton an
Greenbrier railroad, which is completed
from Grafton to Philippi, in Barbour coun
ty, Is in receipt of proposition from Al
organization OF which Congressman Hoo
kins, OF Pittsburgh. is mepber, TO unit
| and extend the road from Grafton to Pits