Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-11-02
STATE RAILROADS.
Compr ehensiys Letter from Ssna'
tor Camden
ON THIS MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECT
The Advantages that Would Accrue to the
People of West Virginia by the
Building Of "a System Of Narrow
Gauge Roads.
Special 10 the Register.

Special TO the Register.
GLEYvILLE, November 1.-The following
letter, which touches upon questions OF
vital interest to the people of this State,
apnears in the Gilmer Crescent OF this
week:
PARKERssrRG, W. Va, October %, 1888.
G. +. Kidd, Esq, Chairman Railroad COM
mittee, Glenville, W. Va:
My DEAR SIR-Your favor Of the 4th in
slant received. communicating the action
of the meeting held in Gilmer county,
| looking to the building of q railroad into
| the county, and asking my views and as
| sistance.
have given considerable thought to the
best and most practicable manner OF pro-
viding railroad transportation to the sec.
| tions OF our State, now
without Such Advantages,
and it affords me pleasure to give you such
| suggestions as have occurred to me in this
connection.
In the first place, it will be great ad.
vantage in projecting any new roads in
that section of our State lying between the
Baltimore & Ohio and the Chesapeake &
| Obi 0 Railroads, to secure the benefits to be
gained by bringing the local roads already
pullt or building into connected
| system in order to form continuous lines
| Of railroads that each other may aid in sus'
| tanning the others, and also in order to
make the several counties more convent.
emily accessible to each other.
In my Judgment
Itis EntireIy Practicable
and within the reasonable abilities OF the
| counties to give such necessary aid as
| would inaugusate and carry out system
| of development that would give railroad
| facilities 10 almost every county lying be-
tween the Baltimore and Ohio aud the
| Chesapeake and Ohio railroads west OF the
| Alleghenies. also think that the time is
| now ripe for the undertaking, and hope the
l expression of Gilmer county may be the
l beginning TO the speedy accomplishment
of these results.
The practical and true theory | think,
| for the development of that part OF the in
| terror OF our State referred to, is by con-
| neCted system OF narrow gauge roads. The
narrow gauge road is
Just as Efficient and Complete
| in its usefulness as the standard gauge, in
| prorortion to its TONNAGE, and is peculiarly
| adapted TO the necessities OF our State.
| link this is fully demonstrated
in the Ciarksburg and Weston read.
| AdoptiRg this idea: Ii road was built
| from Weston through Gilmer, Calhoun,
| Rosne anu Jackson counties to the Ohio
| river in Jackson county, and another road
l from Weston through BraxtOn county TO
| the Elk river, and down the Elk river to
| Charleston, these roads, with the connec.
| tions they would make, would substan.
| tally complete a connected system OF
| local roads which would furnish railroad
| transportation to every county in that
| section, and would, with their connections
| be Of
More Than Local Importance
as being parts of lines leading through
the central part of the State to the best
MAJ kets. both East and West. To Illus
trate this view: \ road is now built from
| Weston 20 the Baltimore n Ohio Railroad
at Clarksburg, and also one from Weston
to EuckhannOn. The county of Harrison
has subscribed Sl5O, 30, and Marion county
$40 $50 to build the Clarksburg and Nor
| gantOwn road down The valley OF the
Monongalia, which will connect with the
| PENNSYLVANIA Railroad directly 10 Pitts
buryh and in fact, to all points reached
| by the Pennsylvania system. This shor'
! line OF road between Clarksburs aud the
| Pei nsylvana Railroad leading to Pitts
burgh, isot
Very Great Importance
| not only to the section through which j
passes but 10 the whole central part OF oul
| State as the gateway to the Pltts6urGt
l market for our products by the most di
| rect route, andit IS safe to say, that witt
the assistance already voted, this impor
| tan, link will soon be built This woulC
| complete the connections on the Eastern
end both to the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
| road, and by the Pennsylvania Railroad
through to Pittsburgh. The connection or
the Western end with the Ohio RiveI
Railroad both East and West, and through
it with the Ohio Central Railroad already
completed from Point Pleasant to Charles
ton. and to the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
road. The railroad bridge over the Ohl'
River at Point Pleasant also
Gives Connections 10 Columbus,
Tol, do and Cincinnati, so that by buildin
the road from Weston through Gilmer L
the Ohio River would give to Gilmer anC
the other counties on that line the pra:tl
| cal benefits of direct rail communication
both East and West, and also the advan
tages of competition by several OF th
most important trunk line roads to th'
be ( markets.
!, may be observed in this connection
thst narrow gauge road ia now building
| up the Valley road from Grafton TO Beyer
| w. which could be connected by a shor
| link at EuCkhannOn, with the roads lead
| irc west through the other counties in tn
| dir, ctiCu OF the capital. This system, a
You see, would rot only give to all tn
corrtes in the section named, railroad
facilities, but would give most Of the coun
| ties
Easy Access 20 Each Other.
III this may appear at the first glance 4
be large and difficult undertaking, but
| think by looking into ii. 1t will not onl,
be found feasible. but with proper exer
tions on our part will follow as natural re
suits. 1t is not necessary TO look to th'
beginning, or 10 the accomplishment o
all at the same time, The commencement
of one part will stimulate and help tn,
| ott ers, besides the enterprises are not al
| dependent upon each other. The BraxtoE
ami Elk River road is not necessary TO th'
completeness of the road through Gi!mel
| 10 The Ohio river, or TO the connections i
mskss. may say, however, that there
are influences at work that will probably )
result in building that road within rea
sonable time.
We may safely assume as a starting
point, that the roads referred to as giving
| Eastern and Western connections, Will nov
take care OF themselves and be
Built and Ready for Use
against your road could be built.
IL is only necessary, therefore, to consider
the building of the road through Gilmer tc
the Ohio river, as part of the system re
fsrred to in which Gilmer and the othel
counties along the line are interested
Concert Of action between the counties o
Gilmer. Calhoun, Roane and Jackson in OBJ
taining such subscriptions by each county
to The stock OF the road, as would resul: tt
the benefit OF the counties TO make, will
insure the building of this road.
Trunk line roads connecting lsrge com
meIcisl centres, and requiring large cipita
are huilr..without reference 10 local aid ou
local ROADS must have local aid to
Give Security and Confidence
to outside capital.
1t can be clearly shown that as inancis
measure alone. leaving out all othel
i Il "a, haff