The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-16
GATH ON GARRISON,

The ". d L. Il. Pro cling M a
t-l.lJ5 Railroad Centre, 4,aIsi,stls
"Gah" in Ptsaday's Cincinnati Enquirer. So
About the time Garrison found himself
full Of the money derived from the sale Of
the MieHourl Pacific the imagination Of
railroad men had begun to center about
Wheeling. In the first place, Wheeling
had better water than Pittsburgh; it had
probably more varieties and possibly bet.
ter coal. The grades rather ran toward it,
l. was the initial point toward the great
field, which was making 80 much money
for the directors and pools inside Of the
different railroads. The great undeveloped
mineral region Of West Virginia lay back
Of Wheeling. not only full Of minerals,
petroleum, salt, &C., but full Of the timber
Immediately required. Throughout West
Virginia there seemed to be the very best
chance for development, buying every
thing cheap and selling it at once. Even il
the land titles were not good there, in
some cases the lumber could be chopped
of aud run away while the lawyers we're
feeding tho Courts with q spoon. Then
Wheeling had fine region OF Ohio ada.
cent to the limestone hills, all plentiful
with wheat bottoma lull OF corn, towns he.
ginning TO pant In chimnies and forpea
for mere industries, 9 mechanical and
cheerful population, and 1t was represent-
ed to Mr.. Garrison that on the line OF the
Lake Shore Railroad in Northern Ohio. in
Michigan, and wherever the Vanderbilt
properties weni there was no coal to be
had. ~ y u Z ~ q -
!. The timid policy Of Vanderbilts father
had been to keep close to shore, not to
venture anywhere, and when that old man
died he did not touch one pound of coal
anywhere on the !globe. He had taken
from Condit Smith, With many a sigh and
groan, q railroad which dropped 10 the
oil regions, but there was coal, the great
cargo Of the present, and coke and other
forms Of fuel and 1t looked like q brilliant
idea to build railroad from the lake
shore to Wheeling. Wheeling already had
o double railroad TO 1t from Pittsburgh, one
on either eide Of the river. Another rail.
road from Little Washington, which is
now being extended back to the coke.feld,
and third railroad WAS the Baltimore &
Ohio, while at the present time more rail.
roads are being built along the Ohio toward
the field Of the Kanawha.. = ft;s& z 81.
s Garrison began to ,indoEse for the rail.
road builders, "and the result was the
Wheeling x Lake Erie Railroad, starting
from Toledo and running 262 miles to
Marietta, with branch from near Canton
direct to Wheeling. This latter branch, I
think, is not fully opened. It would seem
strange tha. man Of Garrison's timidity
should 20 into an enterprise like this,
where there has existed for several years
another railroad from Wheeling to tie
Lake Shore Railroad. This latter is the
Chamberlain road, which 4 starts from
Bridgeport, opposite Wheeling. runs up the
Tuacarawas Valley, aud finally etrikes the
Lake Shore about Elyris, in ths general
direction 2oI Toledo. or somewhere near
Sandusky. From Elyria to Wheeling 10
about 100 miles, asainst probably 200 miles
from Toledo to Wheeling. The Garrison
system, including the Marietta division, "a