Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-02-02
RAILROADs IN rHE INTERIOR.

RAILROADS IN TBs INTERIoR.
In o recent issue Of the REsIsrER was
printed railroad map OF West Virginia
and Of the adjacent territory Of the Dor
dering States. An article accompanied
itpointipg out the projected roads which
give assurance Of being built at an early
day. A correspondent writes US from
Nicholas County that our article ignored
"the great bulk Of the State lying south
OF the B. & o. line" This is q mistake.
1t was to that section the REGISTER
especially addressed itself. The REars-
TER, however, only pretended to speak
Of the projected roads which the people
Of the sections penetrated by them are
actively pushing with prospect Il
bringing them to completion at anesrly
day. 1t did not presume to point out
where railroads should be built, but
simply where active and vel directed
efforts are now going on TO build roads
In articles heretofore the REGISTER
has written up with enthusiasm great
lines projected through Nicholas, and
Webster, and Pocahontss, and Brax-
tor, and, in short, about every
interior county in the State; and we re-
greet to say that our articles have not
yet had the desired effect of building
the roads. Ia fact We were long ago
convinced that something more was re-
quired TO build railroads and properly
equip them than our ablest editorial ef-
forts.
The leading men Of the respec-
tive counties have just got to take hold
of the matter; agree upon feasible
line to be built from some place to some
place; make surveys; get right
of way; induce the people of the coun-
ties and towns interested to vote such
aid as they are able, and in every
reasonable way show practical inter-
est in the project. With this kind Of
intelligent action on behalf Of the citi-
zeus Of the interior counties, there is
none of them which will not soon have
q railroad through it. This is the plan
adopted by Lewis county, and it was
successful; Upshur county followed the
good example and got road; Barbour
fell in with the procession and she had
the proud satisfaction Of celebrating
with great eclat her deliverauee from
the wilderness this week. Gilmer, Cal
houn, Roane and other counties are
now moving in the same direction, and
they are pretty sure to meet
with like success. lt is quite
in the power of Brsxton, Nicholas,
Clay and Webster to accomplish what
their neighbors have done and are
L;ing.
Our correspondent seems rather dis
rosed to sneer at what he calls our
Provincial Narrow Guages," but We
have never found community which
had narrow guage railroad that did
not think that kind OF road beat no
rad at all by several hundred per cent.
Even little bird in the hand is worth
several eagles i'll the cloud. Our cor
respondent says:
81 am persuaded, if you will widen
the sphere Of your readers vision to
take in one or two through lines pene-
tratiDg this grand plateau Of central
West Virginia, such as the Parkersburg
and White Sulphur scheme, or the Bal
timore and Cincinnati road, crossing
the above between the upper waters Of
the Gauley and Elk, in the centre of
the richest coal and timber regions Of
the United States, your provincial
narrow guages' aud switches would
fade into small Significance. Central
Wet Virginia, with its vast natural
gifts, mysteriOuSly remains terra IN.
cognia-without railroad transporta-
ton, or even wagon roads. To say
nothing of its rich soil, lying beautiful
~, its unsurpassed timber, its sixteen
feet of coal, the yew-p pine forest about
1000 square miles in extent, il owned
10y the State would constitute per.
yctual fund sufficient to build all it.
railroads and support all its free schools.
This is q subject worthy OF amplilica-
ion; but brevity is present necessity"
The REGISTER cOnfesses its lack OF
reliable information that the two great
through lines mentioned by our cores
pOndent are in fine way OF being built.
We were not W ire of the existenc of
such charters; and, as We id alb we, we
were only dealing with tangible projects
which are now being pushed by citi-
Htns of West Virginia. IL the two
great through lines referred to are actu-
ally real, live, active bodies which pro-
mise practical work, We shall rejoice
and be exceeding glad. We have no
doubt of the natural richness OF the
country described, and it seems incom-
preheDsible that the proprietOrs of such
valuable lands seem content to allow
item in the language Of our
correspondent to "nysteriously remain
era incognita-without railroad trans