Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-01-31
WHEELING WANTS
Railroad Connection With the Ia
fsrior.
The Benefits to Accrue to This City From
the Narrow Gauge System Now
Being Perfected.

While no one will dispute that railroads
from all points will carry money, improve
meDt and enhancement of values into
Wheeling, not one will be Of more direct
or material benefit than that which will
bring the city into close communication
with. the rich inter or portion of this State
On this account. Wheeling is directly in
terested in the system OF narrow gusse
roads with which the Ohio River road is to
be connected. at Parksrsburg, 1t will
meet one line aud at Rayenswood another.
The Ksnawha Valley road, as DR.. Scott
told the Parkersburgers, would be OF more
advantage to the business interests OF the
PEOPLE than any other improvement in our
r. ach at the present time. 1t running up
into the interior counties OF the State.
which counties are rich in the finest tim
Der, coal, oil and agricultural productions,
large and lucrative business for the roads
could at once be counted on. The coun-
ties through which the road passes are said
TO be the very
GARDEs SPOT OF WEST VIRGINIA,
and Parkersburg would when chs road is
built, secure most, if not all their trade
At Chenille, the county seat OF Gilmer
county, point on this road, there are coal
veins said to be IL feet in thickness, and
coal is of the very best quality, and fully
as good as Pittsburgh, or Youghiogbeny
coal, and this quality of coal will be found
in inexhaustible quantities for many miles
IL kx IA of ho the
abundant supply OF timber, the oil and
agricultural productions OF these counties
through which the road passes would Sc
cure II a paying business, AMI the road
would soon begin to pay handsome per-
centsge to the stockholders. The distance
from Parkersburg to Spencer, Rosnf
county, is 4S miles, to Glenville about SIS
miles, to Weston about liz miles.
The cost of making the survey OF The
road, consisting OF map, profile, estimates,
etc., ready for the contractor, will be about
$50 per mile. This would make the cost Of
the survey to Spencer $3.50, to Chenille
81, O4O, and to Weston $500.
THE COST OF CONSTRUCTING THE ROAD,
it being first-class in every particular, with
piers and abutments Of rock, wooden or
iron bridges, steel rails, and including sur
vey, road bed, and erything necessary to
i
rolling stock, will be about s., coo per mile.
This would make the cost to Spencer,
Rcane Co., 1886, 900; to Glenville, Gilmer
Co., $4,000; and to Weston, Lewis Co,
$TSl,UO0.
THE ROLLING STOCK
will cost from $4,000 TO Sl,01n,00O. Ii the
counties VbrOugh which the road passes,
subscribe sufficient stock to build it, the
ROAD can then be easily mortgaged, for sui
fcient amount Of money to procure the
rolling stock, and all other necessary fix
lures, such as depot buildings, machine
shops, etc. 1t is very important for the
counties interested, to subscribe for sulh
cient amount of stock for them to control
and own the road, and to do this Wood
county should lead the way by subscribing
s15O,O coo
The speaker showed how easily the vari.
Gus counties could issue bonds for their
several subscriptions, and, aided by divi'
dends from the stock, pay them off within
twenty years with but trihing increase in
the levy. All this is Of
AS MUCH INTEREST TO WHEELING
as to most of the points along the line. To
connect Wheeling with the interior. is to
give us the benefits of whatever agricuI-
tural or mineral wealth those counties con-
tain. We want that fine cokIng coal, and
We want that iron ore, the superior 10
which it is said does not exist. And as
people of great but undeveloped State,
we want that vast interior opened out to
the world, and we want capital and emf.
grafton to flow in. We want to see the
State covered with net work of railroads
that win put every county seat on at least
one line.
In another direction another railroad is
stretching out its arms and inilueLc,. This
10 the Grafton and Greenbrier, to be opened
TO day. Another county is brought fur.
rher into the pale of civilization, and over
AT other community are showered the
blessings of material progressiyeness.