Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-02-02
THE IRON HORSE.
Great Celebration at an Interior
West Virginia Town.
COMPLETION OF THE RAILROAD
From Grafton to Philippi-An Important
Event ia the States History-Presi-'
dent Martins Speech-A Great
Country and People.

largest gathering that has been known here
since the thrilling times of the war period.
The occasion was the opening Of the FIRST
railroad into this town ard county. For
many years the people here have agitated
such q railway as now comes quietly creep
ing along the beautiful and picturesque
Tygarts Valley river. About eight years
ago survey was made where the Grafton
and Greenbrier road now runs. Nothing
was done at that early day and when the
PittsbuIg millionaire Congressman Hop
kips and others built the Pittsburg South
ern road from Pittsburg to Washington,
Pa, they sent agents out here to
Tell the People
tina. they had begun a road that would
soon reach this county and supply the long
demanded want. Years rolled on and the
road never came. Two years and more ago
such men as Judge Woods, Judge Ice. Capt.
Bradford, Hon. Ben Martin and Tom
Brown renewed the agitation and the rail
road fever took firm hold on the people.
Grafton district of Taylor county sub
scribed 10000, Barbour county S5O,OoO and
the work was inaugurated: company
was organized, headed by Judge Samuel
Woods, as president, who afterwards re-
signed to accept seat ou the Supreme
Bench OF the State. The present officers OF
the road are Hon. B. F. Martin, president;
J. H. Glasscock, secretary; }. W. Talbot,
treasurer; II. S Wilson, superintendent
snd treasurer. The Board uf Directors con.
sists of the following members: Taylor
county, L. Cofrop, George NJ. Wits
carver. B. f. Martin, VIM. Jeuaingsi Dr'
bour county, T. A. Bradford, }. H)p
Woods, J. F. Woodford, Jos. letter, Benz.
NcCnY, A e. DAYTON. James f Hall; Ran
dolph county, C. J. P. Cresap, ]. F. Harding
The Road
has only been completed to Philippi,
distance of twenty four miles from Graf
ton, and the rise in the road is only 100
feet, one of the most remarkable grades
for that distance III the country. There
are no tunnels on the road, five bridges and
but few smsll cuts. The entire cost of the
road, including grading, engineering and
equipment complete, was little over
S. 0OO per mile, or S205,OO0 for the entire
road. On the completion Of the road bed
it was mortgaged to build the other portion
OF the road.
The mortgage on the road now is for
Sl75 600, of which the B & D. road holds
$4,000, the bonds being discounted at 10
per cent. Fifty-tve thousand dollars vi
the mortgage bonds have not yet been ne
gotated. The bonds of the road run for
thirty years. Barbour and Taylor counties
raised their money by the grace
of the State Board of Public Works, which
body tapped the school fund $1,000 and
made a loan OF that sum TO these counties
at Is per cent. interest.
RandOIph's Subscription
las not been used and cannot be until the
the road is pushed ten miles into that
county. There is on hand, therefore,
SlO5 600 to prosecute the work towards
Beverly, which is distance OF 35 miles
along the Tygarts valley from Philippi.
The former town consists of 800 and the
latter of from 500 to 600 inhabitants. The
road hes not been balssted, yet it is
gratifying to know that the passenger and
freight business is large enough to p1y the
running expenses
The Grafton and Greenbrier road Ger
tsinly penetra:es a rich aud valuable
country. Lumber, produce and mer.
ehandise will De the chief articles
for transportation. The lumoer business
in the Tygarts valley has been. aud is to.
day very extensive. Hundreds OF mil llions
of lumber have been flpaled down the
stream and shipped to Liverpool England,
and our own Eastern cities by the firm Of
T. .. N
which firm has been tie engineer and
mansger OF the new railroad. Four or i've
million feet of lumber will be shipped by
the road during the coming summer.
All Kinds of Lumber
can be found in this region of the country
and in great abundance. Heretofore it has
been tlOated on the Tygarts Valley river to
Grafton where 1t was caught in. a boom,
tat hQ N mi w nj
there shipped to the great lumber markets
in this country and Europe.
In connection with the gossip about
the lumber interests OF that country 1t may
be interesting to note little scheme that
put 8, 900 into the pocket OF our esteemed
ex. Congressman Col. Ben. Wilson. Always
a far seeing man, the Colonel took advan.
tage oil golden opportunity some years
ago and procured from the State an exten.
sive charter for boom in the Tygarfs Val.
ley at Grafton. He then placed this char
lumberman at that point and told him to
sell II for the best sum he could get. He
wss not long in finding purchaser anu at
the eXorbitant figure OF IS 900 sold the
charter, and a boom was soon afterwards
built there. There are half a dozen saw
mills already erected along the road, and
7, nGsylyania and Ohio men have recently
been Inspecting the country With the inten.
'icn of building other similar establish
merts.
President Martin,
who was a member of Congress from the
eastern end of the State for two terms, and
who is now much talked about in the in
teriur as dark horse in the Guberlatorial
race, was elected as the chief executive
officer OF the road about a year ago. He
las given the ROAD most OF his attention
since that time and has pushed the with
wokr rem rkable energy and ability. The
pt opie of this section Of the State owe aim
a de bt of gratitude for the labor he mas ex-
pended in their behalf. In an interview
with Mr. Martin he told me that there
would be no rest in the work of building
the road southwark. The road would be-
come more profitable as it was extended,
and it vas the desire Of all connected with
the enterprise that il be pushed through
to the Chesapeake and Ohio road, thus
making sharper composition between
this road and the b & o., which would re-
suit in much benefit to the people who
are compelled to have cheap rates OF
transportation in order 10 make a success
of the enterprises in which they may be
engaged.
some Details.
In regard 10 those who have been identi.
fed with this railroad enterprise, it is in
teresting 10 state that the contractors we're
George 6. Foster, and T. ". Martin & Co.
The trsinmen at present are VIM. Graham
and Seers, engineers; Capt. Flanagan, COZ
ductor; and WilmoH;h, fireman. The TWO
engines on the road cost 5000 and S.. 900
respectively. The road has IL cars, dis.
tributed as follows: Two coaches, 5 box
cars, 10 gondolas. The freight aud passen-
ger agent at Philippi is W. D. F. Jarvis,
who will be made auditor of the road.
Henry L. Grant, son of DR.. Grant, of Graf
tor, is the sgent at that point
In rambling over some facts and figures
about the road l have almost neglected to
refer to the grand celebration held here
which Was participated in by nearly 100
people. The excursion train from Grafton
brought in nearly 500 visitors, including
sCch distinguished guests as General Kelly
and wife, Hon. B. F. Martin and Hoo. r.
L. Butcher. About two O'Clock the people
assembled in from, Of the court house.
Capt Thomas Bradford.
made brief and appropriate address OF
welcome in behalf of the citizens to the
visitors, the president and directors. Presi-
dent Martin responded substantially rs fol-
lows: I'VE accept with unaffected pleasure