The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-04-24
Washington City, Cincinnati and st
Louis Railroad.

.ailroad Company met at the Revere
louise, Harrisonburg, for the purpose OF or
anization. The gentlemen outside OF Vir-
mia. who compose, the stockholders did not
rive until four clock in the evening when
hey convened. and went to work at once.
Archer N. Martin, of the New Y ork banking
i'm of Post, Martin 81 Co. was elected Pres
lent. with the following Directors ii. u.
Cooke. of Washington City; Chas. E. KIM
,all. New Y ork and U. l.. B0yce. j. w. f.
AlIemong and j. B. Loose, Virginia. H.
D. Cooks was made Vice President, and
yhas. e. Kimball, Treasurer and Secre-
AIRY.
1t will be remembered that this company
was originally organized by Peter B. Borst'
Iced. of Page. 1t was subsequently reor-f
yanized with ]. w. F. Allemong, OF
as President; During the
of Messrs. Borst and Al
emong, the bed of the road was graded
from Harrisonburg to North River Gap,
q distance Of some IS or twenty miles, and
partly through Highland, out Of bonds
issued by the town of Harrisonburg and
county Of Highland, and private subscrip-
tions. At North River Gap are the Dora
coal fields, and it was to that poin T
that it was designed to complete the
road as early as practicable. But the funds
of the company became exhausted, and
arising, work was suspended
and for several years nothing was done on
it. For some time negotiations were
pending for the sale Of the charter and
nchises, but not until .about. three or four
months ago did they assume tangible shape
About that time a contract was entered
intoswith the present stockhold for a sale,
with the condition that work was to be COM
menced within sixty days. In compliance
with this obligation about month or six
weeks ago corps of engineers and a few
hands with horses and carts were placed
onthe work, preliminary to the final trans
fer of the franchises, property, &C., OF the
old company TO the new. This was hnal-
ly contaminated on Friday last-all the
conditions of the sale complied with, and
now the enterprise has passed into the con-
troll Of a new organization represented as
above stated. ig sFg
The new company at once adopted by
laws, passed a resolution authorizing a
mortgage, and the issuing OF bonds; oil
recting that a corps Of engineers be at
once placed on the road. to locate the
lines, not already decided on, and creating
a committee to negotiate for rights OF
way through the country it is proposed to
construct the road, as preliminary to &C
tive construction operations at an early
day. The well known banking firms OF
Post, Martin & Co., New York, H. u.
Cooke, Washington City. A.lG. Campbell,
Washington city, Jay Cooke, Philadelphia,
and Wilson and Colston, Baltimore, are
interested in the company, with other
strong backing that it is not necessary to
m ention. Frank s. Smith, of New York.
appeared as the attorney for the company
and conducted the final arrangement pass
ing the property from the old tothe new
company. coast }se-e e
The high standing and business expe-
rience Of all the gentlemen participating
in the proceedings last Friday give assur-
ance that the Washington City, Cincinnati
and st. Louis railroad has become one OF
the live institutions Of the day, and at nc
distant period WILDE great artery OF COM
MERGE between the West and East.
While the route to the Ohio has not
been located, we venture the opinion that
it will pass through Rockingham, Angus
ia, Highland, Va, and Pocahontas,
Webster, Braxton, Clay and Mason, W.
Va, making Point Pleasant the West
Virginia terminus. The gauge will be
changed from the Marrow to the Standard,
and we presume that portion Of it from
Harrisonburg to the Dora coal mines will
be completed first, and then the work be-
tween Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad, either at Ellzton or Port
will be constructed as soon
thereafter as practicable.
Probably there is no better unoccupled
territory in the South for the profitable OPP
GRAFTON Of railroad than that through
which this enterprise will pass. 1t will
run through the rich county of Rocking
ham, east. and west traverse the north
west portion Of Augusta, where it
will test the value of the Dora coal fields,
penetrate the splendid grazing, timber and
iron region of Highland and Pocahontas.
beside the rich coal deposits Of Webster
and adjacent counties, and open up one
of the finest agricultural, mining, pastoral
and timber sections OF West Virginia, now
entirely cut off from market, and with
no inducement for development, by reason
of the absence Of railroad facilities. In
conversing with an intelligent gentleman
from West Virginia, while the stockholders
wereiri session, who is in no way directly OF
indirectly interested in the company or it's
operations, but who is thoroughly familiar
with the resources of the country now
soon, we hope, TO be accommodated by a
he remarked that when this road
was completed to Greenbrier River, there
would be offered one of the finest fields for
iron manufacture on the continent. At
that point, he said, the iron ore, the cox
ing coal and the lime stone could be found
within ten miles of each other, surrounded
by an excellent agricultural country, and
offering Inducements for capital and en-
terprise rarely met with in this country.
From the Shenandoah Valley to the Ohio
river is one continuous region of undevel-
0ped and unutilized wealth, capable of fur
nishing immense freightage, increasing
each year in volume, as the appliances of
art and science are brought in contact
with the abundant natural resources of
she country. And when the road shall
nave reached the Ohio, then it will have
opened to it the products and business of
5he Central and Northwest, offering one of
5he shortest lines to the markets of the
East and the world, and through country
that is unsurpassed for it's landscape at
fractions and diversified resources.
From what we learned from the intelli-
gent and thoroughly business gentlemen
we met at Harrisonburg we feel rea-
,onably sure the road will be built. We
nay expect the same snap, pluck and q uSh