The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-13
THE RAILROAD SITUATION
Over the RIycr.-status of the Bowerston
Extension,

THE RAlLRUAD SITUATION
Over tho RIyor-Status OF tho Bowerston
Extension.
After expecting a railroad for upwards
of fifteen years the people living along
the proposed route OF the Wheeling &
Lake Erie Railroad are in some likeli-
hood now OF having their property
traversed by two lines OF road, says the
Steubenville Herald; and that paper
proceeds to review the situation so thor
oughiy that its remarks are worth re-
printing, though much Of what it says
is ancient history here: In the original
Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad Com
pany, Judge X. II. Cochran and Col. L.
w. Sutherland were very prominent and
when the road was sold out and reor-
ganized, they were left out OF the direc-
torate. They in connection with Joel
Wood, OF Martins Ferry, got charter
for the South Pennsylvania & Ohio to
reach from Martins Ferry to Portland,
and thence up the Short Creek valley
over the same route as contemplated by
the Wheeling {; Lake Erie. They did
nothing in the matter until the past
year, when 1t became apparent that the
w. & L. L. people, who had recognized
the Yogd with N. D. Woodford as Vice
President and General Manager, and G.
A. Wilson as Chief Engineer, and had
the l75 miles OF road between Toledo
and Bowerston in good condition, were
about TO make move which would ter
inmate in the extension OF the line from
Bowerston to Wheeling. In fact, the
Wheeling q Lake Erie sold the bonds
for the purpose in London last January
and were ready for the work. The
South Pennsylvania & Ohio and
Wheeling & Harrisburg roads formed a
coalition and made overtures to Wheel
ing for the construction Of a bridge
across the Ohio at that point. For this
purpose the people OF Wheeling voted
them 100000 and n great impetus was
given the South Pennsylvania &
Ohio. Judge Cochran and Col. Suth-
erland Immediately went to work
and secured q large number OF valua-
BILE right OF way leases over what is
known as the Hopedalc survey, which
il through Hopedale and down the
Piney Fork Of Short Greek. This route
is two miles shorter than the Adena
route, but is harder to construct and
does not probably tap us good territory.
The South pennsylvania l. Ohio peo-
pie also procured options upon large
amount Of valuable coal underlying the
fertile and rich Short Greek Valley, so
that when the Wheeling & Lake Erie
people were about to let their contract
they found that they would probably be
compelled to take the Adena route. The
farmers living along this route made it
IN object for them, us they gave $l5, 900
in money and free right OF way for a
long distance. No sooner had the
Wheeling & Lake Erie contracted with
Smith & Ripley, of New York, than the
South Pennsylvania & Ohio con-
tracted with Paige 4 Carey, OF
Akron, for building the Hope
dale route. From Conversion to
Folks Station, on the Cadiz branch, the
two contemplated linesrun parallel, and
the forces OF the two contractors in sew
eral places worked almost together, not,
however, without threatened collisions.
The Wheeling & Lake Eric contractors
have now force OF upwards Of 800 men
at work and the South Pennsylvania
& Ohio similar force. Down 1t Port
land the South Pennsylvania 4 Ohio
have got the drop on the Wheeling 4
Lake Erie by buying up for cash the
right OF way and to certain extent may
be said to hold the key to the situation
there. Just what the South Penn
sylvania & Ohio people contemplate
doing is not very clear. They are
now preparing, they say, for a
road from Martins Ferry through
Hopedale and Bowerstown, parallel with
Wheeling & Lake Erie to Sherrodsville,
where they will connect with the Cleve-
land & Canton, giving them a direct line
from Cleveland to Wheeling. This is
denied by the Cleveland & Canton peo-
pie and the Wheeling & Lake Erie says
that the South Pennsylvania & Ohio
is only trying to force them to buy their
right OF way, etc. The two roads are
being rapidly pushed and some Of the
matters are likely to be put into the
courts, where it must result in the sur
vival OF the tittest, MS the Short Creek
Valley, though one OF the richest in the
State, is unable to feed two competing
lines. The farmers living alone the linz
are much interested in the outcome and
will be satisfied with either road.