Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-03-27
THE B. & @.
HOW 1T Is HUSTLING THINGS OVER THB
RIVER.
A Rumor That il Will Extend the Martins Perry and
Bsllairs O., L. & W.. Line 70 Brillisnt
and Steubsnyills.

Ever since the Cleveland, Lorraine and
Wheeling railway company commenced
the construction Of that very costly piece
of road from Bellaire to Martins Ferry, il
has been an open secret that the B. & o.
company was backing the little concern in
its Undertaking, The strong opposition Of
the Pennsylvania company to the new
piece of road, lent color to the report, and
the fact that the six or seven miles of road
cost $500, 900, made it seem like a gigantic
undertaking for a little road like the C. L.
& W. Again, the immense cost of the
road is not at all justified by the amount
of business to be gained by the building
Of the branch Of the c. l.. & W. to Bellaire
and Martins Ferry. 1t could only be
hoped that the business Of the towns might
be divided between the c & p, of the
Pennsylvania system, and the new
road, while all the business in the
towns would hardly make such an
expensive piece of road profitable were
there 10 other points TO be gained besides
the mere increase Of business. One Of the
advantages to be derived by this plan for
the b. q o according to the statements OF
those supposed to be on the inside, is an
inlet into Cleveland. That city has been
a point toward which the B & o has been
looking with longing eyes for several years,
aud IN entrance to it would place the b. d
o. into every important town in Ohio. 1t
was at first ruInored that the B. 90. would
have merely a running arrangement over
the c., L. & W. to Cleveland, but il has
since developed that possibly that corpora
ton has seen the fallscy Of such an ar
rangement, since it would still have the
Pennsylvania Company, a shorter and more
direct route, not only from Baltimore to
Cleveland, but from almost all
points along the Ohio river and
through Pennsylvania. It is now
rumored that the b. x o. will extend the
branch, now run in the name Of the c. J..
d w, from Be!lsire to Martins Ferry, TO
S~teubenyille and East Liverpool, two very
stirring manufacturing and commercial
towns, which are now solely at the mercy
of the Pennsylvania company. 1t is also
stated, on good authority, that a line will
be built from Portland Station to Valley
Junction, where the b. * o. will connect
with the Valley road, and by that route
20 on to Cleveland, the. great objective
point. BY this route the b. q .. will
have a line TO Cleveland not less than
twenty-five miles shorter than any other
possible route. Further, when the Union
is built, it will be the Lake Erie
TO Cleveland and Toledo, and
the Wheeling and Harrisburg, with its
connections. will be a
much shorter route than the b. & o.
would have even if the G, l. Il w. up
Wheeling creek were pressed into service
by q traffic arrangement. This arrangement
will put the 3 & 0. in closer connection
between Cleveland and Wheeling and
the East, than even the Wheeling and
Harrisburg route with the Union bridge.
Col. Orlando Smith, Third Vice Pres
idsnt; Capt. Il. T. Devries, Superintendent
of the Western Division; David Lee, Road
of the Western Division; Frank
White, general freight agent; r. Gallaher, |
assistant general freight agent, all Of the
3. q o., and Frank Townsend, General
Manager, and Oscar Townsend, General
superintendent OF the c., l.. x W. railroad
were in Bellaire yesterday morning, in a
car of the B. & o. officials After
noon the train run up over The extension
the c., L. & w. to the Laughlin mill in
Martins Ferry. The gentlemen did not
$500 Al. IL |
Of the several points of interest along the
route. They did not meet any one during
their stay.
The party came over to Wheeling, last
10 take q look around, and re-
turned TO Bellairc later. The Il. &
J. officials will start out this morning on a
tour of inspection Of the Western
division. a gentleman named Phillips,
receiver Of a Western road, accompanied
he party.