Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-12-17
THE NEW ERA
WHICH Is ABOGr 10 DAWN FOR WHEEL
ING AS A CITY,
By tho Competition Of Large Additions to our
Railroad Faciliiss-A Pertinent Ar
tils, and a Timely Talk.

1T Is now apparent That there VIII De
two railroads running from the Lakes
touching the Ohio river at or a Port
land, bath probably extending along the
river to Martins Ferry. The Wheeling
snd Lake Erie is grading from BowerstoWn
to Portland and securing the right OF way
from Portland to Martins Ferry, forming
q continuous route Of its own to that point.
The Cleveland and Canton, which was
formerly o narrow gauge has had an extra
rail put down during the past two weeks
and is row 9 standard gauge road running
from Clevelsnd to S~herrodsville In Carroll
The South Pennsylvania and
Ohio charter provides primarily for the
building of road from S~herrodsvllle to
Wheeling through Harrison and Jefferson
counties. q dis,arce of forty. eight miles,
and forming with the Cleveland and
Canton, both Of which will be under the
came management, a formidable competitor
for the coal and ilol carrying business OF
the Ohio Valley. The s. P. & o. has &C.
cured for itself all the necessary right OF
way and paid for the same between Sher-
rockville and Martins Ferry. The com
pany, or rather those connected Herewith,
are the principal stockholders IN the
Wheeling bridge. which will cost in
the neighborbood Of 81. 900, 900, and to aid
in the construction of which, Ohio county
has appropriated $500, 900. By this the
Cleveland and Canton and. the South
Pennsylvania and Ohio will make q short
and direct connection between Wheeling
and Cleveland, and msy possibly give a
new outlet to Pittsburgh by a different
connecting at Wheeling with the
B. 60.
''The South Penn and Ohio has one de-
cided advantage in having control OF tie
Wheeling bridge, and hence will have d.
rect and unints rrupted connection with the
principal manufacturing city in this sec
ton Of the country. But the charter Tor
the bridge provides that all railroad COM
psnies desiring 80 TO do shall have the
right to uss The bridge upon reasonable
and therefore not only the South
Penn and Ohio, but the Wheeling and
Lake Erie, the Cleveland, LOrain and
Whesling and the Cleveland and Pittsburg
possibly will make their southern ter
on the east side Of the river at
Wheeling.
'But the principal question Of interest
10 the people of Steubenville is in what
way will the building CT the two new rail-
roads through the southern end of our
county benefit our city. 1t is q fact be-
yond controversy that already the prin-
cipal part of the people residing in Mt.
Pleasant, Smithfield aud Warren town
ships do their business in Wheeling or
Csdiz, and will the building of these
two railroads through these town
ships benefit S~teubenville, or will
they assist in draining away the bust
ness which legimately belongs to this
As at present contemplated, they
would certainly be a detriment rather
than q benefit to n business isterestS,
and our citizens ard business meu should
be wide awake in their untiricg efforts 10
have the three railroad companies or n
Of them extend their line to this city. 1t
would sfford a competing outlet TO the
business Of the city, and would make that
part of the Ohio Valley embraced In JEFF
terson county, of which Sterbenville ID the
a scene of manufacturing industry
such IS has never been equalled in the
country, except possibly along the Schuyl-
kill after the Pennsylvania built a compel
ing line to the Reading. But whether it
do any good toward divertiDg trade
from the itch agricultural district Of the
Southern end Of the county, is very ques-
tionsble. Wheeling appears to be the
market from along the line of the
4 P, although their trads legitimately
belongs to Steubenville.
South of the city, beginning at Mingo
Junction, nearly all the banking business
is done at Martins Ferry and Wheeling.
If this were otherwise what an amount of
it would bring to the city, the trans.
action of their monetary affairs and add
to our Tetsil trade! We have heard
it asserted thai our banks are too conserya-
tive; this ia undoubtedly = good thing for
the banks, bat not for tie city generally"
The above article was shown to Judge
R. Il. Cochran, who is President Of the
Union Bridge Company and Vice.Presi-
dent OF the Cleveland & Wheeling, the
new name for the South Pennsylvania
Ohio Railway Company. After reading it
the Judge said:
'There are some errors in the article,
bat the main items, affecting Wheeling,
seem to be fairly presented. have made
thess matters a study for many years, and
their importance to this section of country
does not diminish as they are examined.
"With the Union Bridge and the new
railroads down 10 Wheeling by it, there
will come to Wheeling, "a tie nearest
a large lection of country, in
Guided in the limits of JefferSoo, Harrison,
Tuscarawss, Carol, Stark, Columbiaua
and Mahoning counties in Ohio, and
Washington, Green and Fsyette counties
in Psnnsylvsnis.
The tendency Of railroads aud railway
management is to increase tbe growth Of
large commercial points touched by them
moro than Of vllsges along the line. With
increased railroad facilities ard eDtsrpris-
ing merchants, the district of Wheeling
will have no successful rivals nearer than
Pittsburg, Clevelend, Columbus, CinCin-
natl and Baltimore.
This leaves her q magnificent area from
her merchants may draw trade, and
there is lefd and opened a much wider field
for her manufactured product, ard in
creased facilities and better rates for the
ores, sand, lumber and other materials
used in h'r manufactures.
'Yes, l drew the original chsrter for and
organized the Bcidge Company, the S.
P. & o. r. r. Co., and of three other
companies having direct reference TO the
bridge and better railroad facilities for
Wheeling ard vicinity, have devoted most
IF my tins and attention 70 them for Is
ard am beginning to see.tbe benefits
10 Wheeling which l have all along felt
must come. But this city and ~peighbor.
hood should staud by and encourage VI in
working out results
I'VE must be treated literally in right
of way and in our efforts 10 reach the
business found hsre. We zee renewed
eforts TO retsrd us aud we most earnestly
INSIST that the city mas it in its power aud
i is its interests II 81 shape every future
ordinance that roads shall permit for us as
We n e required 20 permit tbem-reasonshle
crossings and access to the lin tsS Of the
whole city and vicinity"
"Five to seven million dollars will be pat
INTO railroads in and near Wheeling with
n the TEX 1s months. 1t is not too wild
O declare that little, If aDv, OF this would