Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-31
OUR OWN STATE BOOM.
WEST YIRGINIAs GRAND RAILROAD
GROWTH.
Two Great Companies Struggling to Beat Each
Other Into Our TsriDy-Ths Linss Marked
Out BY the B. & 0. and the Penn
sYlvania System.

The Pittsburg Times publishes the fol-
lowing summary of the railroad develop
ment of West Virginia There is going on
at present hustle for the possession of the
upper MonOngahela valley, with its tribu-
taries, between the Pennsylvania and Bal
timOre and Ohio systems The great coal
developments between Fairmont and
Morgantown, the progress of coke manu-
fscture, the timber and lumber resources.
practically intact, and the growing demand
for them have awakened both companies
to the fact that something must be done
right away. The Pennsylvania Railroad
is not doing business openly in the
matter, but is behind the scheme that ex-
Senator Camden. of West Virginia, ID the
nominal head Of A syndicate OF Philadel-
phians, one of whom is Colonel Straw
bridge, Of the Pennsylvania railroad direc-
tory, and Others closely connected with its
interests, is backing Mr.. Camden. This
syndicate is now building with all the rap
idity possible standard gsgue road from
FaiTmont to Clarksburg. There It will
meet the Weston, Clarksburg and Buck
hannon road, a narrow guage, bat 20 con
structed as to be easily changed to a stand
ard guage.
ITS SOUTHERN SCHEME.
This road passes through the valley Of
the West Fork river, the southwest branch
of the MOnongahela, which passes through
the counties of Harrison and Lewis, with
branches into Randolph and Webster coun-
ties. Through these last named counties
pass the mountain ranges OF West Virginia,
forming the water shed not only OF that
State, but for Pennsylvania Maryland and
| Virginia. Just across the mountains h
the valley of the Elk river, aud down this
will in a short time be built at least
two roads, one OF them belonging
to the Camden system and the
other TO the Davis system. Senator Cam
den is making all haste TO get to the head
of the Elk river by way OF the MonoDgs-
hela and its sources, while Senator Davis.
starting at Piedmont, in Mineral county.
on the Potomac river, is Iushing his road
already built through Mineral and Tucker
counties through Randolph county, in
which the Elk has its rise. lie has a sur
vey down the Elk Valley to Charleston.
the capital of the State, where it falls into
the Great Kauswha river. There the
Chesapeake and Ohio road and the Kama
wha and Ohio road meet, the former reach
ing tdewatsr at Hampton Roads and the
Ohio river at Huntington.
GREAT STATE.
The territory that will thus be opened
up is the very heart of the coal, timber
and iron ore region of West Virginia, and
the Pennsylvania IL trying to pull both
strings that will control IT, Through the
medium of Senator DAvis's road the Penn
sylvsnia will get its freight at Cumber-
land, where its Cumberland and Pennsyl-
vsnia road comes TO the Potomac. This,
however, will bring in only one side OF the
State, while the Camden system will bring
it in from more than holl of the counties
and give it to the Pennsylvania at some
point near the Cheat River, either ~ Nor
gantown or at the river itself The Penn
sylyania road is already finished 10 Fair
chance and Brownsville, and routes 90 one
Cheat have been surveyed from both
points.
STILL ANOTHER HthEhE
In addition to his interior lines. Senator
Camden has his Ohio River standard guaee.
bounding the entire foath side OF She State.
from Wheeling 10 Huntington De .s now
building ridiaiing lines from Sistsnvlf.
on the Ohio River, and from Rsvsnsu1nl.
IN Jackson county, 90 interior point Tho
latter one Will reach The Weston branch.
and the former will terminate 80 Clark.
burg. The traffic oi che Ohio River road
will thus b. diverted to ihc M0nonrlhe'a
River branch and into the D. k o.. while
the a. H. X will send much of Its Cnon.
natl and Western busine over OBJ, -aue
lioe 10 the Ohio River road, which sill
eventually be built into Cincinnati
THE o.. A o.'s ESDEAvoR
On the other hand, the b. s. % will
struggle for the same husiness 10 has aI-
ready line 20 Unioniown. n also hls "a
good line from Fairmont TO Morgantown
with n hiatus OF between 20 and JD miles
to bridge. 1t has line from Grafton o.
Parkersburg, passing through CarksburE
From Grafton TO Bealington, Ia Randolph
county, the b. q o. owns a line of narrow
guage road, which Is projected 10 Charles-
ton, on the Kanawha river. This road
will be built. Substantially those lines
are parallels of the Camden roads AZ
Cumberland the b. V o. taps the Davis
line with as good a chance OF getting its
freights as the =. K r., unless an iron
clad agreement between II and the Davis
people is effected.