The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-16
rho Rlnck pInmond NnIIrond,

Richmond DSpdtch.
For want Of a railroad West Virginia
was lost to Virginia. When an oppor.:
tunity occurred for splitting the old
State in twain, the Baltimore Il Railroad
Company was the entering wedge; and
the northern Methodist church was the
hammer that drove the wedge home. j.,
We cannot recover the territorial
rights which we.4est by the division OF
Virginia into two States, grumblO US we
may. We all know OF course that that
State has erected in Contemptuous dis.
regard OF that section OF the Federal
Constitution which provides for the for
nation OF new States and that the Re-
publican seCtionalists who committed
the crime were fully aware OF the fact
that Virginia had never given her con.
sent to the erection OF the new State Of
West Virginia. The wrong is QUE oil
those which can never be right0d,
But we need not surrender our CON-
mercial rights. We need not turn over
our interests in West Virginia to Bal
timore, and sit with folded hands mus
ing upon the outrages which We have
undergone in the past. We can contend
amicably for q share OF the trade OF the
new State, and in the full assurance that
the daughter sympathizes with the
mother rs thoroughly us Canada sympa'
thizes with England.
There ought to DO u railroad leading
from the northwestern part OF West Vir'
ginia to RiChmOnd-say from Grafton
via Philippi, Beverly, and on through
Pocahontas, &c, till the Chesapeake 4
| Ohio railroad is reached. 1t would run
through a country very rich In natural
resources, and would bring u large sec.
ton of that country us nearto Richmond
as to Baltimore, and some OF 1t nearer
to Richmond than to Baltimore. There
is a railroad which has covered a part Of
this line, and which will creep on, we
trust, in this direction until that lovely
land which lies beyond the A~lleghanies
shall become at least partially tributary
to the prosperity OF Richmond.
Whilst We are waiting for n railroad Ia
be built along the line we have men
toned ono crossing West Virginiafurthel
south will be acceptable. Indeed, the
Black Diamond railroad, as II Is called,
would benefit Richmond aud Virginia
more than a railroad leading hither from
Grafton. The Valley. Nirginian learns
from the papers and "other sources
TINT negotiations have been Consumma'
ted by which the necessary means to
construct this important railroad have
been obtained. We quote from that
paper us follows:
dThe Black Diamond starts at Park
ersburg, on the Ohio river, and runs east
across tho centre Of West Virginia to
Webster county in that State, and thence
through PoCahontas, Bath, and ALLIE
gheny to Clifton Forge, to n connection
with the ChesapGakean Ohio and Rich.
mond and Allegheny roads at that point.
The proposed route will plough right
through the heart OF the Coal Nndtimber
lands OF West Virginia, and open up a
marvellously rich virgin country which
Is now isolated. II will accommodate
an extensive grazing section, Astounding
in sheep ind cattle, and adapted as well,
to corn, oats, tobacco, and all kinds OF
This road would open up to Rich.
mohd one OF the finest regions in the
Union. Parkersburg is m hundred
miles farther from Baltimore than Graf.
ton Is. The proposed new road from
Parkersburg, II II makes straight for
Richmond, will pass from the western
line OF Wood county to the eastern line
OF that county, and then onward through
Writ Cthe oilrcgion), Calhoun, Braxton,
Webster and Pocahontas Counties-all
in West Virginia-to the west line Of
Bath county, Va. This is a region Of
fabulous natural wealth, and 1t affords
US much pleasure to know that there Is
a good prospect OF the opening Of that re.
gion ut n day not very far distant.