The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-02-13


The following extract taken from the
Chillicothe Leader is OF great interest to
Hillsboro If the suggestion could be car
ried out: It is not of the utmost inn
portance to Hillsboro Just what route
might be taken for an extension Of the
o. & N. w. r. r., but that 1t would be
an incalculable advantage to the town In
its connection. with the outside world
must be admitted. Practically we are
left in a corner as far as railroad facili-
ties are concerned, although we have
two railroad lines connected with the
place. The Ohio & Northwestern is to
be sold in a short time, and II any effort
on the part Of the people OF Hillsboro is
necessary to encourage the extension OF
the road east or north it should be
made. The advantage to be gained by
this place in the way of travel and
freights cannot easily be estimated,
while the facts set forth by the Chilli
cothe Leader are such as are calculated
to impress themselves on the minds Of
the purchasing party. Here is what It
says:
The Leader desires to call the atten-
ton Of the gentlemen contemplating the
purchase of the Ohio & Northwestern
Railroad, to the fact that the way is open
to them, at a comparatively trifing ex-
pense, Of making that road as good pay.
ing railroad property as there is in
Southern or Central Ohio.
The Sardinia branch of the road is
already at Hillsboro.
If they will but extend that branch to
Bainbridge, thence on to Chillicothe, and
seek access to the heart of the Hooking
Valley coal fields, by the way of the Scioto
Valley and the Karshner road, they will
have road which will be free from heavy
grades; one that will have, in coal alone,
all the freight business that it can do,
and for general freight and passenger
business, will traverse the best unoccu.
pied railroad territory in the State.
There is not, east of the Mississippi
River, more fertile, more densely popu.
latee, or wealthier valley than that of
Paint Creek. 1t was the chosen spot in
which settled the first pioneers that
came to this portion of the State. In
the heart OF this valley nestles the vii.
lage of cambridge, the largest place in
Ross county, outside OF Chillicothe. To
reach Chillicothe by rail, the resident of
Bainbridge has to take the Ohio South.
ern to Greenfield, and then take the
Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern to Chill.
licothe, distance probably of forty
miles. The only other way in which
connection can be had, is by vehicle, a
drive of nineteen miles. This valley, as
stated, is densely populated, and by a
people who enjoy the comforts of life
and are able and ready to pay for them.
The same conditions obtain, to large
extent, between Hillsboro and Balm.
bridge, while the route up the valley to
Kingston traverses the garden of the
universe, and that along the route Of
the present Karshner road from Kings.
ton to Adelphi is through worthy neigh
borhood territory.
We say that the expense would be but
trifling. This is literally true, if the pro.
jectors are content TO reduce the outlay
to the minimum. From Cincinnati to
Hillsboro the road is already completed.
From Hillsboro to Bainbridge, a distance
of eighteen Or nineteen miles, a new
road would have to be built, but the
route is straight, the right of way easily
obtained, and the work on it very light.
From cambridge, If desired, the road
bed of the Ohio Southern could be util.
lied as far east as Dill's, and then
another stretch would have to be built
across to the nearest point on the Day.
ton, Fort Wayne & Chicago, whose line
could be utilized in to Chillicothe. From
here the Sciote Valley couln be used to
Kingston, and the Karshner road from
Kingston to Adelphi. From that point
east to Floodwood, in the heart of the
Hockiug Valley region, road would
have to be constructed though road.
bed, already graded, reaches now five
miles east OF Adelphi.
The opportunity is here presented the
owners Of the Ohio & Northwestern to
convert non-paying property into prop.
erty that could not help but be profitable
as the road is the one route by which
the great population on the hill.tops
around the city of Cincinnati can be
reached by rail, while the eastern termi
nus would be in the very heart of the
rich coal fields of the Hooking Valley.
What more could be asked:?
This is a matter that the present bond
holders of the Ohio & Northwestern will
do well to investigate.
Resolutions OF Respect.