Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-20
WHAT IT MEANS.
A FEW POINTERS REGARDING TEE ISLAND
RAILROAD ENTERPRISE.
The Scheme Alleged to Be Combination Between
The Wheeling and Lake Erie the o&
P. and the O, L. & W. Roads

For some days past rumor has been
floating about the city to the effect that
Messrs. Rinehart & Tatum, the real
estate agents who have been conducting
the negotiations, during the past eigh-
teen months, for the purchase OF large
blocks of Island real estate in the inter
ests of mysterious railroad corpora
ton, had concluded negotiations
for the purchase OF right OF
way one hundred feet wide along the
Back" river front of the John Smith
farm, south OF Fink street and west OF
Broadway, and $4,000 was named as
the price. Tuesday representative Oh
the firm named was seen, and he stated
no such purchase had been made. Yes
terday Mr.. John Smith, Jr., was seen,
and he said:
1.-THE negotiations fol. a.portion OF our
farm have not been concluded. When
the railroad representatives first came
to US they wanted the whole OF the
farm, but we could not agree on terms
They then propose TO buy all Dut the
east five acres, but we could not hit IL
on that. They then proposed to take
strip along "Back" river, three hun
dred feet wide, but there was
still disagreement, and later they
thought strip one hundred feet wide
would do. We were $4,000 apart at last
accounts. They have purchased all OF
the west tier of lots in the Zane orchard
addition, as well as the Robinson field
on Ohio street and now have clear
sweep from the south side of this street
along down the river to our line.
strip one hundred feet wide from us
would carry them almost to the State
Fair Grounds"
As is well known, this mysterious cor
poration has purchased most OF the real
estate on the north side OF Ohio street,
from Back" river to South Penn street,
distance of five blocks, at cost
approximating 100000. About the
only pieces not purchased are
the Lingen property, the Bayha
property, and the Coen property,
to obtain which more than $4,000 ad-
tional will be required. Definite infor-
nation respecting the enterprise is very
hard to obtain, but it seems most prob,
BILE that the Cleveland and Pittsburg,
the Cleveland, Lorraine and Wheeling,
and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Rail
road Companies have combined
to thus obtain an entrance
into the city, crossing. to the
east side of the Island, with the ulti-
mate hope of erecting bridge between
the suspension bridge and the new
Island Bridge Company's bridge, and
coming out on Main street. The report
that the B. & o. was also In the scheme
does not seem to be reasonable, for
variety of reasons.
A prominent wholesale merchant on
Main street, who has taken quite an in
terest in the project, and appears to
have OWNED the true iRwardnesS OF
the situation, says:-
81 know there has been good deal OF
conjecture and guesswork as to what
all this wholesale sweeping up OF real
estate on the Island means, but L think
IL is safe to assert that IL Is scheme OF
railroad combination composed OF the
Cleveland and Pittsburg road, the
Wheeling and Lake Erie and the Cleve-
land, Lorain and Pittsburg, their idea
being to get more direct COM
muncation 10 Wheeling. | was told
this by a prominent railroad official,
who ought to be well acquainted with
the situation, since he holds an office I'M
der one of the companies interested.
| inferred from his remarks that the
scheme partly grew out OF the inability
TO successfully negotiate with the
Wheeling Bridge and Terminal Com
pany. Just where the depot will be
located l do not know, but have heard
it rumored that it would be coated at
the northwest corner Of Ohio and South
Front streets, as several lots in close
proximity to South Front have been
gathered in by the combination through
their agents. The railroad official with
whom | talked also intimated that II the
coast was clear, the three railroads
would probably combine and build
another bridge across the river, be-
tween the two now up and building"
There's one thing | would not con-
sent to" said another merchant, land
that is to have the railroads cross so
many public thoroughfares on the
Island at grade. BY the scheme pro-
posed the roads would have to cross
South Huron, York, Broadway and
South Penn streets, to which / think
residents on the lower part OF the
Island would strenuously object, unless
the viaduct plan was adopted, whereby
the trains would be sufficiently high TO
allow carriages to pass under them.
And this plan would be much better for
the railroads in case of flood. Moth
ing will be done this year, | am sure,
but when the matter comes up, over
head crossings ought to be strenuously
insisted upon by Council"