The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-02-16
CHAINED LIGHTNING.
Why Not Use 1t to Link Hills
bOrO and Greenfield
Together.
An Electric Railroad Between the Two
Places Via. RainsbOrO.

Inc result OF 1lllSnOrO rallrOau pro-
jects in the past may be properly classed
under the general and comprehensive
head of "dismal failures"
Scheme after scheme has been pro-
posed some of them have been taken
up only to be dropped, and some have
been carried out with more or less sue.
cess, mostly less After all our years Of
hope and endeavor it must be confessed
that we remain without suitable railroad
facilities. We haye outgrown what we
have and there is crying demand for
more. With two Ii. es of railway we are
still compelled to 60 west or south when
we wish to 60 east or north. A great
portion of our county is still without
the privileges of railways or other means
of rapid transportation Greenfield and
Hillsboro, the two leading towns of the
county are practically as far apart as
Hilsboro and Cincinnati, when they
should be closely linked. Their inter.
ests are largely the same and close
connection between them would be of
inestimable advantage to both places.
In the light of our past railroad difficult
les it seems like hoping against hope to
ever hope for railroad connections be-
tween the two places, but there is dist
ant possibility that electricity may give
US what steam has not yet afforded.
Chillicothe is taking active steps to-
ward the erection of an Electric Railway
between that city and Bainbridge, and
the project is already in the hands of
capitalists who see in it paying invest
ment Why could not similar line be.
tween Hillsboro and Greenfield be built
We see nothing that could be urged
against such road and everything in
its favor.
It is possible. Similar lines are in
construction or are being operated all
over the country. 1t could be built at
very little expense compared with the
cost of construction of an ordinary rail-
road and it would take but short time
to complete it and have it in active oper-
| alton. Some estimates, for the matter
has already heen seriously discussed
both here and at Greenfield, make the
cost as low as 100000, while the highest
estimate we have heard of is 100000
Little if any grading would be required
as the line would probably be built fol
lowing one of the turnpikes between
here and Greenfield and no expense OF
trouble would be incurred in securing &
right of way, as the County Commission
ers would, without doubt, readily gram
it.
The road, if built, would be of the
greatest advantage, not only to Hills
boro and Greenfield, but to every resi-
dent along the lire. The best route
probably, would be that following th'
old Greenfield pike through New Boston
Rainsboro and New Petersburg and tap
ping country which now, although h one
of the richest sections of the county, ii
utterly without railroad facilities. A
branch might be opened to the "Point,
or even extended to a connecting Chilli
cothe line at Bainbridge and the pleas
ure resorts in that vicinity made acces
sible. Mail, express and freight woulC
be handled and tiresome two or three
+. hours ride to Greenfield via. Blanches
ter be shortened to an hour and hal
or an hour and three.quarters at th'
most and close connections made ther
for all points.
The benefits of such road are un
doubted; it has been already discussed
and its practicability agreed upon b.
persons competent to speak and inter
ested in the development of the county
resources. We seem doomed to disap
pointment in our other railroad enter
prises, but there seems to be no reasol
to discourage this. If Hillsboro, Green
field and the interested intermediat
parties take united action there is n
reason why we should be longer discon
nected.