Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-29
HAS A LONG RECORD.
THE OLDEST LIVING RAILROADER A CITIZEN
or WEST VIRGINIA.
Matters Of Moment Ab5ut the B. & o., the West
Virginia Central, Wheeling and Lake Erie,
Terminal and Ohio River Lines
prnhahIr the oldest living railroad


1905. His first work was upon coal
tramway used to carry coal from New
Castle mines, when he was about
thirteen years of age. The cars were
drawn by horses upon wooden rails. be
fist met George Stephenson, tine
father of the railroad" when the latter
was superintendent of the Stockton
and Darlington tramway. This was
the first railway chartered to carry
passengers. The cars were also drawn
by horses on wooden rails. Mr.. Swim
burn had a contract to lay part OF this
track, and gained the early
APPRECIATION of Mr.. Steph-
enson. The road was opened Septem-
Der Of, 1928. Mr.. Swinton was later
employed on the Bolton and Leeds road,
and was It's Superintendent for twelve
years. He came 20 America in the win
ter of 1850, landing in New Orleans,
and came to Charleston soon after
wards. lie assisted in building several
OF the first roads in Southwestern Nlr-
ginia, and in 1856 was ordained MIN
lister OF the Baptist Church, preaching
the gospel for many years. He is now
living in retirement, hale and hearty,
at the age of eighty-seven years. DE
relates many interesting "reminiscences
of his early experiences on English
railroads. the details Of which would
fill volume.
The opening of the B. s. o. to Smith
field marks the beginning OF the devei-
opment OF the coal fields ia Southern
Fayette County. All the country sur
rounding Smithfeld and extending to
the Monongahela and Chest Rivers, is
underlaid with coal, and the owners OF
the land who have had it tested claim
that it makes an excellent coke. Dur
ing the last year the price OF coal land
in that region has been trebled. The
farmers have long since realized that
they have a good thing, and have not
been backward in asking good prices
for their land. Local and outside cor
porations have been attract
ed 10 that section, and hun
dreds of acres along the line of the Is.
&, o. have been optiOned or bought up
by speculators. Wilkins and Davis
have taken the initiative in the matter
of developing this field. They have in
contemplation the erection Of coke
plant near Smithfield. Others will like
ly follow. For number OF years the
coke field has been reaching ont tow
ards the south, and its further extern
siod in that direction has been impeded
only by lack of railroad facilities. Now
that obstruction is about TO be removed
the course OF the coke empire will con-
tinue its southwark way.-COnnetLSU.t Tic
Courier.
Three parties Of engineers are work
working on the location OF the Baltl-
more and Cumberland between Cumoer-
land and Hagerstown, Md, and are
making rapid progress. Already eighty
miles OF the right Of way has been Sc
cured by purchase and condemnation
suits have been begun for the balance.
An officer OF the road said last week
that the whole line will be placed under
contract by June l. There are now 400
men at work near Cumberland on the
SPUR which is to connect the West Vir-
ginia Central and PittSburg and the
new road. A cut through q spur OF
KnobleY mountain, 400 feet in length
aud 30 feet deep, is now being made.
Beyond this there are heavy fills for
five miles to where the first tunnel Is
met, and there is five miles OF heavy
work before the Potomac river is cross
ed. w. E. Porter, Superintendent OF
Construction on the West Virginia Cen
trail and Pittsburg, has charge OF the
construction.
The Office Of Superintendent OF Trans
portation Of the 3. & o. system has
been created. This officer, under the
direction of the General Manager, will
have general charge of the distribution
Of all classes OF equipment, including
motive power over the entire system.
General and Division Superintendent
will report TO him ia relation to the
distribution thereof. superintendent
Thomas Fitzgerald has been appointed
Superintendent OF Transportation, with
Office at Camden Station, Baltimore.
The duties Of perintendent OF the
Baltimore division will continue to be
discharged by Mr.. Fitzgerald until
otherwise announced. The car account
ing will continue in charge OF Superin-
tendent of Car Service.
The excavations for the West Virginia
Central, in West Virginia, are progress
ing rapidly. Over eighty men are now
at work on the big cut near Ridgely's,
and the entertainments on either side are
assuming gigantic proportions. A "bur-
row pitt" however, is now being used In
connection with the material that comes
from the cut proper and a sufficient
amount OF earth can be carried from the
two places to build an embankment
twice the size of the present one. The
work is being pushed as speedily as pos
sible and quite hole has already been
made in the long sloping ridge.-CUm-
berldRd Times.
The executive department OF the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad has Issued or
ders directing that hereafter employees
of several of the mechanical depart
ments Of the road shall work but three
days in each week. Those affected by
it are the blacksmithS, machinists,
bridge builders and some carpenters.
This is in line with the policy recently
decided upon by the executive officers
to conduct the road on more economi-
cal basis
Jones & Thorne, the contractors for
the construction Of the new bridge and
tunnel on the B. & o. railroad at Har-
per's Ferry, are going ahead rapidly
with their work, now that spring is well
advanced Only about $50 feet Of the
tunnel under Maryland Heights still re-
main to be pierced, and progress on the
bridge is satisfactory. Some delay was
occasioned about q week ago by the
Washing AWAY Of the derrick by high