The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-11

In tu9 yeaI LOU StGaEsh VI "ACSA'
ing named J. B. Bowon published q
little book which he called 1.-THE Wheel,
ing Directory and Advertiser" book
that measured six inches in lcngth,
three in breadth, and a half inch in
thickness; a worry countrlfied and un'
artistic looking little volume, but never
thclesa one containing q good deal Of
interesting information.
At that time tho city was supposed 70
contain over 10000 people, and this
directory speaks OF Il as having lately
Experienced something In tho nature Of
boom. II quotes the Wheeling GaI.
die as saying that tho population had
increased something over 1900 in three
/ years, and as remafkinR that ave can
not but felicitate her upon her prospec.
tive destiny" On bis own RESPONSE
bility tho publisher expresses tho con-
yiction that her march is rapidly on
ward. In 1920 sho hBd only 1868 in
hahitants, whereas In 1889 she had I'm
tho immediate vicinity OF n,0O0."
Therefore he was moved to speak as
follows:
Ieanuot essay 70 prophecy. but 500 nothing
10 discourage tho obinion that there Is hus.
pcuQed within period, at no great distance o!
lime the insignia OF glory mnRnIhconcs Ah1
grandeur, which Wheeling email arrive III hhu
Tcapin full iruitlon."
The above remark is little bit cloudy
and confused, but the following i'd
ditional remarks throw light on what
WA really lowering In tho mind o. tho
publisher whom he thus expressed blm-
self. We quote as follows:
Her watar street shaft thea ia tho tcnRsh Of 1.
be graded down. and bloceS OF Warch.ouses,. tal
i0f the reception OF her Immense tnetChnu1l!o.
vomICICA dGnsc, till and magnificent shall. 10
splendid arrangement, ov0fspreld nor Surface
aud tens OF thousands SHALL gather Within her
LGreCrs 70 participate ia her wealth aud bless
ingG
Tho publisher goes on to speak Of
Wheeling aa q future" great emporium"
ns possessed OF beautiful river; as tho
Ohio valley torminug Of the National
road; as tho prospective terminus oil
the baltimore 4 Ohio railroad, and as
an cntropot through which must .pasa
tho merchandise OF tho east aud tho
agricultural products Of the west.
This was not oil. Already Wheeling
Welcoming upasa manufacturing point
Het vast resources IN the way Of cheap
coal were descantcd upon. Already she
was spoken OF as tho virtual hoad Of
navigation on the Ohio river, and as
possessed OF this groat advantage over
Pittsburgh. Indeed, hint is given
that sho will become q sort-ot 500 port.
md that European goods will come hero
via Now Orleans for distrl6atsoa-oVcr q
wide area Of country.
Tho Ohio must havo boon moro OF o
river in those days than 1t is now. We
arc told that "the river 10 navigable for
steamboats, during the grcater part Oh
tho year, from here to Now Orleans, and
when steam Navigation Is suspended
from hore, which Ia but soldom aud OF
short duration, there is always a depth
Of water adequate 70 the transportation
OF freight from hero aouthward on keel
boats. at reasonable rates.
Az showing tho reliable character OF
tho navigation at Wheeling, the writor
remarks that during tho previous year
(iS3Sl "steamboat navigation com.
monccd on the 18th Of March, and was
finally suspended about tho middle OF
August, q period Of about 100 days.
During this time there were s05 arrivals
hero OF bodts, In the genera! river trade.
and nearly tho came number OF depart
uros, which is at tho rate OF almost 1000
arrivals and departures each per an
num-"
Outside, bowcycr, Of tho river and
National road, for commerce, and her
coal reaourcos, for manufactures,
Wheeling had something else TO look
forward to "a tho basis OF hor future i'm
portance, via, the coming Of tho Balti-
moro & Ohio railroad at an carly day
as carly as 194l, as was thon thought,
although the road was not then com-
pleted 10 Cumberland, and was just bo-
Ing located wost OF that point. This
was TO mark D now ora in the history OF
Wheeling and assure hor OF metropolitan
Importance. Stress was always laid on
tho fact that canal was being dug from
Washington City to Cumberland. aud
this was to DO another spoke IN our
commercial wheel. Tho railroad and
tho canal, (said our prophet), can
hardly fail 10 rondcr Wheeling q great
commercial depot" and principally be-
cause said canal would open up for bus-
iness earlier In tho spring than the
more noFtneEl Cuuulss
The canal, however, was only to DO q
eide show in our business. Tho real
factor Of the future was to DO tho rail-
road. On this point We quote our
prophetic author as follows:
Bit when the rnilrOad Il completed from
COniheFlNni through ViFyiulA 10 llRrpcrS Fefry
which mas 10 done by tho tImo the canal II
CnlapicISh-there Will DO one continuous th0r'
ouglifnro for tnyel and transportation " rat.
ruai from wheeling 10 baltimore tho whole year
round, without interruption and mol 10 Da!u'
more only but even 10 NOW YORK. M ~ thIS
moment Ill TINT Is lacking oil oil cnurN I!ne OF
railroad between Now YORK anu liaIIlnlOn y tlS
unfinished section between New Bruns"iex ana
Trenton. $500, .,,1 H.,
lad this great work been completed an1 Il, IN
fuIl oEpTRtIIn one year ago, NIL tho inctCuhnusS
purchased previous 10 the llrt OF March last Dy
Western merchants IN our eastern Gup,, Inn',
iuU probably to 5O,ns0 i0pS. might mayo neel
in store IN onr warehouses by the bTeuKlhE NJ
o. tho leo here OIL tho nth Of March, f1a sho
whole, or nearly the whole, have arrived Ni W
their respective destinations heiGrv tho lliSt oI
the snine IVls actually transferred from tue C'ilhI
10 the steamboat which took place during the
INIT week OF April. RI,
possibilities md probabilities must
have been interesting TO hor inhADi'
tan,s In the year 1889. Mo presume
that thoy really took large amount Of
stock in the prospects thus spread OUT
before thcm. Why not2 And why
ulso should ttoy not haVO (stilI turthorl
taken BLocl, In tho following additional
possibilities, rs respects their prospects
in the immediate country beyond The
ohio river. Wo quote az follows what
IL uoiI on that hnnA: