The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-11-27

The idea was SUGGESTED 10 tue INTEL
LIoEScER recently In nearly this form
by Mr.. Samuel Jacob, OF Wellsburg.
Said Mr.. Jacob:
"Pittsburgh and Cincinnati business
men arc busy with rival projects of
building ship canals to Lake Erie, and.
now that the clouds OF depression are
lifting, capital everywhere will be seek
inc safe investments. Wheeling 10
conservative and does not seem to
know whether she would be benefited
by tho Pittsburgh canal or not. She
certainly would not unless she can com.
mand influence enough to secure slack
water navigation OF the Ohio. But
wish to suggest a subject OF even more
immediate importance to Wheeling.
"There IS no question that the Greater
Pittsburgh, in the hackneyed octopus
Grure. il grasping farther and farther
with its tentacles, and the bitter cries
of .he merchants OF Steubenyllle and a
dozen other towns that their custom Is
coinr to Pittsburgh will continue to be
swolled by Wheeling unless her enter
prise and pride step in to prevent her
becoming tributary switch'statlon for
Pittsburgh. u,,
"The project refer to is for Wheel.
ing to develop and extend her trade Dy
bindIn, TO her soul with bars Of steel
the rich country that would be laid
tributary BY belt.line railroad con-
Meeting the motor line, at or near Elm
Grove. with West Liberty, from there
to Bethany, and thence down Bntinlo
creek TO Wellsburg, and from Wells
burg to Wheeling in competition with
tho Pewiky railroad. ,.
"Whother the Wheeling x Elm Grove
Railroad Company could be induced 20
ex;ond its lines, or new company be
orranized, do not know, but l believe
n freight aud passenger road could be
mnde TO nav, aud at all eyonts 1t ls
worthy Of careful study. There are no
very rrent engineering difficulties to %
oyercome, nor unusual expenses to pc
mot in constructing an electric line, q
narrow gauge railroad, or even a stand
orJ Gauge road over the route men-
toned. .,.,I,.
ut ia true the country is not thtck!y
so,tlej, but there is untold wealth in
tho underlying coal aud rich SOL, 70 ae'
yelop which will necessarily build up
the whole section. Then there 10
Bethany College, now past It's storm
and stress period, and which as ga a
birthplace OF denomination SoV,U9O
strong who give it first place in their
affections. could as easily, with railroan
accommodations secure 100 or ovo
students, rs she does the lGO or so ialthI
inI ones who each year flock In from all
nnris oi the Union ana have The anti
nuoted stage coach for ride ot seven
miIes. Wheeling would get most OF the
honciit by b,7i!ding the West Liberty
Sormal Sch ool and Bethany College
Then there ~ tho pressed brick INDUS
,rv nt NIe,sra. Matthews " Nichols. SO
snccos,fullv built up from small begin
ina They have to haul by wagon
,h"tr cxtenslvc output ior shipping by
rail. The magnificent water Powe' "
BulIalo Crock is largely wasted, o!'
Though one hourinG MILL the waugh
establishment. has made constant use
NJ il for ljity.dvo years. The creek val
lev il pecuIiarly suitable Tor manuiAc,
,n,;nc while for market gardening ana
General farming purposes 1t cannot De
..pcrhaps have gone far enough to
indicate SONG OF the possibilities o.
smrh a railroad enterprise, and would
p"om,st YOU ~ publish, for the consId'
oration Of YOUR chambor OF commerce.
,,,J any nthr-I interested, Wheeling u
,hn % Haiurnl Center OF our trade, but she
must ma cultivate it or DO swallowed up in
.,--u.s
-, in, Bull,so Valley. Is sure TO bv
~ ,dn mo OF, j not by tho state Linr
or tho Columbus company,
then by some other parties wise enough