Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-16
Special to the Register.

Special to the Register.
Charleston. w. Va, July 15.-One
fine spring day in the latter part Of the
seventies between fifteen and twenty
years .ago-the citizens of Charleston
turned out en- masse TO witness or take
part in the ceremonies with which the
new railroad up the Elk river was TO be
begun The town, at that time but a
small and unpretetious place, fully re
allied OF how much Importance to its
future would be this road, and the day
ON which the ground was first broken
was made q gala day. Merchants closed
their stores. The schools were dismissed
and after q good deal Of Oratory and
parade u pick and shovel were passed
around among the more prominent OF
the citizens of the town and each or
them assisted in breaking dirt for the
new railroad the rising generation
standing by so that i'm the future they
might tell of the time when their
fathers stuck the first picks into the
ground and thus began the cOnsUuc-
zion of the Elk River Railroad.
But the work thus started was soon
stopped a few miles Of the right Of
way was graded, funds were more diff
cult % secure than IL was at first sup
posed and The railroad was abandoned.
All that remained OF the glorious work
oil that red letter day when Charles
ton citizens welded pick and shOvei,
was q partly graded road, few miles
long. which soon grew up with shrub
berry and even that was then hid from
view until the same citizens OF Charles
ton, q few years since, took the mat
ter in charge themselves. put their
hands 20 their pockets instead OF their
picks and began work on the Charles
J0l Clcndcriu * Sutton Railroad. To-
day the road is open for regular trains
as far as Queen Shoals, and the rest
OF the road is under contract.
Stopped for want of further fund, the
road for year or TWO ended abruptly
at Clcujeuin. miles above its Charles
ten terminus. AT this time Governor
McCorble. Col r.. $. Carr and others
iuterss ed themselves in the completion
of the road secured the necessary CAPT
/ tai i'm PiIsbUg. got help from the
counties through which the road will
pass and were given the right of way
almost the entire distance TO Sutton,
EraX,ou county. which Will be she
northern terminus of the read, where
ir win connect with the West Virginia
and Pittsburg system. giving a direct
route through Central West Virginia
between the capital and the entire
northern portion OF the state.
OF IL
/ since early i'm the spring and the work
is being pushed as rapidly Us possible.
There are more than i've hundred men
a- work now upon the road, and only
last week q special train loaded with
italian l0b0rers was sent up, Increasing
the number of men employed by nearly
@ hundred The grading is complete
as far mp the river as the mouth of the
Big SycamOre-sOm twelve miles be-
low Clay Court House, and is nearly
completed from that point up to the
court house. The track is laid to POr-
tcr's Greek and is progressing night
and day. Track-layIug never ceases.
day and night crews keeping it up con-
stautly and by the first of October it isl
expected that trains viii be running
into Clay Court House. and in less thaS
year from the time, into Sutton.
For the people of the state this will
DE one of the most important railroads
adWdmg what the people in the CEN
Ual and northern portions OF the state
nave never had-a direct route to the
capital Ii will be a continuation Of
the north and south line through the
center of the state which Will not stop
so Charleston. but pass on to the rich
coal fields i'm the southern counties
and eventually connect with the Nor
folk K Western thus uniting the three
great east and west lines of the state
Locally. the road will be OF incalcu-
/ liable benefit to the country through
which il passes, and whatever else may
result from Governor McC0rkle's adj
minisraricn ne viii ever be held in
grateful remembrance by the people of
the state for the part he played in the
extension of this road. Coal is even now
being shipped in large quantities from
along this road and one of the largest
I timber deals c0nsummated in this sec
I tion for years was closed the other day,
an Of the timber lying along, and 70 be
hauled over the c.. c. d s.
Not only for the reason that they
themselves began and partly construct
/ ID this road. DO Charlestonians take
pride In it. but because it is an evidence
OF the faith which others have i'm the
I future of our city, and their willing
ness TO help develop it, Most of the
money for the completion of the road
was raised 1y those-or upon the repre-
sout1ti0n of th0se-who had already
made investments here. Had the first
not proven profitable or had they any
doubts about the future Of Charleston
and This section of the state, they would
never have increased their investments
here.