Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-01-17
Some B, & o, History,

continuous line from tide water to the
Ohio river we're laid AZ years ago and
the work was completed on Christmas
Eve, 1852. 1t is quite we'll known that
the projectors of the Baltimore and
Ohio conceived the broad idea that to
bring Baltimore, on the Atlantic
coast, into close relations with the
great and the then being rapidly set
tied Ohio Valley, would augment the
gold in the strong boxes of the Monu-
mental City. After many obstacles
had been thrown in the way and in
turn surmounted, the line was com
pleted and a tralnload of proud Bal
timoreans journeyed to Wheeling w.
Va, and watched tne turbid Ohio flow
by on to the sea.
The completion of the laying of the
iron rails, steel reing too expensive at
that time, is marked by a natural
monument, 1S miles from Wheeling
and near Roseby's station. This mon
ument is a large stone on the hill side
and is rocated in Marshall county, w.
Va. 1t is 60 feet long, 36 feet wide and
30 feet high. Commercially minded
men have estimated that it is worth
5000 for building purposes, but it could
not be purchased because of its histor-
ical association with the completion of
the main line Of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad .sr,.
Cut deeply into the side of the rock
that faces the railroad track is the
following inscription:
Roseby's Rock
H.- Trac.. Connected
Christmas Eve.
1862. .... ..
Hobbs G Faris.
The men who immortalized them
selves in B. and y. history were the
stone cutters who cut the inscription,
put the rock gets its name from Rose
by Karr an English engineer who was
IN charge of the track laying from
Wheeling eastward. Those were the
days when liquor flowed more than
freely on state occasions and there
was no oversight or neglect of custom
when the rails were connected. Whis-
key was purchased by the barrel and
when the last spike was driven, all
hands proceeded to get gloriuosly
drunk and celebrate the event in
manner acceptable to tradition. There
was no time to waste on faucets or bar
tenders. A sledge hammer was better
than auger or bung-starter and the
neads of the barrels were promptly
knocked in. One of the enthusiastic
trackmen fell into a neighboring run
and was drowned. The stream is now
known as Grave Creek.
Karr, the engineer, had several in
teresting experiences with his men.
One of them, Abner Charnock, object
ed strenuously to working on Sunday,
and one Saturday night in order to
carry his point, chained the locomotive
W hhO ioiio. anu Sudlu
hot words and rough and tumble
fight followed. The Christian downed
the Sabbath breaker, and while hold
ing him remarked calmly that Man
was not made for the day, but the day
for man"
Years later Karr was struck on the
head with hatchet by one of his men
on the Parkersburg branch and was
Kllled. 1t was reported that the blow
was accidental. Charnock died in 1856
near Cameron, W. Va. -
Recently Roseby's Rock has been
cleaned and repainted and is quite pat
riotic in appearance, the artists using
the National colors in profusion.
Dr. Bulls Cough Syrup is still in the
lead. The people seem to like this old relia.
)le cough medicine, and we don't blame them:
it Is the best remedy for q det p-seated cough
or cold and Will pffapt a IN ipn 1au