The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-26

Wheeling & Lake Erie.
In railroad circles the most interesting
topic now being discussed is the a2-
preaching foreclosure sale OF the Wheel
ing Bridge & Terminal Railway Com
pany's properties in satisfaction of the
FIRST mortgage held in trust by the
Washington Trust Company, OF New
York, and on all sides 1t is now con-
ceded that the property viii not so beg
glng. Every railroad official Of every
railroad having interests in Wheeling
knows that the Terminal is the key to
the situation In the Wheeling district,
and that the road which acquires 1t Will
be better situated to take command
Ing position in this district than any
.other.
The rumor is now in circulation that
the Blltlmor, & Ohio and the Pennsyl-
vaa!a have combined their interests in
this Terminal sale, and will have a Joint
representative In attendance at the sale
with instruction to see to 1t at all haz-
ards that the Terminal does not pass
Into the hands OF any company which
would become their competitor in the
Wheeling district II they succeed in
acquiring the Terminal at the sale on
the 22nd of May. 1t win not be the I'M
loading OF dead property, TOR with the
Terminal in their control both the Pan
Handle and Baltimore & Ohio would
have unequalled facilities for reaching
all the manufacturing establishments IN
the Wheeling district on both sides Of
the river. This. aside from shutting
out the possible new trunk line. mem
ton Of which was made in the Intelli-
gencer yesterday morning.
The Indications continusto accumulate
that the Wheeling & Lake Erie will he
one OF the most formidable bidders at
the coming sale, and that this company
is being backed by the Wabash, which
has long desired an eastern extention
and communication with the coke fields
Of western Pennsylvania. A well In
formed railroad official, who has called
several deals of the past. said to the In
telligencer yesterday afternoon that h.
believed the Wabash was back of the
Wheeling & Lake Erie, and that the big
western system would also b. found
among the hackers of the Uniontowu,
waynesburg & West Virginia. The otti-
cIal added that in his opinion the
Wheeling & Lake Erie would soon pass
completely into the hands OF the Wa
bash and be absorbed in that great sys-
TEN. In that event Wheeling's position
on the railroad map would be OF greatly
Increased Importance. and with the co.,
struction OF the UnIontown, waynes-
burg & West Virginia and the Union
town & Chambersburg this Importance
would be Increased almost lmmeasur-
ably. Then, indeed, the days Of side
trackIsm for Wheeling would be at an
end, and the Baltimore & Ohio and
Pennsylvania would be compelled 10
cater to wheellng's interests, something
they distinctly have not done in the
past.
In connection with the Unlontown,
waynesburg & West Virginia project,
the continent in favor OF the I5OO,OoO
subscription to its stock by the county
seems to be well-nigh unanimous, and II
the special election were held to-day.
the issue would be endorsed by far
more than the required three-hfths ma
jority. The matter of placing the issue
before the people will come up at the
meeting OF the board of county commits
sioners at its meeting on Monday, May
Z. and it IS practically already decided
that a special election to be held in June
Will be ordered. There was some talk
OF placing the issue before the people
at the general election in November,
but there are many reasons why thai
would not be advisable, most important
being the fact that the Juttes state
their willingness to start the work %
construction on July II the bond issue
is passed. II the matter were delayed
until November the promoters would,
OF course. not feel inclined to begin
work before next spring, and the Ina
portance of having this road built at
once is SO great that delay Of six or
eight months in starting ought to b.
avoided II possible.
The possibilities for wheeling's ad.
vancemcnt through the construction of
the coke road are becoming more gem
orally realized as each day passes, In
the prospectus OF the promoters, which
was made public at the meeting at the
court house recently, it was stated that
the distance OF Wheeling from the coke
fields would be decreased from 1i3 to o.
miles. 1t now develops that even a
greater cut may be made. The claim IL
made that the coal underlying Greene
county, distant twenty-five to thirty
miles from Wheeling, is identical with
that found at Mastontown. ana thar it
will make coke OF as good n quality. II
this claim is correct, 1t means more
than can be told on paper-It means
that Wheeling. instead OF being placed
on a mere equality with Pittsburgh
manufacturers through the construc-
ton OF the coke road. VIII obtain her
coke supply at freight cost about one
half what Pittsburgh pays, This
would be an inestimable advantage tor
the wheeling district. which would go
., tho front az tho most fayortbIy l1-