Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-04-05

tons interest to continue to hold
the Highland trade, trade which
the Spectator admits is valuable
and which she has uninterruptedly
enjoyed since the county's organ
ization, and to show us up in a bad
light so that the extension of the
G. & w. will leave us in the cold, is
an excellent card to play.
Is Highland county opposed to
the building of a railroad through
her territory? We lswer emphaI-
ically, and without fear of contra
diction, No. More than twenty
years ago tie citizens of the conn
ty by or almost unanimous vote
voted a debt an the county OF $50,
000 as an inducement for railroad
we never got. TIE next oppor-
tunity we had of showing how We
stand on The railroad question
came some ten years later when
! Col. Ripetoe, an Augusta county
,, man, laid before us a proposition.
claiming to have northern money
behind him, which was to utilize
tue Staunton and Parkersburg
turnpike in the construction OF a
mountain railway. Our Board of
Supervisors which has control of
all the road that is kept up as a
pike, for the reason that its MEM
bers were public spirited and
thought that even road of this
character would be Of advantage to
the county, and for the futher rea-
son that they considered they were
yoicing the sentiment of their con-
stituents by so DONG, gave Mr..
Ripetoe's company free right of
way over the road although it was
our only outlet.
The next chance we had OF show
ing our hand was when the present
Chesapeake and Western sprung
into existence A representative
of that company, Col. d. G. Machen
wac was the leading spirit in the
enterp ise in tbs section, came be
fore our people. For his benefit a
public meeting, which was well at
tended and full of enthusiasm, was
called. At that time the company
had two routes under consideration
if we remember correctly, one
crossing the Allegheny north of u.s.
barely touching the county on its
northern border, and the other
with few slight changes, being
the old Narrow Gauge route. which
as near us is possible for railroad
to do divides the county III two
equal parts and strikes the county
seat. Col. Machen was not in d
position to make an intelligent
proposition, for he did net know
which one of the two routes the
company would adopt, but even
the proposition he made was will
ingly agreed to, that if the com.
pany found the Narrow Gauge
route to be the more practicable
would the citizens of the count,
guarantee him free right of way
through it. He did not ask the
county for a subscription, nor fol
anything in addition to a free way
through the county, and this TAT
ter was assured him.
We rememb Der that in the meet
ing only one person opposed TIT
building of the road, and this gen
tleman's opposition was not mad'
because he objected to the county
having road but for the reason
that be did not consider it the prop
err thing tor a railroad company tt
ask for any favors. He made
statement to this effect, and i'm
mediateiy upon the heels Of it an
other party rendered the compan,
free right of way through TIL
best of his farm.
This is Highlands railroad his
tory, and we leave it to our reader
to Judge whether or not it shows
disposition antagonistic to tn
building of railroads through tn
county. In each instance VIVA
has been asked for has been grant
ed, and yet Highland is without
road.
We are satisfied Highland woul
meyer again vote a subscription t