Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-03-07
A Word to Highland County.

l
A most intelligent gentleman oil
Highland writing to us from that coun
~, has taken occasion to express bis
views in regard to the feeling existing
there toward the C. w. Railway which
will most likely build into that county
this summer.
de says that the people of Highland
90 not regard the &. w. Railway favor.
aoiY, and will lot, until 1t begins to
put money III lands i'll that county. On
the other hand, he says. they do regard
the Davis Eikin's road favorably, and
should they seek rights of way, they
would be much more faverabIy receiv
ed than the @. W. Railway. He did not
however, say how much money this
road is putting into lands in that coun-
ty, nor did he give any reason for
the feeling of favor toward one over
the other, further than to say that the
one favored was thought to be finan-
clally stronger than the other
What be says may be true; people
are often deceived, often fall into error
and often run after false gods, but it
Is our belief that if Highland gets a
raliroad In the near future she will owe
it to the c. w. Railway.
| This company we learn, while doing
nOthlng with trumpets. claiming MOTH
ing beyond its desert, and asking moth
ing at the hands of any section it pro-
poses to enter, but fair and liberal
treatment, is now constructing a rail-
road with its head pointing directly to
ward Highland county, and doing so
with the ayOwed policy of crossing the
Alieghanies and it is the only road in
existence which is doing such a thing.
Why Highland people should be hostile
to 1t we cannot therefore see.
Again. 1t is the first and only rail
way company to make a careful and
accurate survey through that county.
and line which is feasible for a good
road, and its line if built, will cross
the county just where the people want
1t TO cross. and develop the county as
they have always known it should be
developed. There are always some to
declare all business enterprises tricks
and schemes, and this sometimes inter
pose obstacles which destroy legiti-
mate undertakings. Wehope nothing
OF this character will occur in this In
stance. Ii Highland needs railway,
sne should nave one. it possible more,
but she should not bar one out in the
hope OF another coming in, simply be-
cause she thinks she sees something
bigger and better in one than the 9TH
er. The story OF the dog which drop
ped the bone 1t had for one it thought
it saw in the water which seemed larg-
er, may have some force in this in |
stance.
If the West va. Central acquires the
western Maryland, as they may do, |
they will never build into Highland.
and they will never build there any
way If they can'find an easier outlet.
The system consists of only about 1855
miles OF road. 1t has been over 20
years in building it up--an average of
about s miles per year-and this is not
encouraging to any people who are
anxlously seeking railroad. tits plain
therefore that it is not a world.power.
The people of POcahOntas county sat
during two decades looking for that
road to reach into that county, a very
simple and easy thing to do, but It
never came. True every six years there
was some stir and along came some
fresh hopes. but every six years there
was also an election for o. 8. Senator.
When this was over, hope faded, to be
revived in six years more, and then fa-
ded again. When the G.. & @. went
boldly into Pocahontas county, "buck
fever" seemed to have struck the West
va. Central, and for the first time in
It's existence we hear it let to contract
as much as 40 miles of road all at one
time and began its construction. Now
II reports be true, it regrets this I'M
precedented and hasty action. The
present incomplete and hasty survey
made by them through Highland ought
to disclose that they do not seriously
contemplate building, or if they do,
that they will never follow that line.
put II they couple up with the Western
Maryland of course Highlands hopes
In That direction will vanish forever,
Ii any railroad is built through High
land, Vanderpool, Mill Gap and Frost
Gap ought to afford the line This is
the only feasible route from east to
west, and the very idea of building
over Allegheny Mountain north of the
ctaunton and Parkersburg pike and ;
over Hardscrabble, is SO preposterous
Ihat even the unframed mind of the
average man scouts such an engineer
Ing suggestion. |,
Unquestionably the G. W. Railway !
Will soon ask the citizens of Highland !
to do what they can toward facilita
ing the building of the road in the
natter of rights OF way. They Will ask
LIBERAL treatment. they will do as they
lave done In Rockingham and Angus :
a where they have made friends of :
Everybody along their line, they will n
lsk the people to do all they can, moth b
ng more. Ii persons have large or un Il
leveloped or unimproved property they J
'ught In our opinion to give the right d
Il way, II it happens to be some poor u
nan with small tract of land be might Il
ot do so. All railroads have asked I
bis and in an undeveloped country it
5 generally given. The G. & o. did If =
p Greenbrier river, the Davis Elkins
eople have done the same thing, and r
has every other road. If the right y
way is granted conditionally, it can tt
urt no one if it is not used, and it u u
eeps no other railroad from obtaining e. r.
be same privilege from the same per
On. If conditional right of wav ia
ranted to road that does not bniId. at
ny road that desires to build NAV 90 "
head and build just as well after as ii ii
efore, 1t does not block or shut any FIR
ne else out. If road that intends to m
u1ld at the time the right is asked re- in
Ewes liberal treatment, 1t may begin be
instruction much sooner than it ne
ould ii lawsuits and condemnation Oh
r0ceedings and thousand and one % "a
thcultes had to be surmounted. III
In the mean time if it has to fight its
ay along there might be Change of M
'nd1tions, money might get tight. du
I'd railroad building stop everywhere OF
it did in the decade just passed. To Tn
lid across the Alleghanies is a work e eS'
great magnitude, only about five an an
.1lways have ever been bold enough as
attemnt if To huild o,ob .