Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-10-10
Railroad War In pocahontas Co., ". Va.


Over in Pocahontas county there is a
small railroad war in progress. The facts
as we have been able to learn them are
as follows: The Greenbrier, Monon
gahela and Pittsburg railway, of which
Col. John T. McGraw is president,
started short time ago to permanent.
ly locate their road from Durbin to-
ward junction with the Dry Fork
railway near the Sinks. Col. McGraw,
the president, is the owner of large
tracts OF land in various parts of the
county and nearly all the land about
Durbin and Travellers Repose. Only
few days ago his railway began to
clear rights of way near the present
terminus of the G. & O., or Greenbrier
Railway as it is called, near Durbin,
and also graded some county roads
preparatory to moving the old Staun-
ton and Parkersburg turnpike from
its present location. which location it
is said his railway was to occupy. The
G. u 0. heard Of these movements and
fears were entertained that the move
meant cutting them 1.-THE c. s. o. out
of a way through the "Narrows,n a
mile northeast of their present termi-
nus. So on Saturday night last all the
section men along the line of their
Greenbrier division with others were
placed on special train, and
Sunday while church bells were
ringing and devout people were
attending religious worship, about
one and one-half miles of new
railroad was laid and train pass.
ed over it and cars stationed about on
it to hold down the hastily spiked
rails. 1t is stated that ali telegraph
and telephone wires were cut during
this period SO that no communication
could be had with the outside world.
o1On Monday. the G. & o. were more
and more alet, their counsel Col. Ems
low of Simms, and Enslow of Hunting
ton, were before Circuit Judge Nc
Whorter, and an injunction was sued
out "enjoining and restraining the
defendant from in any way interfering
with, taking possession of, or entering
upon the right of way in possession of
the Greenbrier Railway Co. as set out
in its bill, and also restraining and en-
joining the defendant from in any
manner injuring, removing, tearing up,
altering or interfering with the plain
q tracks now laid on the right of
way through the lands of John T. Nc
Graw, above the forks of Greenbrier
River in Pocahontas county, until a
future order of the Circuit Court of
Pocahontas county,
This road as now laid occupies
strategic point known as the "Nar-
rows" where it is claimed there is not
room for but one railway and the old
turnpike. The G. & o. does not claim
any deed for this right of way through
the lanuS OF Col. McGraW, but they
claim that having been promised
right of way they went to work located
their line, took actual possession of
the property, filed their survey in the
county court clerk's office according
to law and thus had right to this
particular right Of way, and by virtue
thereof had laid their track and asked
to be protected in the rights thus &C.
quired. The track laid was very
hastily done of course, being put down
on the sod and rails spiked down, but
under the injunction they will improve
it. Tide clash between these two cor
porations has caused much interest to
be manifested in the result.