The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-01-06


tional room and they were trying to
make an arrangement whereby it may
be procured. II is expected that they
will give UP section of the county
court room to another office by build.
ing partition across one section thus
makins their present quarters into two
rooms.
The movement to convert the old
tair grounds at New MHrtinsville into
park and pleasure rtsort is proceed.
ing rapidly, and a meeting will be held
Tor the purpose of organizing com.
pany to finance the undertaking. 1t is
the intention IN transform that part
OF the fair grounds next to the river
into bathing beach, with aui: able and
sate deVice5 for enjoyment, and to
build, on the grounds proper, a race
course, automobile speedway, skating
rink. and other amusement places.
thereby affordipe the people a fine
place for recreation.
The White Orplngton hen of A.
Smith, the Wellsbu.E jeweler, which
on December nth, laid her owner a
double shelled egg, the outside shell
being much larger than the smaller
shell which eneloses a regular egg,
produced another of the same sort on
Christmas day. Mr.. Smith has both
eggs on display in his store window.
The high waters In Middle Island
creek last week produced a rafting
stage and several OF them were floated
down the creek to the Ohio river. The
timber belonged to the Parkersburg
Mill company and they were logs that
had been lying for months in the
creek, the owners waiting a favorable
time to move them. Milt Deyore,
George Nichols and others were on
one raft. They landed their timber in
the Ohio all right and no serious acct
dents were reporter, Rafting in Mid.
die Island creek is almost a lost art,
says the Tyler County News. Many
are the tales told of old timber days;
and many are the fights, duckings,
drownings and excitements that are
related. And those were the days of
dams, the days when lafting was dan.
gerots.
The worlds largest locomotive
which was built for the Virginian rail-
way by the Baldwins was In Princeton
one day this week. 1t is what is known
as the "triplex" type, with forty.four
per cent. greater power than the roads
big engines in pre- sent use. The length
Of the engine over the ccuplefs is 101
feet, the weight OF the engine and ten
der complete being $4,000 pounds or
422 tons. 1t weighs 100000 pounds
more than tina 600.type. The tender
has water capacity of $1,000 gallons
and carries twelve tons of coal. The
tractive power of the "triplex" engine
is 166,300 pounds.
Five hundred and one companies,
municipalities and persons under the
supervision Of the public service COM
mission are engaged in serving the
people OF West Virginia according to
the report OF the public service conf
mission for the b'enbial period end.
ing June 80 which has just been
made BY the board. According to this
report there are 55 railroads under the
supervision Of the commission Of
which 10 are steam railroads and Is
are electric. Thefe are 20 private car
line companies operating within the
state one being a sleeping and drawing
room car line and 10 freight car lines.
-Four express companies are doing
business within the state. There are
Ss Gas companies and gas line com.
panies OF which three are operated BY
and 90 by private indi.
vidtalb. There are 90 bridge and ferry
companies, 1s9 telephone and two tele.
graph companies, making 4 total OF
sol. The total assessed value Of the
steam railways for the year 1916 is
$751;, 300,S0o. The value OF the cleo
tric railways IS st4,s56, 900; the pri.
vate car lines are valued at s623,9eo;
the four express Companies az $515..
800; the oil and gas companies and
the oil and gas pipe line companies OF
which there are SO. are valued at S101.-
63o.492; the electric light and water
and power companies, 81 In number,
are assessed at y10,2ts, 1856; the 10
bridge and ferry companies are valued
at Still, 200, and the telegs59h and
telephone lines are valued AZ s6,071.-
S23.k7.