Year: 1874

the people along the line to renewed
effort, and instead OF discoursgements
from along the line come the words oil
hope aud promise.


II need be let the Board accept the
alternative aid which has all along been
offered them, conditioned upon their
agreeing not to cross the river at
Wheeling. For ourselves we should
prefer for the present, that this should
be made the terminus. But We do not
propose to advise them to 9 policy
hedged in by mere local influences.
What We want and mean to have Is In
creased facilities for shipment aud
transportation, which Of themselves
will bring us an influx OF capital and
population, and increase OF manufacto.
ries and business. These glorious
sources of wealth and prosperity are
springing up all AROUND us in our own
midst and in the midst OF our thri-
wing neighbors, Bellaire, Bridgeport,
Mingo and Steubenville. And this re-
minds us, that il Wheeling will not al
low US to 90 to her, she has been largely
coming to US in the last ten years. In
that time Wheeling capital has contrib
uted largely to building and operating 8
furnace and two rolling mills at Steu-
benville; furnace at Mlugo; furnace,
rolling and rail mill, steel works, glass
works and large foundry here; q rolling
mill between here and Bridgeport; two
glass houses at Kirkwood a rolling and
nail mill and three or fsur glass houses
at Bellaire, while in the same time the
city of Wheeling has been boasting
that her rate OF taxation has been lower
than here and at the other places
named on this side oil the river, aud all
of which, il true, shows that msnufac-
tories and capital seek facilities for
shipment more than they seek to avoid
taxes.


In the last eighteen months our own
population and manufacturing rescour-
ces have increased at least fifty per
cent. our neighbors below us have
been thriving, and to-day they and we
have q population about equal to
two.thirds of that Of Wheeling, while
the rate OF increase has been and is
Overwhelmingly in favor OF this side
OF the river. Much Of this is largely
due to the hope OF getting the Wheeling
and Lake Erie Railroad, and is but
the beginning Of a prosperity which
will plant in this valley in the
next ten years. q population OF $4,000
manufacturers, miners, artizsns, me-
chanics and producers Of solid wealth
Scarcely house can be rented here
now for any purpose; scores OF appli-
cants have been turned away or are
waiting the action Of builders. Mer-
chants are seeking store rooms; many
classes OF manufacturers are seeking
rooms or sites on which to build, and
the opening now is OF the busiest sea-
son by far ever known to our citizens.
Petitions are now circulating to change
the name OF The Wheeling &
Lake Erie to the Ohio City
a. Lake Erie Railroad Company
whether this is now advisable we are
not now prepared to say, and leave it
with the Directors OF the company, but
we do hope that steps will be taken at
once to change the name OF the future
metropolis OF the Ohio Valley to Ohio
City. Our reasons for this have fre-
quently been given, aud are, we think,
unanswerabIe. We feel that for
our city aud for our new
road the prospects are en-
coursging, and we hope that not q mo-
ment will be lost TO seize the tide al its
food and lead US on to fortune. No
more halting! No more temporizing
with our over-the-river ntighbors.
Give them DO more opportunities to
slap our railroad enterprise in the face
and snub US, but bidding them farewell
IN peace, and more in regret than an
ger, let us 20 on our way turning neith-
er to the right hand nor to the left till
we arrive at the acme OF success.