Year: 1872

nected with the railroad project. He
believed that the road would pay and
that this city could better afford to
give million of dollars for it than that
it should fail. He stated that there
were a number OF gentleman present
from various points along the line IN
Ohio, and they would tell the audience
what was the feeling in their respective
localities in reference tothe road. He
then called upon and introduced


JUDGE STEWART, OF NoRwALK.


He said that the enterprise was not
a new one; it had been considered in
Norwalk and at other points in that
neighborhood four years ago. At that
time they had held a convention at
which delegates were present from varl-
Gus points aloug the line and had made
survey of a considerable portion OF
the road. The project then was to
build a railroad from Toledo to Wheel
ing and it was 80 stated in the hand
bills printed in 1868. But they met
with no response from the parties most
interested in the project and to reap
most of its benefits. The people OF
Wheeling were asleep. No delegates
from Wheeling attended their meeting
and no solicitude in regard TO the mat
ter was manifested here. But as soon
as they learned a few months
ago that Wheeling was awaking to
the Importance of the subject and
was thinking Of rendering it her aid,
the project was at once revived. Citizens
Of Norwalk and other towns along the
road went to Columbus last winter and
urged the passage of law authorizing
corporate and municipal aid to building
railroads and it was mainly at the
instance Of the friends Of the Wheeling
and Lake Erie road that the law was
passed under which subscriptions are
being made to railroads in Ohio. A
petition was circulated in Norwalk call
ing upon the proper authorities to
submit to the people of the townships
the question OF subscribing $4,000
and in few minutes it was signed by
more than 200 persons, and Of the whole
number to whom it was presented only
five refused to sign. Sandusky proposes
to vote 100000. New London, on
the 18th of June, will vote $4,000.
Hartland township, in Huron county,
will give S25,00O. Milan has al
ready given by private subscrip-
ton 5000, one citizen giving $4,000,
and a township subscription OF $4,000
more will be voted. If you build this
road, you build not local road only,
but road that shall prove great
artery oil trade between the great lum-
Der treasures of the northwest and the
mineral wealth OF Wheeling and the
country which the Wheeling and Lake
Erie railroad shall open up. At the
meeting spoke Of, held four years ago.
men from Saginaw came down and pro-
posed that we should call our road the
Wheeling, Toledo and Saginaw railroad
Though we let our project 60 by, the
Saginaw men did not. They are work
sng on their line now, and so soon as
we build this road the finest treasures
of Michigan will be poured into your
lap. Toledo is overcrowded with the
productions OF the West. She has not
railroad facilities to carry them away.
This source alone will give your road
all it can do and make it profitable
road from the start. When these
products, the wheat and the corn Of the
Maumee Valley and the Saginaw lum-
Der, are brought here, the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad is ready to carry it to the
seaboard.


We stand just as we did before. We
are ready to vote, but there is no use in
voting if you do not vote. There is
something in this matter of voting
Twenty years ago we were called upon
to vote sum to the Lake Shore rail-
road. 1t runs through the five northern
townships OF our county. 1t pays $2O,-
600 On our county tax duplicate; its
shops are located in Norwalk, and by
them there is paid out $1,000 each day
or S3j0000 year, a perfect rain OF
benefits for the $4,000 we had the
courage and the pluck to vote to that
Lake Shore railroad. A like future
awaits Wheeling. Your bridge will 60
on the tax duplicate for million, and
it will grow in value year after year.
The railroad shops will be located here.
and it cannot be but short time until
all the money YOU subscribe is returned
to YOU and your future be bright, glori-
Gus and prosperous.


JUDGE ORR, OF WAYNE COUNTY,


was next introduced. He said that it
had been said that he and other gentle.
men from Ohio had come here for the
purpose Of exerting some pressure
upon the people of Wheeling in favor
of the proposed railroad. Viewing it
as a question of averdupois, he thought
that he might be able to contribute
something to that pressure" but he
feared that he could add to the weight
of the argument in no other way. lie
believed that since Henry Clay projected
the National Road no greater improve
ment than is offered by the Wheeling
and Lake Erie road had claimed the
attention of this city. The people OF
his section of Ohio have been for sew
eral years laboring for the building OF a
railroad to Wheeling and at one time
a portion of the line was graded for
that purpose. The reason was that
they wanted to reach the coal bed of
this portion of the Ohio valley. A
number of years ago be had been along
the Ohio river, but for 25 years had not
beea below Steubenville. Judge Of his
surprise then at beholding the manufac'
turing establishments that had sprung
up. Those already built are but the
harbingers OF those that will follow
when better railroad facilities are pro.
vided.


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