Railroad Articles 1874-1880

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Railroad Items

Researched by Sharon M. Kouns

1874*

1875*

_IR Sept. 9, 1875 - Railroad Rumors. - We understand that the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. has purchased, or is about to purchase, the Chesapeake & Ohio R. R. There have been indications of this for some time, and it is quite probable that the transfer has already been made. - How this change of affairs will affect the people of this region is a problem that the vicissitudes of the future can only determine. We hear it has already resulted in a slight transportation of matters down at Portsmouth. Our neighbors there have been fuming and fretting over Chapman’s project to construct a road from Columbus to Portsmouth. They paid him their money, or rather their notes, and then fell back into sweet anticipations of a “home” road sweeping down the Scioto valley, wholly removed from the stifling influences of the B. & O. R. R. But, alas! For instability of human pursuits - it is now declared that Chapman’s project has been turned over to the B. & O. R. R., which is equivalent to saying that Portsmouth has all the railroad she needs at present. This is sad, if true.

_IR Oct. 21, 1875 - Republican Jollifications. - Telegram to Cincinnati Commercial. Ironton, October 16. - To-night the Republicans are celebrating the election of Hayes. Ironton is wild with excitement. A locomotive decorated with Japanese lanterns, drawing ten flat cars, with about seven hundred people, has just left for Etna Furnace, there being no place large enough for their bonfires inside the corporation limits. The report of their cannon is heard at intervals. The Democrats seem sad.

_IR Nov. 11, 1875- RAILROAD SUITS AGAIN
Another of the suits against the Iron Railroad Co., under the law of last March, came up before Esq. Golden and a jury of eight men, yesterday. The jurors were: H. Detmar, J. H. Nixon, Lewis Sheppard, John Raine, Jacob Blessig, Lewis Tucker, W. D. Henry, and Thomas Johns. The case was H. Campbell & Sons vs the I.R.R. The bill of particulars disclosed the following allegations: On the 15th of September, the plaintiff paid a bill of $8,63 for transporting 15,700 lbs of pig iron from Centre Station to Ironton, which amount was $5,18 in excess of what the law allows. A similar case and same parties, alleging the transportation of 37,750 lbs of prig iron and $12,45 overpaid, was submitted at the same time. Dean and Cole for Plaintiffs; Cherrington and Hamilton for defense.
The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff.
These suits are brought under the act passed, March 30, '75. It provides that for the transportation of coal, pig-iron, limestone, &c., the freight shall not be more than five cents per ton per mile for any distance of five miles, or more. The penalty for a violation, is the payment of double the amount of the over charge and $150 in addition. The I.R.R. claims that certain qualifications in the law, exempt them.
In the cases of W. D. Kelly & Sons vs the I. R. R., there was a judgment by default against the defendant. All these cases will go up to higher courts.

1876*

1877*

•IR Aug. 30, 1877 - The new passenger coach being built at the Iron R. R. shops, is expected to be on the road for the Fair. The coach will, when completed [do not have end]

_IR Aug. 30, 1877 - It is confidently believed that Huntington and Portsmouth will be connected by rail in less than six months. The line connecting Portsmouth with Cincinnati will be completed in October. Huntington Commercial.

NO; the road is being built from Cincinnati eastward, and is now constructed to Winchester, in the north-west corner of Adams county. It will, in all probability, be completed to Portsmouth by next Spring or Summer, sometime. The road that will be completed in October is the Scioto Valley road, and then there will be a straight line from Portsmouth to Columbus. Of course, both of these enterprises point to the building of a track from Portsmouth to Huntington. We have it, that Mr. Chapman, the contractor on the Scioto [do not have end]

_IR Sept. 27, 1877 - RAILROAD NEWS
From Portsmouth Tribune - The Cincinnati and Eastern Railway is now moving steadily on toward Portsmouth. The engineers have reached the county line and are rapidly moving to the end of their work. As is (do not have end.)

1878*

1879*

_IR Jan. 16, 1879 - Thomas McKee, roadmaster on the I.R.R., who was injured by stepping from the locomotive on the 31st of December, died on Wednesday of last week.  The deceased was born in County Down, Ireland, Nov. 12, 1822. He came to America in 1850, and went to work on the I.R.R. in 1852, under the contractors for the extension of the road from Lawrence to Centre, and had been in the employ of the I.R.R. ever since.

_IR Jan. 30, 1879 - Lambert & Gordon are engaged on a contract with the Eastern Kentucky R. R. at Riverton, for new hoisting machinery to be used on the river bank there. The apparatus will be similar to those manufactured under the Crane Bros. Patent, and used at Etna and Sarah furnaces. It will have two 8x10 inch cylinders, two 36-inch hoisting drums, and built according to a new and very simple design of Mr. Gordon’s, with an attachment of a reversible valve recently invented by him, which does away with the “link” motion. The job will require two months’ labor, and cost about $400.

_IR Mar. 6, 1879 - [do not have beginning]  said that the subscription is forthcoming in some available shape, and that at the meeting on the 20th, the scheme will assume a very hopeful shape. Recently a trip over the Scioto Valley, we heard many expressions of a faith that the road would be extended to Huntington, the present year.

C. P. & E. Road. This enterprise which is simply the extension of the narrow gauge, but running from Cincinnati to the northeast part of Adams county, is attracting some attention, and is being silent worked up by energetic railroad met. We clip the following notice:

“A new organization of the Cincinnati, Portsmouth and Eastern railroad has been effected. Termini, Cincinnati and a point opposite Huntington, W. Virginia, and to pass through the counties of Hamilton, Brown, Adams, Scioto and Lawrence. The capital stock placed at $500,000 in shares of $50. The following is the list of incorporators: P. F. Swing, M. Jamieson, L. B. Bishop, George W. Hullick, John M. Neel_, William Mansfield, Geo. W. Greg__, S. Woodward, Stephen Feike, Geo. __ Wilber, Sam’l Reed, D. N. Murray, V. Q. Adams, Geo. N. Gray, E. Bixby and R. Mather.

_IR Mar. 13, 1879 - For the accommodation of the citizens of Ironton and Ashland, as well as those from the surrounding country, the Scioto Valley Railway has appointed W. G. Bradford as their representative for the sale of tickets via the popular Scioto Valley Railway. By many of our citizens this new route has never been traveled. Running from Portsmouth to Columbus through one of the most beautiful portions of our State, fully equipped with the best and most approved rolling stock. It is but a pastime-a real comfort to sit in their elegant coaches and witness the ever changing scenery, the rapidly growing cities of Waverly, Chillicothe and Circleville.

Arriving at Columbus, one is struck with the activity and bustle that prevails in the Great Miami Depot. Here you will find trains ready to leave for the Great West, for the North-West, the North, and East. The advantages the Valley road has, is that there are no tedious omnibus transfers to get to other roads. At Columbus, it is not necessary to go but a few feet to be right at your train.

The opening of a ticket office here is, we trust, but a turnaround of a connection with Portsmouth, we have so long wished for. We know our people will show their appreciation of this advance step by the Valley road. Call on Mr. Bradfort when you want to take a trip.

_IR Nov. 20, 1879 - excerpt from W. G. Bradford At home: reader, if we have entertained you, and instructed you, our highest aim has been reached. Allow me to say a word in regard to the Pennsylvania Central and S.V.R.R. and its officers. Any one who wishes to visit the east, I advise them to go via the above mentioned roads, for smoothness of track, general equipments and kindness of their officers. These roads stand No. 1 in the estimation of the people. Hoping that I may again some day in the near future lay aside the cares and vexations of business, will endeavor to meet you again in the columns of the REGISTER. Until then adieu.

1880*

_IR Jan. 1, 1880 - The new locomotive for the I.R.R. will arrive next Friday.

_IR Feb. 5, 1880? - J. H. Bramwell, the superintendent of the N. Y. & Ohio Iron Co. property here, is going to occupy W. C. Frailey’s house, on Lawrence st. Mr. B. is an unmarried man, but is fitting up the house handsomely for home comfort, making about $800 worth of improvements.

_IR Feb. 5, 1880? - We heard a prominent citizen predict, the other day, that inside of five years Lawrence county would have its railroad triangle, which was the gorgeous dream in 1872, when it was proposed to bond the county for $300,000. The scheme then was a railroad down Symmes, and up the Ohio to Huntington, and then the extension of the I. R. R. back to meet the Symmes route. We shall wait now, with patience and hope, to see if this project is evolved from the gleaming future just ahead of us. The fulfillment of the prediction would not be surprising.

•May 27, 1880 - The I. R. R. received by barges, last week, 15 eight-wheel gondola freight cars from Indiana. They were ordered some time ago, when the growing activity in the iron business demanded a greater number of cars than could be turned out of the shops here at that time. Home manufacture is preferable to the Company, for they can produce a better article at less expense.

•IR May 27, 1880 - Concerning the Railroad - The Trustees of the Ironton Railway met last Friday, and organized by electing B. F. Elsberry, President; John K. Richards, Secretary; and E. V. Dean, Attorney. The contract for building the road came first in order, and after a talk on the general provisions, the lawyers for both sides went to work, and during Friday night, drew up a contract, which was signed by the contracting parties Saturday morning, immediately after which, Pres. Chapman left for New York city.

The provision of the contract are about these: That the work is to be commenced in 20 days and the road completed within eight months. Mr. Chapman declares, however, the road will be in running order in three months to cover all possible contingencies. The contract provides that not a dollar of the bonds shall be paid to Mr. Chapman until the road is completed and connection established to Portsmouth; and that all expenses, pay of Trustees and their officers, and every possible expense attending the Trustees’ duties, shall be deducted from the $50,000, so that the city will not be liable or called upon to pay one cent beyond the $50,000. This point and all others affecting the city, the Trustees have tried to guard with all possible caution.

IR May 27, 1880 - Iron Intelligence. - Every day now, the Iron & Steel Co., Belfont, Sarah, Grant and Monitor [furnaces] receive cars of iron ore by the I. R. R. The Iron Railroad brought in a gondola car, the other day, loaded with 40,000 pounds of iron ore for the Carwheel Iron Company.

•IR May 27, 1880 - Work on the railroad is to commence in 20 days, by the terms of the contract.

•IR Sept. 2, 1880 - Condemnation Suit. - Last Monday, the suit brought by the Scioto Valley R. R. to condemn and appropriate the property of Mrs. Hempstead, at Hanging Rock, was called before Judge Thompson, and a jury of twelve men, viz: T. L. Murdock, C. C. Bowen, George Whitlach, Barton McKee, A. T. Dempsey, Geo. Russell, Henry Pancake, Richard Radcliff, F. Castner, George Hackworth, Dennison Massie, James Primm. The jury went to the Hempstead residence and made examination. About 40 witnesses were sworn pro and con, who gave opinions that the property would be damaged and fixed the amounts all the way from $1,000 to $6,000. As we go to press, the lawyers are arguing the case before the jury. A verdict will probably be reached this (Wednesday) evening.