Railroad Articles 1881-1887

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Railroad Items

Researched by Sharon M. Kouns

1881*
_IR AUG. 04, 1881 - Robert Irwin, son of Wash Irwin, one of the pioneer citizens of Ironton, was killed by the cars in Minnesota, last Saturday night. His sisters were Hattie and Maggie, who are now married and live in Texas. The heirs of the Irwin estate were stockholders in the I.R.R. and their stock recently transferred to E. F. Gillen, the administrator. Robert's share amount to about $600.

•IR Dec. 15, 1881 - A neat office, carpeted and furniture has been reserved for the Directors of the T. D. & B. at the Iron Railroad office building.

1882*

_IR June 8, 1882 - Mr. Jas. Martin, for several years the efficient Superintendent of the Iron Railroad, is now no longer connected with that institution. Mr. Martin is a competent and faithful railroad man, and an excellent citizen, and his many friends will regret his severance from that railroad. Since the consolidation with T. C. & St. L., official relations are liable to change by reason of the central offices absorbing the management and control of the various departments of the road. We understand there will be no successor to Mr. Martin.

1883*

1884*

1885*

•IR Oct. 8, 1885 - Officials of the C. H. & D. were at Boston, a few days ago, interviewing the Narrow Gauge proprietors there. The indications are strong that the C. H. & D. will own the N. G. before long.

_IR Nov. 12, 1885 - A nice new passenger coach was put on the Narrow Gauge, last Saturday. Thanks for your kindness. It was badly needed.

_IR Nov. 12, 1885 - Need to type

_IR Nov. 12, 1885 - INVENTION - In the Railway Age, for October, is an article relating to an invention of a continuous rail-crossing by A. C. Rumble, a brother of our friend Bruce Rumble, of Hanging Rock. He was here last Spring and is a pleasant enterprising man. The invention consists of a simple arrangement to complete the connection of the rails at a crossing or "frog" on the approach of a train. This device prevents the jolt and the wear and tear of the usual crossing, and enables a train to keep up its full speed. We hear Mr. Rumble has disposed of his right to a company in Lima, Ohio, whose capital stock is $100,000. They propose to manufacture and to dispose of rights. Mr. Rumble gets as his share $17,000 cash and $30,000 stock in the company.

1886*

_IR May 6, 1886 - That Railroad Again. - Last week, Mr. Pechin, the gentleman in charge of the location of the Ohio Valley R. R. was in town, and called at the REGISTER office. He had just come in from a trip from Gallipolis to the western edge of this county. Some of the Engineering party were with him on the trip. Their first journey was to take a general view of the country; and they followed the Warner route which was explained in the REGISTER last week. Mr. Pechin thinks the route a good one, but thinks it can be improved upon and better answer the designs of the corporation which proposes to build the road. He says the road they intend to build cannot regard any local considerations, but the most direct route must be chosen, as the road is to be a great through line. To get such a route, Mr. Pechin thinks they must go a little north of the Warner survey, perhaps three or four miles north, and strike the D. & I. At Olive furnace. This would carry the line along the northern sections of Symmes and through the southern part of Washington. Mr. Pechin says the grades on this route will not exceed 50 ft. to the mile. Only a general examination indicated this northern route, where they trusted to the barometer, but perhaps when the Engineers get down to close work they may change their opinion. The Engineers are going right to work to complete the survey. Talking with Mr. Pechin, one gets pretty strongly convinced that the road is going through and that, very soon.

_IR June 10, 1886 - KILLED BY CARS
Last Tuesday night, about 6:15, a short distance below Ice Creek bridge, the west bound train on the Scioto Valley struck Wm. Hicks and so injured him that he died in about four hours. Hicks was walking up the track, and towards the coming train, and had stepped to the side of the track, but not far enough to escape the train. He was knocked down the embankment and through a wire fence. The train stopped and took the man aboard and brought him to Ironton.
Hicks was about 45 years old. Lived at Coryville, above Rockwood, where he has a family. He worked at the coal tip in Huntington. He was at Ironton as a witness in Court, and missing the 5 o'clock train, he and a man by the name of Weaver started to walk to Ashland to catch the 6 o'clock train there. At the time of the accident, Weaver was some distance ahead, and when he saw the train coming, which for a bend Hicks couldn't see, he stepped aside and motioned to Hicks, but the latter didn't seem to understand. Hicks was drunk, but for which fact the accident, probably, would not have happened.

_IR Sept. 30, 1886 - Railroads. - It is said that the purchase of the C. & E. railroad by Al_bert Netter promises the completion of the road through this county to Gallipolis surer and sooner than if the O. & N. W. company had bought it, because Netter is in with Senator Camden’s party who owns the road from Parkersburg to Pt. Pleasant and the bridge at the latter place; and that the purchase was to make this connecting link.

_IR Nov. 4, 1886 - (Need beginning of this article)
charge of the N. & W. R. R. enterprise was in town Monday, on his way to Olive Furnace, where he expected to meet Mr. Letcher, the Engineer, and locate the big tunnel. So the N. & W. project is still alive. The sale of the C. & E. to Albert Netter was not confirmed because he did pay the $60,000 necessary to secure the confirmation of the sale. We understand that the N. & W. company are in a fair way now to get hold of the C. & E. and that makes the road from Gallipolis to Portsmouth a certainty.

1887*

•IR Feb. 10, 1887 - The Iron Railroad has two caboose cars now.

•IR Feb. 10, 1887 - The back water was three inches on the Iron Railway track, at bridge No. 2, (Wise’s) last Saturday.

•IR Feb. 10, 1887 - Close Shave. - Last Friday, a pack peddler took a seat at an open culvert, this side of Bartell’s Station, for a little rest. His “pack”, containing notions and nostrums, he set in the middle of the track in front of him. He faced northward. Just back of him was a short curve in the railroad, where a train coming north suddenly appeared. At sight of the peddler, the engineer blew vigorously, the former didn’t seem to appreciate his danger till the locomotive was right on him. The he rolled off the track, just in time to save himself, but the locomotive knocked the pack with its pills and liniments to the four winds.

•IR Apr. 14, 1887 - The line of the new railroad across the river looms up in grand style from the upper end of town.

•IR May 19, 1887 - Distinguished Visitors.

Last Friday, President Stayner, Vice Pres. Waite, and the two millionaire stockholders, Ives and Myers, of the C. H. & D., came to Ironton in a special box car, stayed 13 ½ minutes and returned. Some gentlemen endeavored to engage them in conversation in respect to routes into town but they didn’t seem inclined to talk to any great extent. They got out of the car at the depot, shook the cinders from their hair, looked up to see if it was going to rain, walked over to the First National Bank and then back again; and the next moment they were skipping out of town.

To an enterprising reporter, whose business it is to investigate the interior of things, and draw wisdom from the desiccated commonplaces of life, such movements are not without their lesson. Imagine four great men, whose minutes are worth dollars and whose steps are weighted with events, coming to town in a box car, stepping off the train, vaguely observing each other and the echoless blue above, and then going aboard again and disappearing. There is something in it, and something big, too.

For many months, The D. & I. Have had surveyors in this county running lines up every hollow and every creek, and over every hill, for the purpose of flanking the Iron Railroad and getting into this town on an independent road. At present, they use the Iron Railroad, and are having a taste of the big freight business that Ironton can bestow. They have tried to buy the Iron Railroad, but failed, because they regard the price as too high. The flank movements have not had the effect of bringing down the price of the Iron Railroad, and their recent movements indicate that they are about to accept the situation and take in that road. Such a conclusion is at all points in accord with their recent visit here. There was no talk of any other line; no questions as to the advantages of any other route. Of course, the surveyors are still at work and the draughts-[do not have end]

_IR May 19, 1887 - Lawrence County - ITS POSITION IN THE STATISTICS.

Lawrence county is way off in the south point of the state, where it has not had the advantages that through lines of railroad always bestow. It has been only a few years since it had any railroad running outside the county, so its development has not kept pace with its resources. An yet, its standing with reference to minerals is very gratifying.

According to the 12th annual report f the State Inspector of Mines, it stands first on the list as an ore producing county. In 1886, it mined 94,900 tons of ore, which is nearly as much as any two counties in the state produced. All this ore, except about 7000 tons, which were sent to Jackson county furnaces, was smelted by the Lawrence county furnaces.

In the mining of limestone, Lawrence county is, also, first in the state. We mined 167,669 tons in 1886.

We are fifth on the list in the mining of fire clay, and will advance higher this year. Lawrence county is full of fire clay, and there is more room for this industry in this county than in any county of the state. Our manufactures in this line are confined to fire brick; what may be expected in the future is the production of chimneys, smoke pipes, roofing tiles, &c.

In the matter of mining coal, Lawrence county is 16th on the list, though in this industry, we are rapidly rising, running from 145,616 tons in 1885 to 166,932 in 1886. The coal mined here is nearly all used in our mills. The coal field is scarcely touched. The railroad that runs through the county penetrates the very center of the limestone ore belt, while our best coals lie to the east of the ore belt. When a railroad touches this rich field, which time will not be long delayed, Lawrence county will advance to the same place she holds in respect to iron ore production, the first on the list. A favorable item connected with our coal statistics is that the miners of this county worked more weeks of last year than did those of any other county in the state.

_IR June 23, 1887 - M. L. Marshal of Wellston, W. E. Massie of Ironton, and J. H. Beck of Dayton, are mail agents on the Dayton & Ironton through trains. Each agent has one week off in three.

_IR June 23, 1887 - [copy ? And Personal column my paper cut off]