Arguments for Extending the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad to Huntersville

While the sources describe various railroads and transportation systems in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, they primarily focus on the Iron Mountain and Greenbrier Railroad and do not offer specific arguments made in favor of extending the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad to Huntersville.

However, Source does mention that the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad, spearheaded by Johnson Newlon Camden and his associates, aimed to transport iron ore from Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Alleghany, and Craig Counties to mills near Pittsburgh. The source states that Camden initially proposed connecting with the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railway at Covington, Virginia, to achieve this goal.

Although the sources don't explicitly detail arguments for extending the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad to Huntersville, they do suggest that controlling access to and transportation of iron ore was a significant factor in railroad development decisions at the time. Source
 hints that M.E. Ingalls, President of the C&O, opposed Camden's plan for a Covington connection and instead proposed an extension to Huntersville, where it would link with a C&O branch line.  This suggests a strategic maneuver by Ingalls to potentially gain control over iron ore transportation from the region.
The sources further imply that connecting to existing rail lines at strategic locations, like Huntersville, was crucial for facilitating the movement of resources to markets:
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Access to Existing Infrastructure: Connecting to the C&O at Huntersville would have provided the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad access to an established transportation network, enabling them to move iron ore efficiently to other destinations.
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Control Over Resources: By controlling the rail connection at Huntersville, the C&O could potentially dictate the terms of iron ore transportation from the region, impacting the profitability of Camden's venture.

It's important to note that the sources only provide a glimpse into the complex interplay of economic interests and strategic decision-making surrounding railroad development in the late 19th century. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the specific arguments made in favor of extending the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad to Huntersville would require consulting additional sources, such as:

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Historical records of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad Company.
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Correspondence and documents from Johnson Newlon Camden and his associates.
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Newspaper articles and editorials from the period debating the proposed railroad extension.
Analyzing these types of sources would provide a more detailed and nuanced perspective on the motivations and arguments surrounding this particular railroad project.