Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-09-05
From the Winchester Republican.
RAILROAD MEETING.


The adjourned meeting OF the Stock
holders of the Winchester and Poto.
mac Railroad Company, held at The
Courthouse on ednesday last, TO do
eide upon the transfer of part Of or,
road to the Baltimore and Ohio Comm
nv, was well attended, and its proceed
ings marked with more than ordinary
interest. On the one hand, a strong
and very general repugnance TO tbe
measure seemed to have taken posses.
sion Of the public mind, which, on tho
other hand, many of the leading Stock
holders, and among them gentlemen
who have always been the first to pro.
lect and the strongest to promote every
scheme of improvement which could
benefit our town and neighborhood
were ready to advocate and vote with,
out hesitation for the proposed sale. Il
seemed to be agreed on all hands that
nothing ought TO be done whici, was at
all likely to cripple or embarrass The
trade of our road, and that no portion
of it ought to be ceded TO another Com
pany unless some sufficient guarontv
could be obtained for the conyeyance
of our passengers and produce over
that section as promptly and as freely
as over the remainder of the road
Those who were willing 10 sell on tho
terms proposed by the Baltimore Con.
pany, considered that such guaranty
existed in the charter Of the Baltimore
and Ohio Company, derived from our
Legislature,) and in the still stricter
provisions OF an act passed at the last
session of the same body-provisions
to which the Baltimore Company must
make themselves fully amenable by
the adoption the Virginia route. O.
theirs were disposed to insist on further
conditions and restrictions, to be dis
tinctly set forth in the contract of sale.
To these the friends Of the measure
had no other objection than that they
were superfuous, and might embarrass
an arrangement which, in their op;n-
ion, must prove highly advantageous 10
both companies, and in no wise iniur.
Gus to the trade or interest of this road
or this section Of country, but, on the
contrary, promotive of both. Some,
not seeing their way clearly, determin.
ed to vote against the transfer out and
out, and upon any terms. A large ma
jority, however, finally decided in ia.
vor of a sale upon the conditions above
adverted TO, the object of which is TO
secure 10 the freight of our road the
same constant and easy access 10 the
Canal and to Harper's Ferry which it
now possesses. If the contract shall
be closed, it is confidently believed by
those who seem capable Of judging,
that tie transfer will not in the least
affect the intercourse between Win
chester and the Ferry, or between a.
ny Of the intermediate points, but that
every thing will go on as usual, with
this single difference, that the passen.
gers will change cars at Hall-town,
and the burthen trains be drawn from
that point by different Locomotive.
There is still to be, as heretofore, one
unEroken and continuous line of rail
track from Winchester TO Baltimore,
and it would seem to be very imma-
teral circumstance whether the Balii.
more Company shall own "a miles of
that track as they now do, or 80 miles
as they will when this transfer is made,
especially as our connexIon with the
river and canal is to be leli unds-
turbed.