Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-02-10
Memorial of Alexander r Marsh.

SuCu LcLuaLhS as may Dc called t0f.
Memorial of Alexander J. Marshau
To the Mayor aud Council of the city of Baltimore:
virginia, respectfully represents That he has been
agreved by those who administer the government
OF the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company; and
mat the wrong done him duplicates the good faith
OF Inc city OF Baltimore, and may endanger the
charter ofthe said road, on which the prosperity
of the city depends.
Your memorialist hazards nothing in the aver
ment that this road is pre-eminently the work of
baltimore city. Its name imports as much, and
It's whole history proclaims it tie offspring of her
commercial ambition. 1t is, Mr.. Mayor, emphat-
Ically your road. The destinies of your city are
wrapped up in its success. Whatever of honor
or usefulness this road may achieve, rebounds to
the fame and swells the prosperity of Baltimore.
Whatever of wrong or moral obliquity attaches 10
ITS administration, equally soils the fame of your
tair city. Baltimore and her citizens hold con-
trolling voice in the councils of this road and are
responsible before the world to maintain It in a
fair and honest character.
Your memorialist addresses his complaint to you:
honorable body because of these intimate and in
tuentlal relations of your city with the govern
ment ofthe Baltimore end Ohio Railroad Compa-
ny. He dies not doubt that when his case is fair
~ understood, the city of Baltimore will scorn 10
be (virtually) participant in act wrongful to 9TH
ers and debaSing 10 herself Baltimore holds a
power OF redress in her own hal ds, and this an.
peal Is made to her justice and her pride.
Your memora iSt, that his grievance may be
fully appreciated, will take some latitude of expla-
nation.
The history of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
from lS42, the time it reached Cumberland ND to
the acceptance ofthe Virginia law in 1S47, Pc
riod OF five years, cannot have faded from the
memory OF your honorable body. At n cost of So
100000 the road was finished 10 Cumberland in
1912. Here the further progress was checked un-
tilt grants OF Pennsylvania and Virginia, about
10 expire by lapse oil time. could be renewed. Ap-
N tynS do To tha for
newal of grant to pass the road through her ter
ritory to Wheeling. Pennsylvania refused, ex
cept upon terms which would have made the road
tributary to the trade of Philadelphia.
Declared passway through Pennsylvania,
Wheeling was viewed as inaccessible by the COMMA
ny, and abandoned us the terminus of their road
In the winter of 1943-'44, they applied for re
newal of the grant OF their original charter. which
had given them Alright TO choose their terminus at
any point not south Of Parkersburg. And here be-
gan that famous struggle for the "right of way,"
which agitaed the States of maryland and Virgin
Ia for a period of four years. This application met
the resolute opposition Of Wheeling, and was then
defeated by alarge majority.
In the winter OF lS44-5, the contest was again
renewed. The parties had each enlisted recruits
The Baltimore Company; aided by Wine hester
and the rch valley counties adjacent to the Win
chester road, (Which was to be purchased and re-
paired by Baltimore with all the Vir nia improve
ments and all the Virginia tidewater Cities Since
the hrst struggle OF the preceding winter, Jonathan
track for the road altogether Virginia soil, and
touching the Ohio first at Wheeling. Again was
the Company driven back; and at The instance of
Wheeling the law Of l945, rendering right Of.
way to the city Of Wheeling, but prescribing
"KRights route" was passed.
The Company promptly rejected the benefits of
this law. 1t was pronounced impracticSble and
ruinouS.
The next winter uS45-6) the struggle was again
renewed. The Company was again met by her
old adverSary-W heeling. Defeat and disaster
again overwhelmed the hopes o! Baltimore. Wheel
ing ttlumphed and a second time imposed the re-
strc'ions of knights route. The vote against
Baltimore was overwhelming. The Wheeling
policy, "Knight's route" was imposed by maiorio
ty Of forty in the House of Delegates.
AT the session of lS46'47 the Company for the
fourth time, approached the Virginia Legislature
Tor the grant oa practicable route TO the OHIO river
This, Mr.. Mayor, was gloomy period in the histo-
~ OF your road, and epoch # anxious Solcitude
to the city of Baltimore. The commerce of the
West she aimed to grasp was forbidden to her by
powerful combinationsin the Virginia Legislature.
Whilst Baltimore was thus blocked up in the
mountains at Cumberland, two hundred miles from
the OHIO, without power of western progress her
Ilval sister cities, Philadelphia, New York and
Boston, were advancing their iron arms, i'll unob-
st1ucted march, to seize upon the vast commerce.
which by this protracted dsa bility of Baltimore
invited their approaches. The great western rail-
roads from Saint Louis and Cincinnati, deeming
your dlihculteS lnSurmountable, were preparing to
meet those northern cities at Pittsburg and on the
lakes.
Such was the condition of things in the winter
OF 1S46-41, when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
made its fourth struggle to Obtain right of way 10
the Ohio through Virginia. The hearts of YOUR
merchants throbbed with fearful anxiety The
most Sanguine scarcely dared to hope success as
the overwhelming votes against them, on all past
occasions, seemed to indicate settled and adyer-
sary policy of the State.
1t was at this crisis, Mr.. Mayor in the history of
your city and o. your great road, that your memo
rlalIst became their trusted agent, 10 conduct this
important measure through its impending struggle
The interests, the necessities the very view and
wish OF the Company wee intruSted to his charge
on that momentouS occasion.
The same issue (knights route) again INSTRUCTED
the pathway oithe Company. Wheeling, with her
associated interests, elated with past victories was
deaf to every compromise; would she abate a
jot of her naughty pretensons. She bodily claimed
OF the Legislature the continuance of existing laws
which was the perpetuatlon of "Knight's route
Her colors were nailed to the mast and s.Kniphts
route" was stamped upon her banner
Alter contest of unprecedented interest, late in
the session, parties came to direct vote on this
vital issue. On the 9th of February, 1S47 the fact
was disclosed 10 heeng, that she had not srenp,
to impose Knights route again on the Company.
Her adversary at this session had grown upon her,
and on this question her majority of forty was now
a minority votes
1t is needless to recount the various phrases OF
the legislative contests of that winter. The great
triumph of the struggle was the overthrow OF
''Kn'ghes route" which had hung like milestone
on the fortunes of the company. That point es-
| tnblished, all the rest became practicable The
law of 1S47, although not the law preferred by the
| company, secured TO them all the rights and pow
ers they ardently desired. Under its provisions
compromises were made with Wheeling-and the
| law was commended to the stockholders by COM
mttees and by the president in terms of unquali-
fed approval. 1t was accepted in 1s47, and be-
came the broad passport under which you have ex.
| pended more than SI,o00,00O. The CHAINS thai
| bound you to the mountain side at Cumberland
were stricken off under this most valued grant and
the unconstructed vista of magnificent future W a.
opened upon your city.
You now enjoy, Mr.. Mayor, the fruits of tina
winters struggle. On the acceptance of that law,
new energy was impaired to your road and new