Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-05-22
VENING STAR,
GEORGETOWN CORRESPONDENCE.
GEORGETOWN, May 81, 1855.

GEORGETOWN, May 81, 1858.
An opportunity will soon be afforded the
State agents Of Maryland, to make important
improvement in Its general policy of the Ches-
apeake and Ohio Canal, by selecting practical
men of experience to manage its concerns.
The State of Maryland holding, by their
interest, the power to control the election OF
President and Directors, should regard the
true interests of the State and public at large
as Of most Importance. The President of the
Canal Company receives 81, 500 per annum
for performing no other service than simply
meeting with the Directors for few hours at
time, twelve times a year. This is an evil
which justice to the public good demands
should be corrected The President should
give his entire time and attention to the gem
eral superintendent of the work, SO as to
make him familiar with its true condition
and, we ask, how can he be so, unless he per-
sonally attends to it. Even under party rule,
men who will exert themselves for the promo
tion of its interests can be had. Let such
men be selected, and We can yet hope that
this great work, which has been so sadly man
aged in some respects heretofore, may yet be-
come what its friends sought to make il years
ago.
The bondhOlders who have not been receiv-
ing their interest for four years past, have
become restless since their attention has been
directed to the prospects of tho work and
justly SO, when they see the great evils to
company may not be so much misdirected as
the means for increasing them overlooked by
the canal being left to work by chance.
The coal trade which was looked to as tho
great source of revenue has been suffered to
linger up to tho present time, although pledges
| and guarantees were freely given for large
and lucrative trade, if Maryland would waive
hnr lian N tho income of tba al and OF
she did so on the conditions named, the pledges
and guarantees wero all violated and cast
aside at the pleasure of the parties making
them.
The Canal was completed to Cumberland
through the confidence in these pledges of the
coal land owners and others associated with
them Tolls were reduced TO suit the views
Of the coal owners, and yet with all this they
have been suffered to tribe with their engage
ments, and DOW complaint is made that Tho
revenue is deficient TO meet even interest on
the money advanced to complete it, which
sums are covered by what is known as the
preferred bonds. The interest on these bonds
would certainly have been paid regularly if
the Coal Companies had complied with their
guarantee to transport down the Canal 1875, 600
tons of coal per annum for five years, and to
their failure is to be attributed the heavy
embarrassmeDtS now hanging ever the Camel.
Much has been said respecting the uncertain
ty of navigation upon the Canal, owing TO
breaks, &C., and that the Coal Companies
could not rely upon il as a certain method of
reaching market, without incurring addition
al expense in transportation. All this was
known before the before mentioned pledges
was given. The history of all Canals shows
that they are more or less liable to such in
terruptions, and are to be looked for, and in
giving the securities above mentioned such
contingency was not oven alluded to, much
less required. The plain truth is this, the
Coal Companies have never made the effort to
comply with their agreement. If they had
the Canal Company would have been in pos
session Of the means to improve the work and
render navigation more permanent and GER
tain every year, and in the fullflment of the
guaran tees of the Companies is now the only
source to look to for the means to enable the
Canal Company to pay its creditors.
In connection with the welI-tined remarks
in the Star of yesterday, urging upon the
Corporations of Georgetown and Washington
the Importance of adopting proper sanitary
measures so as to prevent, if possible, the ap.
pearance among US. during the ensuing sum-
mer, OF anything In the shape Of an epidem-
lc-especially such an one as scourged cur
neighbors of Norfolk and Portsmouth last sea-
son, we would advise the authorities Of both
cities to keep a special eye to the basin Of the
canal, which lies between them. During the
last two seasons this place has been made the
common recepticle of almost everything in the
way of filth and carrion. We have frequently
seen floating upon the surface Of the water
and lying along the shores at this point
score or more of dead dogs, hogs, &c; and
there being no outlet through which they
could pass there they remained until they
were deconiposed by the rays of the sun and
the action Of the atmosphere We have no
doubt but much of the bilious, and ague and
fever, which occurs every fall near the basin,
both in Washington and Georgetown, origin
ates from the above mentioned cause and as
the time is rapidly approaching for the killing
Of dogs to commence. we would warn those
persons living contiguous to the basin to be on
their guard and see that nothing of the kind
is deposited in it. S.