Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-06-14
metropolitan llailroao.
LETTER FROM +. 9. CHOPPER.

the subloined letter from Director in
the Metropolitan to the President OF
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany. He says he believes that if the
facts stated in this letter were generally
known they are in themselves sufficient
to remove the existing preiudices against
the construction of the Metropolitan rail-
road from the minds of the discerning
and rejecting citizens Of Baltimore;
and, with view to that purpose, he has
obtained the consent of the author to its
publication. lie also says that, in his
judgement, it will be greatly to the in
terest Of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road Company to take all the stock they
can procure in the Metropolitan railroad
and thus make it joint concern, and
virtually part and parcel Of their own
road; that Baltimore, from its location,
must always remain the great emporium
Of commerce for this section of the Union
and that her prosperity will be increased
by that Of her neighbors There will
be trade enough for all; and it is now
too late in the day for any ono city To
attempt to monopolize the whole, or fol
any one railroad company to compel the
public to travel eighty miles over THEN
road to their place Of destination when
they can reach it in forty by another
WOODLANDS, March "a, 1856
CuAuscEY Books, Esq.
DEAR SrR From the conversation
had With you and those Directors ~ Che
Baliim - and Ohio llailroad Company
met with when last in Baltimore. i
appeared evident 20 me tfat there exist
ed in the minds not only of the members
of your Board, but others in your com
munity, prejudice against the Metro
politan railroad, arising from an apprc-
hension that that road was destined 60
divert a considerable portion of the trade
and travel from your road, and thereby
diminish it's value to your company, and
to some extent the commerecof Baltimore
city. That you should be Jealous Of
your rights and wiling to defend them
is both natural and proper. But if il
can be shown that all this prejudice is
owing to misconception, from want oi
information and proper reflection on the
subject, as rational men, and the guar.
dams of the company you represent, as
well as that of Baltimore city, j trust
and hope that when you are satisfied
that both of those interests will be pro.
NOTED by the construction of our road,
instead Of being adverse, you viii be-
come friendly disposed towards US.
i will therefore now, in compliance
with your request, sir, endeavor to state
such facts for the consideration of your
Board as will, / hope, induce them to
give to the subject their serious atten-
ton
You, gentlemen, are not responsible
for the location of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad by the route it occupies
from the Relay House to the Monocacy
yiaduct, which | believe is universally
admitted by all conversant with it to be
the ,cosa located road in the Union; nor
is il necessary here to state the influences
Of that day that induced the adoption Of
that route for your road, made up as it is
of a succession of short curves and high
grades, destructive to your rolling ma
chincry and railways, and exceedingly
expensive withal, and which must con-
tinue for all future time, and from which
there is no escape but by change of
location.
Now, from my own experience in life,
(Which has been a pretty long one, J
whenever, in the course Of my business
or travels, through mistake j found my
self on The rrong t4ecl have Invariably
bachcd at, or, profting by my expert
once, cndeagored to get myself right IN
the best way that presented itself. Such
a course will at Oh times prove adran-
tagcous to corporations as vel as to iudi-
viduals. And, in connection with This
idea, it is only necessary, presume, for
you to refer to your books to ascertain
the continual extra expense accruing
for additional locomotive power at PARIS
Ridge; and, if you can, then calculate
the wear and tear Of both railway and
rolling machinery by continual friction
for at least fifty miles Of daily travel Of
all your trains. Why, gontlemen, /
would not be the least surprised if those
two items alone do not amount to con-
siderably more than all The revenue you
derive from that portion Of your road ri
If this be 50, and / have no doubt Of the
fact, it should, in my humble opinion,
be a cause Of congratalation to every one
interested in the prosperity Of your great
work Chat you can at so small an expense
retrieve the errors Of your predecessors,
escape from those miserable rayincs
through which your vast trains have con-
tinually to grind their way, and to place
them on a track, almost exempt from
such difficulties, rs is now presented 10
your acceptance by the adoption Of The
metropolitan for about twenty miles
and the construction OF less than twenty
additional miles Of new road, 10 connect
With that that road "a Ga;thersbnrg and the
Washington branch at the Laurel Fac-
tory, over beautiful and levol ridge,
until within a short distance Of the latior
which can be made nj a very moderate
expense; and, when done, your road
from Baltimore to the Point Of Rocks,
instead Of being located, as at present,
Dyer the worst, will DO foremost amoug
Lhe best located roads in the Union; and
I win add, from my own knowledge Of