Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-05-25
Tha oranra and Alexandria Railroad.

slssippi with the Northern Atlantic States VIA The
Southwest, IL. We regret TO say. not fulfilling is
mission. Those who have control Of II, are pur-
suing penny.wi.e and pound .foolsh policy, and
by charging the most cxorbitant rate Of iare re
lying solely upon the little advantage it affords
in the saving Of time, are likely to drive the
travel from cur route. We do not know rail
road, North or South, except one little almost de-
funct concern. called the Winchester and Potomac
Whose ratea of fair are 50 high. On tho Balti-
more aud Ohio road, one OF the greatest as well
as the most expensive improvements in this coun.
try. the passenger fare per mile is three and a
half cents, whilst on the Orange and Alexandria,
a work whose average cost per mile can certainly
bear no proportion to that Of the former. 1t is i've
cents--nearly fifty per cent. more!
For transporting through passengers from Alex
andria to Washington, eight miles. this Company
charge fifty cents, whilst the steamboats, TINT ply
regularly between these cities charge twelve and
the omnibus fare is six cents additional Eigh.
teen cents for private enterprise against City char
Iged BY this monopoly Upon a recent occasion
we tried both facilities. In other respects the
Company is less liberal than some others that
know Of, who issue round-,rp or excursion tick
cts upon occasions Of public interest. We believe
that this policy, which the great pioneer railroad
the Baltimore and Ohio, has always pursued, is
both judIcious and proper. Such policy, would
benefit tho Orange and Alexandria Railroad, and
would improve tho chief city fixed upon as its
eastern terminus. 1t is the policy TINT, by encou
raging people to visit its CHEF terminus, has built
up tho trade of Baltimore aud yielded ia nnotb-
H. A. 4. Al
that enterprising and prosperous city. Not only
do through travellers complain Of tho cxorbltant
rates charged on the Orange and Alexandria road,
but tho country people visiting this city, who
would, under other circumstances ratronize the
road moro frequently complain loudly We have
no doubt that it is at the other end of the roal.
Tho fare from Lynchburg 10 Baltimore. by the
new route. is ten dollars. whilst tho Southside
road will ,ako passengers from this place connect
ing with splendid steamers at City Point for eigh,
dollars. meals included. Whilst tho TINA rcqur.
cd is something greater. the route is more pleas
ant, md the traveller has ninety miles less OF gail
road travel, which is more wcnrsomo and less in
tcrestng than tho beautiful scenery on tho james
River and the magnificent expansc of Chesapeake
Bay.
We commend this route to the public in prefer
ence to submitting to the cxactions imposed upon
them by the Orange and Alexandria Company
WIN. Chase Barney, of New York, was before
tho covodo Committee, on Wednesday. and tcsli-
fed in rca,on'to the Vanderbilt California mail
contract, to the effect that it was made in viola.
ton Of law, inasmuch rs Barney had made pro-
posals on the 9th of March, 1859, to carry the
mails to California for the postagcs under law of
the 18th Of June. 1885, but the postmaslcr Gene
raj declined tho contract, deciding that the route
five thousand miles by sea, WAS inland service, and
must be governed by the laws regulating the in.
land service. Proposals were then invited and
contract made by the Department with Mr.. John
son, Of New York, and in the following August II
conditional contract for the same service was en-
tered into with Vanderbilt, to take effect in case
I OF the failure OF Johnson. johnson did fail
The contract with Vanderbilt ccst the United
States eighty four thousand moro than Barney's
lowest bid Tor the performance of the same ser
vice The law of 1858 lofbids the Department
making any contract for the transportation OF
mails by except tho hostages. Barney there.
fore, contends that he is doubly lawful contractor
first, by virtue OF the offer to do the service for
the postage; and, second us next lower bidder TO
Johnson.