Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-07-14
The New Railroad Route.

under the above caption, you accompany
it with some editorial remarks per contra.
1t is not usual, believe, for Editors to
publish communications at variance with
their own views, at the same time cdito-
rally combating those views without
giving their correspondents further space
to defend themselves. And since you pro-
pound to me direct question, infer
you will allow me further space. Hence
speak again.
You ask "whethcr know of any way
whatever in which an additional line of
Transportation for our coal could be of
advantage to the New York capitalists,
without corresponding or even greater
benefits enuring to our own resident citi-
zcns, to every man, woman and child in
the county, myself not excepted Ii
the past may be considered as furnishing
hint for the future, certainly there is
such way" Whatever profit has been
realized by our coal companies has been
Withdrawn from among us-not been in
vested here; and whatever incidental profit
has accrued to certain of our citizens con-
nected with such companies has also been
invested abroad. In fact this thing of
investing accumulations abroad, which
has been the fayorite plan of the majority
of our prosperous citizens, has been the
bane Of our city and county. Foreign
capitalists operate among us with single
eye to their own interests, not the inter-
ests of our county; and whatever inciden-
tai advantages accrue to the county are
absorbed by certain few who have never
yet exhibited that comprehensive public
spiritedncss and enterprise so necessary
to ensure general prosperity. Until there
fore we have among us resident citizens
of different stamp from our present pop
ulation generally We cannot expect to
see ''cvery man, woman and child in the
county" benefited by the new railroad.
This is said with no unkind feelings to-
wards any one-my heart overfows with
love to all only regret that residence
here of many years has forced these con-
illusions upon my mind. Therefore |
fall back on our present best friend, the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. This road
has made Cumberland and Allegany
county what they are. Without the rail-
road the immense mineral wealth of the
county would yet lie comparatively unde-
veloped; without the railroad Cumbcr-
land would yet be but an insignificant
mountain village. and four-horse coaches
and Conestoga wagons our only means of
locomotion The Canal has both enrich
cd and impoverished few of our citizens
and been fruitful source Of political
strife, but has not and never could have
given that marked impetus to things gen.
orally that the railroad has given. 1t is
readily granted that since this war we
have had painful evidence of the unfor-
tunate location of the railroad, alternating
as it does from the Northern to the South
ern side of the Potomac, and if the war
is to continue another three years it might
''pay" to build another road at once. but
must the North with its millions yield to
the thousands in the South? Must we
Weld possession of the ''sacrcd soili'
DO the interests of the Government re-
ouirc another road? If these questions
are to be answered in the affirmative, then
1T US have new railroad, and the sooner
tho better; but if in the negative, then
LET MS , trengthen our hands, and concen-
tratc our Energies, build the Connellsville
road to this l..oint, join hand & heart with
our present rail-, lad, (Which you will con-
csde with double track could meet all
demands upon it, AID fear God and
honor the King" and ali will lie we'll.
Some of the consequences or accompa-
niments Of new road whether ndvanta-
gcous or disadvantageous judge your
would be wild rage for grasping spec
ulation. Land owners along the routs
would suddenly be Impressed with the
great vaEuu' Of their lands WITHOUT refer
ence to prospective gains superiaduced
by the road. greedy contractors for Sec
tons Of the work would be clamorous,
swarms of sturdy Irishmen or contra
bands would overruu the route, specula-
tion,in coal stocks on change IN the cities
would run rampant. competitors for
choice Of routes would wax wrsshy, and
some little corruption and lobbying in
Legislative halls would be heard Of As to-
the people of Allegany county they would
be -..newhere" in the programme. But,
imagine the new route completed and
in full operation. What then? Our
INGREDIENTS might save few cents per