, 1865-12-15
TIE ATLANTIC d GREAT IVES T.
ERN RAILWAY.

| The declared purpose Of the recent tour Of
| Sir Morton Pcto aud his travelling CON-
| panIons In this country was to establish a
| great railway line to the seaboard from the
! principal cities Of the.West aud Northwest.
| 1t will be carried out, The Atlantic & Great
Western Railroad will be built, and bu1lt by
foreign gold The railroad maps begin TO
foreshadow the route. Tie shortest through
line Of unbroken railroad that can be drawn
from The region west of the likes 10 the SEA-
board is through Pennsylvanls' and New Jer-
sey. The projected line Is continuation of
the franklin Branch Of the Atlantic & Great
Western, from Meadville across the State OF
Pennsylvania, very nearly cast and west, ta-
seiting nineteen counties. Of which five, viz: !:
Clarion, Jefferson, ClcaEf1e]d. Centre, and
Union, are almost entirely undevclopcd, while
they abound in the richest mineral resources,
constituting sufficient State and local rea-
sou, it would appear, why the road should
bc built.
But there arc In Pennsylvania evidently two
sides 10 the question. The Philadelphia La-
gt.irer, In manner rejecting credit on Its
fairness and enterprise accompanies map Of
their Stale railroad system With two oppo-
site statements apparently drawn with equal
carc. In the one, the argument Is given for
this great line Of rnilroad on general prinei-
pies. In the other is brought to light the
peculiar Pennsylvania view Of every cntcr-
prise, which counts every penny lost TINT
passes unta1ed across that State. From this
1attcr view Of the case, it appears that strong
hostility Is likely to meet the Atlantic aad
Great Western Railway scheme in the Penn
eylvania Legislature and the Courts, because
tue terminus Of Tie line is to be In New York.
The shrcwd management OF the A. & G. ".
fosesaw this opposition and took nobody Into
Its confidence until 1t had perfected contracts
with the Catawissa and Morris and Essex
lines. The CRY now is that the city Of Phila-
sylvania Central, willie the State has s., $780,
Goo Of the bonds OF the same road with other
stock, making in all m aggregate Of s1s, 49,
ooo Of Pennsylvania tax paycrs' property
thus endangered In tue construction of q
rival road over her territory " By parties har-
Ing no Interest IN tho commonwealth So
far rs my line now In operation Is answering
its own interests Iy opposing rival line,
this is only NATURAL md proper, but II is nm
becoming uny State in the Union except New
jersey.
What tho West seeks Is the shortest and
best through line to the seaboard, and the
more Of them the better. The whole coun-
Try, East and West, will be benefited BY
fair competition which shall insure low rates
Of freight and fare. AZ 10 the local Interests
Of Philadelphia or Baltimore or Boston, us
ngninEt New York, western merchants will
buy goods wherever They can be bought
cheapest, and Of course quick transportation
and low 1reights enter into their account.
The Auantic and Great Western enterprise Is
IN The field, snd will compete for both claims.
It Is pretty well understood among railroad
men, that when completed the road will rot
be lie six foot gauge, which experience has
shown expensive with few compensating nd
vantag:cs. II will bc economy for the man.
| ngeucnt to cLange the track already built,
snther than to carry it throughout their sys-
lem. We give this as well founded rumor.
| II 1t Is changed II will be On economical
1 gTsunds and not, as might appear, that any
thing on the broad gauge plan is out Of place
1 in Pcnnsylvan1a.