Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-11-17
TIE RAILROAD CONNECTION WITH THE
POINT OF ROCKS.

We hear il very positively stated that the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company have
decided not TO come direct to Washington or
Georgetown in laying down the branch rail-
road from the Point of Rocks, but propose to
make connection with the Washington branch
at either Bladensburg or Laurel. This will be
disagreeable news to the people Of the District
who had been hoping for direct line from the
Point of Rocks here, whereby Washington
would be brought some forty miles nearer the
West and Northwest than ii is at present; and
this distance much further shortened by the
completion of the Connellsyille Railroad. con-
Meeting Cumberland with Pittsburg, and the
entire West and Northwest through Pittsburg
We trust the Company will reconsider their
purpose to divert the termination of the road
from this city, if they have formed such an
one. 1t will be remembered that it was urged
before the Maryland Legislature by our city
delegation (who went down to ask for a char
tnr to build a road from here to the Point of
Rocks direct) that the Baltimore and Ohio Road
was so entirely devoted to Baltimore interests
that it could hardly be expected they would
deal with entire fairness to Washington inter-
ests, If the charter was given to them instead
The Baltimore and Ohio Road succeeded,
however, in getting their charter, the District
delegation obtaining second charter, to be
operative only in case the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company failed to build within
certain time. The solicitude felt here in car
rying out this project of a direct communi-
cation between Washington and the Point of
Rocks, has caused the course Of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company, In re-
gard 70 carrying out the provisions of
their charter, TO be watched with some
anxiety, especially as soon as the direction of
their surveys indicated purpose to avoid
ITagh frert q
be it remembered, the shortest and most prac-
ticable railroad route between here and the
Point of Rocks strikes this city on the north
western side, as glance at any map will show:
consequently every inch of diversion from that
point Of approach TO Washington is so much
10 the disadvantage of this city and George
town. Another glance at the map Will show
the amount of circumbendibus involved by a
oef1eeuon so far to the east as to strike Bla-
densburg, and more especially Laurel, at
which point the indications are that the COM
pany mean to strike the Washington Branch
This style of roundabout railroad philandering
between here and Point of Rocks is certainly
not what the District bargained for in seeking
direct communication with that point, and if
carried out by the company will force the ir-
resistIble conclusion that Its purpose is to make
the road as much a feeder tor Baltimore as pos
sible, ard to divert the business of the road
from Washington to the same extent
The supposition that the purpose of the Bal
tmore and Ohio company in designing to enter
the District line (by the Point of Rocks road)
over the present track OF the Washington and
Baltimore road, is to eyade corporation taxa
ton, merely, is too trivial, we think, to merit
attention. This corporation has not surely
shown itself so exacting of the company as to
make such an evasion necessary for such a
purpose, and supposing they were taxed, the
amount would be too trifing to be a matter of
moment to the company. The real cause of
the diversion Of terminus will doubtless be
found in the devotion of the company TO Balti
more interests, devotion perhaps natural, but
which is most unfair to this District to which
the company owes no inconsiderable degree of
Its prosperity In fact, the interests of the road
are so largely interviewer with the interests of
the District cities that we are very much in
clned to disbelieve the positive allegations
above referred to in regard TO the purposes of
the company, and trust to hear soon authorize.
lively from them to the effect that they purpose
carrying out with entire good faith the UNDER
standing as well as the letter of their Point of
Rocks charter.