Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-20
A Meeting of the Merchants of Baltimore,

CITY, held yesterday afternoon in the Counting room
of Messrs. Whitley Bros. Co., to take into consid
GRAFTON the means of giving more perfect and perma
nent communication with the Eastern Shore, Wm.
Devres was called to the chair and Harry c. Smith,
ESQ., appointed secretary. The object of the meeting
stated, when 3. Z. Gator, Esq, chairman, pre-
sented the following report from the committee ap
pointed at a previous meeting:
Your committee believe that under the present
management of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and
Baltimore Road your interests will be protected As
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Road
is important link in the railroad connections of
Baltimore, feel anxious to forward their interest;
at the same time it is Important to have aguarantee
of our own, and ask to submit toe following resou-
ton:
baltimore to give the night OF way to the Phladel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad to lay
double track in certain streets which the necessities
of the road and the comfort and convenience of the
travelling public require, but that they require
guarantee from the Philadelphia Wilmington and
Baltimore Railroad to give to travellers from the
daily connection to Baltimore and to travellers from
Baltimore to the Eastern Shore a close connection
daily. We recommend the guarantee from the fact
that feeders to the Delaware Railroad either
tempated or being built from Kent. Talbot Caroline,
Dorchester, Somerset, and Worcester counties. Mary
land, and the Eastern Shore counties of Virginia,
sections of country that now trade with almost
cusively. If after these roads completed, the
difficulty should arise in our communications as
now exist. trade, the Importance of which is well
known to our community, will be drawn from our
city and even against their inclination carried
Your committee, appointed to call on the resident
Directors of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bal
tmore Railroad in relation 10 the connection of that
road with the Delaware Railroad, beg leave to report
that they waited on Enoch Pratt, Esq, the Vice
President of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bal
timore Railroad. He expressed a desire to meet
your wishes. At subsequent interview Mr. Pfatt
volunteered his services to bring about arrange
the matter in his hands. His well known energy in
Huental position in the road, together with his large
interest in our city and ate, is guarantee of an
early and successful issue.
We beg leave to submit "a, letter from the Pres-
dent of the Philadelphia Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad to Mr.. Pratt; a;so, the proceedings of a
meeting of the citizens of Salisbury and letters from
the leading merchants and citizens Of Shore counties
setting forth the disadvantages they have labored
under and the loss OF business to Baltimore by the
existing arrangement.
After the reading of the report, which was unani-
mously adopted. the Secretary read the following
letters:
PRESIDENTS OFFICE. P. W. & B. R. R. Co.,
PHILADRl PHIA, March S, 1866. !
Eaoch Pratt, Esq, baltimore lid.
Dear SRI have your letter of 7th instant, and
have seen articles in several OF the Baltimore papers,
charging this Company with discrimination against
Baltimore in the arrangement OF our time etables and
in Other ways, much regret that gentlemen of the
high standing of those that moved in this matter and
thus hastily condemned this Com pany, should not have
inquired into the facts before assuming that we are
guilty of the charges made. If before holding pub
lie meetings. and writing for the papers, any of
them had addressed TO me letter of inquiry OF
membrance, you know that ne would have received
Il prompt and courteous reply, with statement of
the facts of the case, which simply these: The
trains upon this Road as well as upon the Delaware
X. r. and Il. Shore r. X. arc run to suit the majority
of our customers, as nearly as the requirements
Of the PostCtliee Department, imperative if not
legal, will admit. This principle governs as
1t does other common carriers for we consult
interests most closely when we best meet the
MANS to the o @ Of 0a our @ WbaD b
principle, we made close connection betW north
ward hound trains on the Delaware Railroad and
trains for Baltimore Since that date this con-
nection has been impossible unless we mad chosen
to defy the Postoiice De- artment and to disregard
the wishes of a majority of our customers The
train leaves Salisbury at the earliest hour that would
allow Passengers from Snow Hill, Princess Anne,
and other towns to take it. Strong expressions of
voice raised, to my knowledge, in favor of an
earlier start, which would have secured connection
made, it will doubtless suit the people to leave
Princess Anne early enough to connect with Balti-
more trains, and you may rest assured that shall
always make every connection which the travelling
public will encourage us 10 make.
Are these gentlemen aware that the fare from Sal
isbury to Baltimore is, in proportion to distance less
more than one dollar? and do they call that dis
crmiuation against Baltimore in favor Of Philadel-
pbia? Very truly yours,
Isaac H1YCKLEY, President.
To the Presicat Wee President and Directors Of the
Phitodetphja Wilmington and Baltimore Roiiroad
Gentlemen-The undersigned, citizens of Somerset
county, Maryland, beg leave respectfully to represent
that ever since the opening of the Delaware Railroad
and the Eastern Shore Railroad to Salisbury, ope-
rated by your company they and the citizens of the
county of Worcester in Maryland, and all that part
OF the States of Maryland and Delaware below the
Milford junction. have suffered under very great in
convenience and loss of time in travelling over said
roads to and from Baltimore from the absence of
close connections with the trains, of hem of
your road running to Baltimore Except for few
months last summer, when they could reach Balti-
more the same day the train left Salisbury, all tray
eers from this and hesectiOns above mentioned were
subjected to real grievance in being detained in
Wilmington, either all night for five six hours
Baltimore, and returning home from Ral uure, were
compelled to stay all night at some point the way
at moStlncOnYenlent and unreasonable hour. This
was exceedingly oppressive upon ladies' and ope-
rated to prevent some who were compelled to travel
alone from going to Baltimore by that route.
The greater convenience of getting goods, &c.
from Philadelphia, and the shorter route, will inevi-
taby draw nearly all the trade from all points most
accessible to said roads to Philadelphia but the
business and social connections Of the Chesapeake
portion of the peninsula require very extensive
travel to and from Baltimore, large part Of which
will pass your roads, if travellers can reach Bal
timore at seasonable hour the day of their leav
ing home.
We therefore most respectfully urge upon your
particular attention he considerations herein and
Anne when the Eastern Shore Railroad shall be
opened for travel to the latter town. may be timed
as to reach Wilmington to meet train of the Phia-
detpnia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad to
reach Baltimore At early hour without the deten-
ton, inconvenience ana additional expense to which
you thus consult the convenience of traYel 10 ard
frcm Baltimore, will greatly increase the traye
over the said roads to the manifest interest Of all
concerned