Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-01-03
TCOMMUN

urday last. The subject is not ne" to me;
had read the original bill, and had expressed al
on;n;on IS to the want Of certain guards,n eces-
sarv to protect the interests OF this com munl'y'
and had frankly stated, with these amendments
could see no reasonable objections to granting
the authority required
The bill, as now published, appears 10 pro-
vide tbe necessary guards for the public inter-
est: there may still be some further AMEND
ments, but these, we suppose may De salely
lcf vi our Delegates, who will, doubtless, be
pleased to receive any suggestions OF this de-
scription. 20
It may be asked how is this projected Road
to benefit us? In the first place, as stated at
the meeting before mentioned, the prospect OF
establishing such a road will enable the LesSees
IN nrovide the necessary funds Tor the construc-
ton Of the Railroad bridge over the piers, and
this bridge necessarily involves the building OF
= new and substantial trunk for the cana, and
this ipsurcs permanent, and as NC all hope
and believe large coal trade, to give employ
nent for q large body Of laborers and others,
which. with the boats and vessels Indispensable
to this trade. will increase the business Of the
merchants, shop. keepers and mechanics no~
amongst us, and induce others Of the same
classes to pitch their tents in Our midst
Then again, as it is now "a fixed fact that
we have one Railroad across the fot0Dhc,
which, if the theory be correct, that a through
connection between our Railroads with Wash
| inpton and the North, will make Alexandria
ga way station, that consumrnation Is already
settled, beyond all peradvcnturc, and another
and more Eacile mode ot conneXlOn can DO
us no further damage.
It is, however, vain to attempt 10 dam up
trade and travel at this point, whilst so many
efforts are being made to facilitate inter com
nunicatiop with the seat OF the General Gov
eminent. and the great centres OF business at
tha NORTH. from all points OF The compass, and
we must cndcavor to avail ourselves OF The III
cilrntaI advantages arising from such c0nncZ
ions.
Another Railroad across the Potomac, over L
substantial bridge acith0M Il dr01C, will make a
cumuctition between the two, which Will insure
our people against any attempt on the part OF
the present Railroad, to impose rCSricilohS, or
more than living profit 10 both. in the trans
mission Of freight and paSSengcrs-"id the
Orange and Alexandria and The Manassas Cap
| Railroads to combine with other roads for
through freight and travel, and by this means
enable these roads to keep down the rates i0r
local trade and travel, which without this branch
OF business they could not do, and in the end It
is to bc hoped, will enable these roads to make
some returns, in dividends, 90 the stock held by
the Corporation in these Companies, amount
ing to half million OF dollars.
Again, as the high prices Of rents and living,
generally, in Washington, Il now subject oi
grave Importance to the residents OF that city,
who have employment under government,
either as clerks or mechanics, and most OF whom
can now barely max enboth ends meet, it will
offer Inducements to them and others to settle
amongst US, when they see that the communl-
cation between the two cities, is certain, pcrma-
nent and cheap, at oil honS as will assuredly
be the case, with two railroads between the two
points. The present Railroad now runs train
every hour-with t%o such roads II may be
every halt hour. f..
During the past summer the writer TT
this had occasion TO return home from u visit
to Montgomery county, Md, and met at the
Laurel station, on the Washington branch,
what is called the "Bob-taiI train ii local
train from Annapolis station for way passengers
only \ friend on this tram, a clerk IN one Of
the Departments in Washington, informed lie
that when the Bob-taI tram was first start
cd it consisted Of one passenger car: at the
time referred to, there were four such cars. all
reasonably well filed was further informed
by my friend that he paid fifteen dollars for
three months ticket to travel both in and out Of
Washington to L1urcl.
Let US analyzc this--this charge is equivalent
to five dollars per m0nth-t0r month OF 80
DAYS it is exactly one Virginia shilling l65 cts.
per day, or 81 cts. out Of Washington, and the
same to return.
Laurel is not quite half way from Washing,
ton, or about IS milcs-call it l65 mllcs--you
have through ticket there and back Tor one
cent, or half cent each way per mile.
Tue consequence is, as may be seen by any
Gus cottages are clustering arouLd Laurel and
ANNAPOLIS stations, and the same state Of
things may occur with Alexandria, if the com
petition between our taco roads, shall reduce
the fares between the two cities. This facility
of communication, may also induce through
travellers from Texas, New Orleans, Memphis,
&c., to take day aud nights rest in Alex.
apdria, to break long and fatguing Journey.
It NAV be said the Road to Washington via
the Aoueduct will be IoDger--this cannot be
deniedGbut how much longer? Will it be p
miles or miles? Or the average OF tie two,
"a miles? What are miles on Il railroad? In
England, or on the Hudson River fliIroad,
one mile is one minute, az they run % miles
per hour.
No one expects such rate Of travel here;
put the rate at 20 miles per hour, which Is
very moderate speed and that Is ooe lnlie in 3
minutes--33 miles will then occupy lO4 minutes
more via the Aqueduct, than over the present
bridge.
But will not the certainty Of transit over
bridge without draw, be equivalent more
than equivalent, to the uncertainty as to de-
tention at the draw, over bridge whole mile
in length at slow speed, TO say nothing OF
the dangerlrom negligence at the draw, through
which, as was the case some ten years ago. at
draw bridge, on Connecticut Railroad,