Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-12-11
The Potomac and Point Lookout Rail-

ardtown Beacon, (Which we copied in our
last weeks issue and added some remarks
of our owp , the Prince Georgian says:
.sReferring to the above, our poor
recollection may be poorer than that of
the Beacon. but We cannot remember
when or how the Potomac Railroad Com
pany obliged itself, for valuable consid-
Grafton which it has received, to continue
tits road onward from Marlboro through
Charles County, .-.
"The only obligation which we can re-
mem Der, or find by reference to the vari
GUS laws affecting this road, was its ac-
ceptance of the charter wherein its route
is defined as starting in or near Baltimore.
and thence within one mile of the town Of
Port Tobacco, in Charles County, to a
point on the Potomac River
''Theonly valuable consideration which
it has received was its charter, and this
consideration if the road is built, will
be certainly as valuable to the people of
Charles county as to the company itself.
''Has not the Point Lookout Road re-
ceived the same valuable consideration,
and equally obliged itself to extend its
line through Charles county Cf it is ever
able to do SOY whether it receives bonus
from Charles or not?' If the Potomac
Railroad Company has done either by
building its road under its charter. the
Point Lookout Road necessarily does the
same aohen 1t builds its road.
80 far as obligations and valuable
considerations 60, both roads are exactly
alike. The only motive, we conceive,
which should influence the Commissioners
of Charles County in appropriating the
fund to which their county is entitled, is
the best use to be made of it in the inter-
est of the county. 1t is pow nearly GER
tain that the Baltimore and Potomac Road
will be built, running through the heart
of the county. Every mile of it from the
Annapolis Road to Marlboro, and to
Washington, is being rapidly graded
The short line north of the Annapolis
Road to Baltimore is now ready for the
contractor, and will be completed stimuli
taneously with the line south of this town.
ga locating corps of Engineers starts
here next week to locate the road south
to the Potomac River. and as soon as To-
Gated the grading will commence. Whilst
this is the prospect for the early compile
ton of the road, every assistance renders
assurance doubly sure,' and if the Com
missioners of Charles County can ensure
or aid the road through their county by
their fund, should they not do it?
How is it with the Point Lookout Road?
Not dollar has yet been subscribed to it,
even the survey is not yet completed, but
the distance is known to be as long as that
of the Potomac Road, and the construc-
ton will cost as many millions as it will
be necessary to spend to complete the
Potomac Road Can these millions be
raised? If they cannot, Charles County
will never be benefited by having given
her S175. 600 to the Point Lookout Road
If given to the Potomac Road, a0e believe
that the Company WOULD agree to start the
grading at the Charles County line at the
opening Of Spring, and thus ensure the
completion Of the Road IN the time requir-
ed By the charter. which aoe believe IS the
gear 1870.
.'This last is very important conside-
ration, looking to the violent attacks made
upon the Potomac Road in the past by a
powerful rival and antagonistic interest,
the Baltimore and Ohio. and which is al
ways ready to fight. IF the Road is not
completed. to the Potomac River in the
time required by the charter, the Legisla-
ture will have to be asked for an extern
sion Of. charter. This might open up an
other fight, equal to that two years ago,
4 when the very life of the Potomac Road
was. threatened, and only saved after the
most strenuous efforts of the Senators from
Prince Georges, Anne Arundel and
Charles Counties. the Senator from St.
Mary's constantly leading the attacks in
1 the interest of the Baltimore and Ohio.
i .'And this recollection leads US to the
] suggestion to the Commissioners of Charles
County, that the article in the Beacon is
/ written more in the interest of st. Mary s
than Charles County. The Beacon knows
that without the aid of Charles, through
4 her $175, 900. St. Mary's can never have
this road. Therefore the Beacon's solicit
tude for Charles and the action Of her
Commissioners. This is the valuable
consideration with the Beacon"
In reference to the above we can sim
i ply reiterate the views announced in our
last issue. According to the showing Of
bothltbe Beacoaea9d the Prince Georgian,
the time has scarcely arrived when our
1 County Commissioners could safely take
action upon the matter Neither road
has. as yet. progressed sufficiently in the
. direction Of our county to demonstrate to
US its existence t'as a fixed fact" Upon
the certainty whereof, We would be justi-
Ifediu appropriating our share Of the fund
The sum due us is, indeed, small, and
constitutes buta small portion of the a.
mount necessary to ensure the building
tof either of the roads. For this reason,
1--WE cannot consider it important that we
should hasten, thus early, to make final
disposition of our share. When either or
fboth the roads be located and under way
the time will then have arrived for US to
take action. Until. then We should not
act. We certainly are friends Of both