The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-11
p,oo,ess in Pennsylvania.

uo;I,vov Propress in Pennsylvania
ovn 90 ,bo most important new railway enter.
prises in Pennsylvania, the extension OF
tbe Pittsburp and Conpellsville Railroad to
Cumberland, is now apparently about to be
completed. The adverse legislation having
been all surmounted, and Baltimore having
succeeded in obtaining the funds necessary TO
construct the road, the entire line Is aoou'
being placed under contract, and II Is supposed
that IL will be in operation before 1870. The
avowed object of this road is to give Baltimore
superior connections with a large and I'M
portant region that has heretofore been
in commercial sense tributary to Philadel-
phia. The enterprising Baltimoreans are in
duleine bright anticisations in reference to
the influence it will exert in increasing the
prosperity of that city. They hope to acquire,
by its aid, not only the trade of Pittsburg, aud
of the region traversed between Pittsburg
and Cumberland, but of the trade OF the
Western States beyond Pittsburg; and they
also expect to gain a very large proper
ton of the commerce based on the petro-
leum of Pennsylvania. Senator Sherman
recently stated in the United States
Railroad controlled the Maryland Legislature
and prevented ths establishment of any con-
necting or intersecting lines, in that State,
adverse to its interests, it profted by the free
railroad laws of other Commonwealths, in
extending its Briarean arms in many direc-
tions, and although he referred specially to
what had been done in Ohio, his remarks
tho
now progressing in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
A feeling of hostility to Philadelphia, which
prevails among portion of the citizens OF
Pittsburg may have a considerable effect in
promoting the ambitious designs of Baltimore.
Another lever upon which she relies for sue
cess is her newly established line of steam
ships to Europe, and the zeal and energy she
has displayed in starting aud supporting this
enterprise might be proftably initiated in this
city. More could be done to counteract the
movements to which We have referred by esta-
blishipg splendid new line of steamships
between this port and the leading ports Of
Europe, than by any other measure within the
scope of our citizens.
Another important new enterprise in con-
temptation is the construction of cheap
freight railway, which, by crossing the AlIeg
heny mountains at the lowest practicable
grade, will, in combination with the Philadel-
phia and Erie railway, and the western por-
tion of the Pennsylvania railway, transport
bulky articles between the East and West at
rates far lower than those sttainable under the
present railway system. Engineers are now
at work making the necessary surveys, and
the time cannot be far distant when this pro-
ject will be crowned with success. II cannot
fail to be of immense utility to PhiladelphiI.
1t will 60 very far to neutralize the advantages
which New York now derives from the cheap
freights of her Erie canal, and will place within
the grasp of our citizens every facility they
could desire for converting Philadelphia into
one of the greatest marts of the world.
Independent of these leading thoroughfares,
1t is probable that a road leading south from
Buffalo to point on the Philadelphis and Erie
Road will soon be constructed, and there are
number of extensions, branches, aud minor
railways now in process of construction in
various portions of the State Among these
improvements are included the extension of
the Lehigh Valley Railroad northward to
the New York State line, various branches of
the North Pennsylvania and the Reading Rail
road, the Reading and Wilmington Railroad, the
Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad, rail
road through Snyder county, called the Middle
Creek road, and several others. The Free
Railroad law, passed at the last session of the
Legislature, affords great facilities for the con-
struotion of numerous local roads, as il
obviatss all difficulties in obtaining charters,
and we may reasonably anticipate that one o
the most important results of that law will be
large increase Of the number of these looa
enterprises.