Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-11-12
AIRLINE Railroad t-om Wa.ain.tan "a
NV Norh.
AN IMPORTANT pEsos

"A meeting OF the cit,z-ns Of Washtug'od AZ
teresied ia an airline railroad I'd New YORK
Cty, and a connection with the virginia Crn-
trail railroad, so 70 form a dire sonhectiou
with Cincinnati and the West, AID other rail-
road in tsTests in Washing o., was held II ~
O'Clock to-day in the % un. Caamb-r of tn.
CITY Hall. The meeting was gate largely at
iend,d by our most prominent ci'iZens aad
OF the Court Of CLAIMS; Mayor Bowen, w. Il.
Todd, John D. Drirees, COi. WIN. Wall, Geu.
Ewing, w, T. Walker, r.. Sutton, Mr.. Solo
mons, of PhIlp n Solomons, John Van Ris-
wick, X. B. Mohun, WIN. SIickney, Ben.
French, of French n Richardson, w. %. Hood,
F,rdsric Stanton, Col. O'B-irns, L. I. Fowler,
President of the Common Council, Alderman
Clarke, Vim. Rallantyne, WIN. w. Wise, W.
q. Mstzerott, General Muzzey, w. j. Murtagh,
Owen Thorn, General +. &. Carrington. Alex.
X. shepherd, RI. NJ. Polkinhorn, =. Z. Brown,
Hon Joseph Segar, and others.
ON motion of j. w. Wright, Mr. ]. w.
Thompson was called To the chair, and w. w.
DUNCAN was chosen secretary.
Judge Wright explained the obi ct of the
Getting. rs stated IN the call which had
been made through the public prints. The
principal object Wis TO make a continu-
Gus route from Washington, through Bal
umOre, instead of making this city an adj
JUEct with Baltimore. Until there is
some outlet from Washington, other than the
present one, the people here wSuld BE- taxed
until they could stand u no longer. aud in or
def Ia aN Old the present evil some srTangem'n mt
should De- made for connection with the Fir-
independent OF the Baltimore aud Quo rail-
road. A committee sh pUld De- appointed ID take
injunction on the Baltimore and ONO rail
road, and "stOp their rascally tax Of forty cents
per head" upon passengers from this city Ia
Baltimore, and To take the whole matter into
con sIderation. Soms competition was naces-
sary, and il an independent railroad could ne
gotten up, the say wing IN one year would be- suiii-
,isnt 10 deirsy the whole expenses thereof
Mr.. :. r. Brown folio we'd IN remarks of the
same tenor. lie contended If the project
nNuF.r
expense OF the road would he paid for IN
less than twelve months. Halt the profit
saved On the tonnage of anthracite coal
over this contemplated route would more
than pay for the expense incurred, whea
the heavy amount charged over the Baltimore
Ohio route Is taken IN consideration. One
citizen alone here had signltied 10 HIM Mr.. Il
Willingness 10 subscribe si.OlO, aud he had
no doubt OF the abiuty of the people to raise a
sufficient amount TO pay the VI hole expense OF
the new improvement.
Mr.. A. Il. Shepherd expressed his grstifica-
ton at sseing so large and so influential 4 gath
ering on this occasion. IL was Il crying shame
that city of I2O,0oO people should be hampered
and embarrassed as ours was by the gigantic
monopoly OF the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
There was not a business man in Washington,
not one, who brought merchandise or produce
here. or who had aught TO send away from
here, but suffered from this railroad. Every
thing brought here or sent from here had to 20
wa Baltimore and pay tribute 10 Baltimore
Washington city has no future long AS we
are thus fettered by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, and are dependent upon il for our
communication with the outer world. He
dwell iurcibly upon the discrimination against
Washington by this railroad, and the enormous
tax ~ pu: upon this community in the way OF
freight. Coal was carried all the way from
Pittsburg and from Reading TO Philadelphia,
AT less freight than was charged us over
the forty miles OF railroad between here and
Baltimore. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
charges III 10 per ton for freight from Baltimore
here! And yet Mr.. Garrett claims - be the
friend OF this City
Let Us once get railroad connection with the
West aud with the North, and IN ten years We
can put ourselves on such 4 business footing
that 70 will ne a matter of indifference 70 us
whether the Capitol is removed or not. II was
too much for flesh and blood TO bear, and ne
trusted tnaf u was TOO much for Congress to
bear, that the Capitol Ciy of the nation should
thus b. henimed IA and crippled by this rail.
road monopoly. With proper railroad coCuec-
lions with the North and West there was no
reason why We should not be- a first-C lass com.
mercIal ely. We have rs good n harbor to-day
as Philadelphia Oar distance from the ocean
- little more than from Baltimore. There il
no reason why W. shall not have 4 commerce
OF cur own: and We can have It II oncs relieved
from the blghtIug influences OF tn. BALTIMORE
y Ohio Railroad.
The outIagss which had recently been nsrpe-
ir'.ied III Baltimore were sufficient 20 III Axe tn
people take a stand, and IL dad his heart good
- Sc the earnestness with which they ha / co.
tered on u. II remained for Congress to re-
heye us from this monopoly, and the time
was not lar distant when would De ind.-
pendent. million OF dollars could easily
b. raised for the &C son p3iSh --seu- OF tte WORK
Judge NTIshJ offered the IJllowIn- resJlu-
ton
Rssalr>E, That a COMMITTEES OF fi.,esn persons
h, appointed 10 take such action as Is necessary
70 procure charters for all the railroads thtt
toe interest OF the city may require, and also 70
prevent the collection OF The tax levied by The
Il. * -. X. Road.
General Thomas Ewing advocated ne cod
siructIcn Of such railroads, and was surprised
that city with so many inhabitants was de.
pendent en- one railroad for IT'S hf-.
Mr.. Gideon " alker referred TO the reports OF
eminent engineers for railroads in the West.
showing that road a. Contemplated was per-
f-ctly feasible and practical. In cOinptri~ou
with the travel over the various roads : Juth,
~ the trade now went, the new project. If ear
lied cut, would make the distance between
Washington and the Northwest one hundred
miles nearer than a. present. An arrsns 'rnent,
NJ Understood, had been made with Mr.. Gar
rett and parties il the interest of roads IN Phil
adelphls. 10 make q connection with the Ral'i-
NOR and Ohio road and the Point of Rocks
which. IL consunmat-t, would still cut Wash
II gtOn out. He anticipated that the day was
not tar distant when the tidal depot Of tue great
Northwest and its southern terminus would
BE- AZ Washington. He thought that the time
could b. looked forward 10 with certainty
when AL that was desirable for the intsres, of
sshington would b. acquired IN a few years.
Mr.. Walker knew no reason why vessels
from Europe couid net come 20 Washington,
and he D. lrysd that money could be raised IN
the room 20 accomplish all that was desired.
The importance OF Washington city as a
great railroad centre, and n point a. which tn
immense products Of the South, Southwest
and Northwest can reach tide wa ter the most
conveniently, and through which the travel
viii continually pass from the great cities of
the East 10 the South and West. is shown as
fellows:
New York city is in latitude ~ degrees ne-th.
Philadelphia in latitude 40. Baltimore 3ltZ.
washington - Cincinnati, 8. Louis. Jeff-r-
son CITY, Kansas City, Lecompton, Topeka
and fori Riley all lie upon the same line OF
latitude. Coviugton, on the virginia Central
railroad, and Charleston, the Great IA
nawha, and "A bland, at the mouth If the Biz
Sandy river, on the Ohio, lao miles by boat
above Cincinnati; also, Lexington, Frankfort
aad Louisville. all lie upon the same line of
Latitude, on a range about ~ miles south OF
aShInE tOn. Washington hes almost EXACTLY
southwest Of New York city, and 2l6 miles by
railroad. running from and through three II
the largest cities in the United Sts;ss 10 Tins
city. "A celt embracing two degrees OF latitude
in width includes the following citias PHIL
adelpbis, Baltimore, Washington, Columbus
Cincinnati. Lexington, Frankfort, Louisville,
New Albany. Indianapolis, Springfield, Alton,
~. Louis, Jefferson City, and the cities OF |
Kansas.
The cities of all the other Southern States
have extended their railroads northeasteriy,
ana all passengers travelling by rail will pass |
through Washington, coming to the Potomac |
rINer AT Washington or Alexandria. The roads
coming rom South and = W ara the Richmond |
ana Potomac which receives passengers from
the Petersburg ard Norfolk, the I,ypcbbury