The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-30
The Boston Marginal Freight Railroad

The Boston Traveller of the 23d Instant
says:
This railroad, if NO unforeseen accident oc-
ours, will be formally opened for regular traffic
tomorrow. This enterprise received the sane
ton Of the Legislature during the session 5 OF
1867, when charter was granted to Thomas
Russell, Edward Crane and Harvey Scudder.
At that time strenuous opposition was made to
it. not only by the respective railroad corpora
tions, but by owners Of wharf property oil
along it's contemplated line, and more recently
by Mr.. Josiah Quincy and his associates, who
are contemplating the building OF a new street
to pass at the rear of and through the priuci-
pal wharves. The Marginal Freight Railway
Company is essentially what is known In
Southern and Western cities as transfer
company" Its primary objects are to bring
all our western and interior traffic directly to
tide water, to load ships from the cars, to re-
live the different railroads so that their cars
can be unloaded and returned with dlspatch,
to do away IN good measure with the heavily
loaded teams that block up our principal
thoroughfares. and by the low price of its tolls
bring to Boston not only large export, brt o
large import trade. Its economical advantages
are manifest. They are-6rst, saving In the
cost of handling; second, q saving LII mer-
chandise handled; and third, the drectness
and dispatch with which all merchandise can
he delivered to merchants located on all the
principal business streets. 1t hiss long been
question why our leading trunk roads do
40 little business in proportion to the means
they have for doing it. The Marginal Freight
Railroad, as the basis Of new system, now
proposes to answer this question in practical
manner.
The wharf property of Boston has e1perienc-
ed immense disadvantage within the past ten
years because OF the great cost and uncertain
ty of delivery of goods destined for the IN
terrier, to the different railroads; and the rail-
roads have suffered none the less. The
Marginal Freight Railroad is prepared In every
particular to overcome these difficulties.
Constitution wharf, by means Of the track OF
the Marginal Freight Railroad, virtually be-
comes the terminus Of all the Northern and
Western railroads. This not only means tide
water, but deep water. Ii the question whether
Boston shall have ocean steamers is ever satis-
factorily settled, it must be settled at this
point. It is not material whether railroads
loan their money to such an enterprise, but it
is Of the greatest importance to know whether
Boston can be made a depot for the storage
and delivery Of the great products OF the West.
Establish this fact, and there Will be no lack OF
steamers and sailing ships coming to this
port, the opinion of Mr. Cunard to the con-
trary notwithstanding.
The Marginal Freight Railroad, therefore,
opens up new era in the commercial history
OF Boston, and it is gratifying to know that In
each successive development 1t is claiming the
attention and commanding the support Of our
active business men. The magnitude Of the
enterprise Is not yet fully apparent; the great
advantages which Will accrue from its COM
pletion are, however, In measure anticipated
By those who have seen its workings from the
beginning.