Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1869-03-05
Southern Maryland Railroad.

utility it, of course, is a failure.
Southern Maryland Railroad.
The agent for the subscription of stock to
this road, Col. L. W. B. HuTcHrNs, has, at
the request of number of prominent citizens,
prepared careful statement setting forth the
Importance of the road to the people of the
District The following is the letter address,
ed to HENRY D. COOKE, Esq, which will be
read with interest:
NATIONAL HOTEL, Feb. %, 1869.
HENRY D. Cooke, Esq:
Dear Sir AS requested, herewith SUBJ
NIT some of the reasons why the citizens of
the District should, Individually and through
their corporations. aid in building the South
ern Maryland Railroad from Washington to
Point Lookout The charter for this road
was granted last winter by the Legislature of
Maryland, and is most liberal one. In the
first place, it is left to the subscribers to the
stock of this road, wherever they may be, to
| control it, so that if the citizens of the Dis
trict subscribe the most stock, they elect their
own directors and manage it for their interest;
control its location from any point in Prince
Georges County to Point Lookout; from
Washington; from Laurel, on the Baltimore
and Ohio road; from Brandywipe, on the
Baltimore and Potomac road from either of
these places that the subscribers to the stock
may think best; and, if built entirely by
Maryland capital, to one of these latter places
it will certainly 60.
At the time this charter was granted bill
passed the Legislature to survey this road and
report upon its merits to the next Legislature,
so as to advance the work as much as posi-
bic. was appointed one of the commission
ers to make this survey, and upon my earnest
advocacy of Washington as the natural ter
minus of this road, we determined to survey
to the District line; and upon my petition
and the recommendation of the Mayor, (see-
ing at once the advantage this road would be,)
the City Councils unanimously made an ap-
preparation Of one thousand dollars to con-
tinue this survey into the city The estimates
of this survey will be sent to the Mayor and
City Councils in few days, and will furnish
the evidence that this road can be built cheap
er than any road in the country, of the same
length. from the fsr.-cs theEs ss tg n4 bridges,
no rocks to move, nearly Newell, and an abun-
dance of lumber for ties on the line, furnished
fat a.mere nominal price 10 stock, and the right
of way, or nearly the whole line given it and
that the road can be built from Bennipg's
Bridge to Point Lookout, seventy five. miles,
for about one million of dollars. This road,
running from Washington through the three
counties OF Prince Georges, Charles, and St.
Mary's, (contaiuing about 40, 900 inhabitants,)
fho holt ~ lane lor, n iuiI tbo
waters of the Potomac and Patuxent rivers,
on each side of which are as fine farming,
gardening, and fruit growing lands as any in
the country, destined, as Washington and
Baltimors increase, to be filled with a thrifty
population, administering to the wants and
wealth of the city; the timber on the levels
furnishing profitable employment to the road
for years to come, with continually increas-
ed produce trade stimulated by this road, that,
like the road through Delaware, would pay
on its stock a handsome per cent, passing on
by the mouth of the Patuxent, the grand har-.
bor of the country, where an immense num-
Der of vessels continually congregate from the
immense oyster beds of the Chesapeake and
its tributaries, waiting sometimes for a week
for the northwest winds to cease, to make the
port of Baltimore. They would also pour its
treasures over this road, and be distributed
North, East and West, and from whence coal
can be shipped cheaper, coming over the
Point of Rocks road, or the Loudoun and
Hampshire, from the coal fields, than it can
from Locust Point, Baltimore, in consequence
of the heavy grades that it has to pass in go
ing to Baltimore. Thence on to Point Look
out, destined to be as watering place to
Washington and Baltimore what Cape May
is to New York and Philadelphia-its beach
as fine, its water as salt, and no dangerous
undertow to mar its pleasant surf to the bath
ers; thence by steamers to Norfolk and the
Eastern Shore, drawing large part of the
seaboard travel by few hours trip on salt
water and quick passage north via Wash
ngton, saving three hours and half over
any other bay line, and must draw a large
amount by this meaus of the immense freight
in oysters, fish, and garden products of Nor
folk and it's vicinity this way. These are the
advantages to the road. l leave to the pro-
perty holders and business men of this city to
calculate the advantages to themselves this
would be.
There is one feature in our charter that
makes it unpopular with 'air line schemers
and spectators" to which wish to call your
dttOutiobs IL 10 thio, Ilat q Vi uoi-
lars must be subscribed before the road can
be commenced" This is the security of those
that subscribe, that they, and not spectators,
will get the full advantage of their money.
Now, to raise this million of dollars it is ne
cessary that the citizens of the District, if
they want this road to come here, to furnish
by individual and city subscription at least
$500,000, and leave it to your committee
to say what proportion the city should be
asked to subscribe. l think at least $780,
900. Our people, who are subscribing liber-
ally, by the aid of State and county appro-
priations, will be able to raise the other $780,
900. 1t is for your citizens to take such steps
as will secure the benefits that must accrue to
growing city from this enterprise. My first
and last idea is that you and other enterpris-
ing citizens ought to subscribe at once to the
stock, and thus recommend it by your exam
pie to others, and see what can be raised in
this way, and then apply to the city for the
rest, thus making the laggards benefit them
selves and you.
|XTRA EARLY GOODRICH POTA-