Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-12-21
Railroad Matters.

supported me.
Railroad Matfers.
To the e,1itor of The Aleraatlrn Gazette
Y presents his compliments to Neritas, anC
would respectfully inquire, when and where
lust such views as X advocates have beer
persistenty insisted upon, have been carried GU
Is there a single instance where such view!
have affected any OF the railroads leading I,
this city?
Our oiCn roa}S, the Orange aud the lat,
Manassas, have had the pleSt verge and scope
Tor the exercise of pow"r and privilege ov,l
our streets. Union street has been a source o.
large expenditure to the corporation, aud I'll,
Orange only contributed u portion OF the cos
to put it in order. French original rosc
had the same on ST. Asaph street. and It's su;
cessor, the Alexandra, Washington and
Georgetown road, has had the same street t
its intersection with King street.
Could more liberal, broader or more com
prehensive application of "Veritas's' free
trade principles be devised, or be desired? But
it seems the prosperity of Alexandra has been
crippled by Just such views as Y advocates. l.
is not remarkable that with the utmost latitude
to all railroads in fact, heretofore established,
that it has not produced q much more prosper
Gus state Of affairs in our ancient city than we
can now boast OF?
But we are threatened that these roads
would pass around Us and the stations located
beyond the corporate limits. Aye, indeed
Would those roads be furnished with lands for
stations aud road beds, without remuneration
Is it not much more likely that the land dana
ges assessed for such purposes, would represent
q capital, locked up forever, the Interest on
which would far exceed any compensation
which would satisfy us for the use IF our
streets? As We have not been benefited 10
our trade to any great extent by the liberal
permission to use Us. and our streets al hbi
tum, suppose We now adopt the course suggest
ed by X? Seli-interest vii! settle the question
a. to which is cheapest, to pay Us Tor streets,
or build stations, nc, outside Of and around uS
Our city finances have been Tor years, and
are now, in Il deplorable condition, and it w.I
require the application of the best financial
ability to replenish the exhausted condition Of
our city treasury.
| We have embarrassed ourselves by heavy
contributions in all OF railroads leading from
THE interior OF the State Ia the io,rn, which
roads were to revive our trade; and 20 lar 10
little purpose. As We have almost tecragci
ourselves by these efforts, we are surely cnti-
led to their sympathy at least, aud n"l treated
,yith threats, that the roads will pass araupi
ius and their stations hevuui uur corporate
limits,
! ~ crtas" Seems TO take exception 10 the
| I'm "tOrcign corporations, and correctly de.
| Ms what y means ty the term. They ar"
csSStialy foreign corporations, a. """''"'!is
| isHgr1hhed to the roads IN Which oar cap'a'
a yo;ccacd, and In whose management We nave
| Iavn tbny onp single attribute bi 10
INV thing 81 corporations, and l. Their "oiect
StnciLnII2e,S hut 10 make money Tor me-"
,obIsbo5 with entere these corporations 49,,
o',,, ,,aonl. or rho aGw to the c0nv' nl"nco u
or have tLny cvrr .b6eemont0 i oW nt"frr'I, >
our long suffering and inraDy S"i'''"; ,
II We have been benefited IL ''J' ,l,
ta ana not from any effort ~: i'.' ,..t -
aid as
The undersigned Las ~ wish 10 sh. 49,. mn,
railroad, let il lead where it may. l'"' ,; ;,"5
Tor lammDg up trade, or waling il up " In
| the limits OF any city, Or district, has pass !
away; but, surely, il these companies Use II
and our property Tor the advancement, OF III
interest ct their stockholders, they should no
object to letting Us Lave = modicum OF thci
| profits
Verias is probably better informed upon tn
subject of the laws Of Maryland, in relation t
| tie Washington Branch than y. Nertas do,
| not controvert the assertion that she dill charg
a bonus for the charter OF that roa j; and it wa
only used to show that we should exact com
peuaation-not for chartered rights, hnt TO
substantial benefits, which have, aud whcl
will enure, to these corporations Tor the u.s. O
our property, upon exactly the same principle
which land owners require payment for tie II.
of their property. 1t is in vain to tell thgu
| 1.-THE land owners) that tie construction oi
railroad through their farms will double o
quadruplc their value. They will tell You all tii
may be true-and the result is invariably 50
but, notwithstanding, the lands must be pai
for. 1t may be that our property will be bruc
fitted, but so lar this has not been apparent, II
any great degree at least, and should 1t turl
out so, it is not for that purpose these corpor
ations were established. Purely selfish motive
| originated all these schemes. II procured il
time, statement will be appended to thes
remarks, showing the heavy contributions o
this poor little city, in aid Of the great system
| Of internal Improvements, and We may def
| the production OF a single example where sucl
| gigantic efforts have been made, by any Othc
| community in proportion to ltS mean, aud pop
ulation. The origin of the Orange and Man
| assas roads, was in the hope that they w0ult
greatly Increase our trade aud prosperity, ant
it cannot be said it is an entire i1iiurc bu
| this may be said, without the fear OF coutradc
ton, that had not these roads been bult-an
they could not we'll have been but for the lib
eral contributions Of Alexandria -these scvera
outshoots, the Washington. Alexandria an'
Georgetown, the Bernie Bank, and Frcdericks
burg would not been in existence. They hav
all been projected, with the sole view OF con
Meeting with cur great works, with the end an,
design of sharing with US in their trade anC
travel. Let each and all OF them take thci
share all We demand is, that for these bcne
| fits, We have right to expect share OF th'
crop which they will reap. y.
| To the editor Of the A'erml3ria Ga.ctte.
have noticed several articles in YOU
columns commenting on the semi official state
ment OF the Orange, Alexandria und Nanassa
| Railroad &c. recently published.
The authors of those articles appear We!
posted, and to give official figures from iht
| tariff sheets Of The company in making up tn
charge OF discrimination against Alexandra,
| and show clearly that the continuation OF the