The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-06-25
Maryland Central Rnsl.ona.

We publish the following EDITORIAL COM.
ments on this road, taken from the Balti-
more Gazette of Friday. 18th June. We
are glad to see that interest in the success
of the work is manifested in other quarters
tthan Immediately upon the route of
the same The remarks of the. Gazette
will commend themselves to all, by the
suggestions offered therein:
/ At a meeting of the citizens of Hartford
and Baltimore counties, in favor of the
Maryland Central Railroad, held Monday,
June H. in Bel Air, the committee, COM
posed of John Carroll Walsh, Esq, Hon.
John H. Price, Thomas Symington, Cheyney
Hoskins and Herman Stump, Jr., Esqs.,
previously appointed to confer with par
ties interested in the construction of the
proposed road, made its report. The COM
mittee stated that
ut was enabled to report that the most
satisfactory encouragement has been re-
ceived from sources, both willing and able
in the highest degree, to assist in the
great work which has been inaugurated
by patriotic citizens Of Hartford and Balti-
more counties; the connecting ofthe cities
of Baltimore and Philadelphia, by rail
road passing in its course through section
of those counties which for health, fertility
of soil and manufacturing privileges, are
unrivalled in our State"
1t stated further that
"a preliminary survey is to be made,
meetings are about to be held on the route
of the proposed extension of the West Chest
er and Philadelphia Railroad, to the Mary
land line, for the purpose of organizing as
sociations, the object of which is to pro-
mote that undertaking, and that the peo-
pie are aware of our movements and are
deeply anxious that we should be enabled
to build the portion ef the road lying in
this State and join them at the most suita-
Bile point, thus completing the entire line
between Baltimore and Philadelphia"
As there are three roads now in course
of construction which will intersect the
the proposed road and necessarily use it
as the nearest avenue of communication to
Baltimore and Washington, the trade and
travel furnished by these important feed
ers will be most valuable in business
point Of view. These roads are the Co.
lumbia and Port Deposit Road, the Read
ing and Washington, Road, and road
from Parksburg on the Pennsylvania Cen
trail Road leading to Delaware City. 1t
will be seen that each of these roads forms
valuable connection, leading as they do
through populous and cultivated districts,
and making in their turn important con-
neetions with thriving towns and prosper
Gus roads.
Of the necessity and value of the Mary
land Central Road there can be but little
doubt, and if the property holders on its
route would really act concertedly and in
earnest it is quite probable that they
would receive valuable aid. The great
trouble is that the farms In Maryland are
generally held in rather large tracts, and
that their owners have very rarely much
cash capital that they are willing to invest
even in an enterprise that promises well.
If the country were more thickly popula-
ted, if the lands were broken up into small
err farms aud the cultivation were higher,
if in other words there were more people
interested in the construction of this road
along its immediate route, and better able
to aid it, there would be more reason to hope
for its immediate success. Of its ultimate
construction there can be but little doubt.
But until people learn to help themselves
they cannot expect to have other people
help them. -,
', NO. ylana W anus mure roads, and build
ing roads is the best means to attract pop
ulation, to invite capital and to increase
the value of property. Ifpeople who are
very willing to mortgage their property
for other much more doubtful improve
ments, would take half as much trouble
and run even less risks to raise money to
open up new avenues of communication,
we should see an increase prosperity at
tendant upon such enterprise that would as
tonish US. We have State big enough for
an European Kingdom, a splendid climate,
very fertile soil, an unlimited supply of
water, and most valuable coal and ore
mines in different sections and yet we ac-
tually have not roads enough to bring
scarcely 1.-THE of our vegetable and miner
al products to market. The truth Is that
property holders have been so much ac-
customed to seeing large corporations and
capitalists provide means for building
roads, that they quite seem to overlook
the fact that the parties on whom the cost
of building new roads should principally
fall are the parties who are most to be di-
rectly benefited by their construction.