Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-24
OUR RAILROAD ENTEBESHs.
THE MEETING LAST NIGHT
Citizens Railroad Association Organ.
i1e0. az EEVg-
Aid Reeomm ended for the London
and Hampshire Road.

Aid Recon- mended for the London
and Hampshire Road.
| Also for the Peins Lockout Road.
An Airline 10 New York Favored.
An adjourned meeting Of citizens tn consider
the interests of our city in reference to the con-
| Dection Of this District with the Loudon and
Hampshire Railroad, and the ACCESSIBILITY of
aiding the proposed extension of said road to the
coal fields Of Hampshire county, West Virginia,
and to the Ohio river, was held last evening in
the Aldermen's Chamber, at the City Hall;
John X. Elyans Chairman, and Mr. T. C. Con-
| molly Secretary. The attendance was not so
large as was expected in consequence of the
meeting having been advertised to be held at
the Board Of Trade Rooms, the doors of which,
| however, were found closed by those who came
4 to attend. Among those present at the meeting
were Judge Wright, Aldermen Connolly, Clark
| and Champion; j. l.. Kidwell, Or. j. p. Toner
j. NJ. Dubant, John X. Elvans, G. +. Ritten-
johnson, ii. Taylor, X. &. Hewett, Il. L. Walker
Hon. Lewis Mckenzie, President Of the Alex
andria, LOud0n and Hampshire Railroad; Col
lector Boswell, b. Milburn, j. III. Crane, j. III.
and others. Judge Wright. from the Committee
on Resolutions, reported resolutions:
aid for the ccnstruction Of the alessndria Londann
and Hampshire railroad To the oil 10 river, forming
competition with the great western railroads, and
thus securing the shortest and most direct communi
estHn between tide water and the Pacific and
we are also IN favor q extending Ike aid for the
To- TO- he deep water OF the Chesapeake Bay. SteoHd
this Object protecting at the time the interests
e f IN as ssS TO- c aad I'm
OF the District Of Columbia with to grant nch
streets Of the city by the Baltimore and ohio Rail
Inad company Tor dtpots and other purposes, as en-
Of property and Congress and the city authorities
are called upon to afford proper remedy. Fourth
Railroad Company and the Mary Iand Southern Rail
road Company tr requested to publish a statement Of
on he cempetan ~ each scD aiiE Se
q the District for ot an pe to Sasas
weekly list of subscribers.
On motion of Mr.. Connolly, the resolutions
were considered seriatim, and the irst one being
Mr.. Milburn hoped something would be in
serted stating the amount of aid proposed to be
given.
JudgeWrght was opposed to any amount being
inserted, as that would open the question to dis
ctssiOn and opposition.
Mr.. Walker inquired where the Loudon and
Hampshire railroad proposed to strike the Ohio
river, and then described the routes occupied
BY other railroads which strike the Ohio. He
had examined the map carefully, and cOuld not
see how any road from here could strike the
Ohio at any available point, or by any desirable
route. He was opposed to a dollar OF the city's
money being invested in any movement which
appeared to him as this did. The Point of Rocks
road he thought would accomplish all that was
desired.
Judge Wright raised the point of order that
Mr.. Walker was not within the call, as he WAS
opposed to railroad connections with the city. a
The Chair decided adversely to the point OF
order, but warned the speaker to confine his
remarks 10 the particular resolution under dis
cussiOn.
Mr.. Walker then continued, saying that every
available route and every gap in the mountains
between this city and the Ohio was now occupied.
He then pitched into the Loudon and Hamp-
shire railroad for their extraordinary freight and
passenger charges, when he was called to order
by Judge Wright.
The Chair again decided adversely to Judge
Wright, who appealed, and the decision was
sustained. The ten minute rule was then adop-
ted, when-
Hon. Lewis Mckenzie took the floor and read
the following statement
''Mr. G. l.. Walker, i'm his attempt to prove
that the Alexandria, Loudon and Hampshire
railroad will not pay, assumes that it will drain
Parkersburg Branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio
road in the north, and by the Chesapeake and
Ohio road in the south; and he attempts to show
this by a very confused statement OF the route Of
5ss n 1h hSI4s% and nSs@
ignorance of the routes that may be traced
through the region in question. What he says
about the Pennsy ania Central and other roads
further north might as well have been left
.unsaid, as We hardly propose to interfere with
their business. He also seems to take IL for
q anted that the country through which We pro-
pose To run is either already sufficiently supplied
with railroads, OF Is a waste bowling wilderness.
We deny both assumptions; the first because we
know the valley region will furnish an immense
agricultural and mixed trade to our road which
will seek IT, because by it they will reach market
by much shorter, and, therefore, cheaper
route; and the second, because We know that the
South Branch valley dying west of the Shenan-
GOah Valley is entirely destitute OF railroads,
and is much more fertile than that valley; and
that the whole region between the Alleghanies,
the Ohio river, and those two railroalis, abOunds
everywhere along the proposed line OF our road
with the best of coal, and Is rich in the other
cattle grazing country in the Onion. This belt
il from sixty TO one hundred and twenty miles
wide, and, with its boundless mineral, agricui-
tnral and grazing products would, in very
influence of railroad develOpement throughout.
Mr.. Walker seems to labor under the strange
idea that the country through which the one road
will run will remain as it is now, and that the
business OF the mighty West il also stationary,
whereas there has been nothing more fully de-
monstrated than the fact that the railroads now
built, with the Chesapeake and Ohio added, will
not be able in a few years to do the transporta-
ton of the West. The far-seeing people of that
country are fully alive to this fact, and are anx
iousiy looking for large additions, by rail and
water, TO the existing means Of transportation be-
tween the IN and the East. 1t Is we'll known that
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
Claims that no other company has the right to
build roads wherever in the remote future she
may possibly wish to go. The Chesapeake and
Ohio has, as yet, set up no such pretentiOns, and
will always, We trust, manifest more just and
liberal spirit than the dog In the manger and
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad God help the
people when the country, OF any considerable
part Of il, shall be tied 10 any one railroad, and
bound hand and foot to submit to all its tyranny
and exactiOns. Ii may be safely said that curses
and wailings continually ascend from the COM
munIties which are now subject to the grind
Ing and INSCRIPTIONS policy of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad with its narrow and exclu-
sive governing principle, that all trade and
travel along its line must have no other route
than theirs, and no other outlet than Baltimore
and must submit to the most oppressive burdens
besides. Mr.. Walkers notion that subscriptions
TO railroads should not be made until IL be shown
that they are not wanted is unique. His lam
guage Is, Il am for railroads, and when the
LoudOn and Hampshire road get their 81 900 600
secured then let Washington finish il IN with
her 81 y000, 0o0.' Now, would not this be a beau
tifully wise policy for Washington, a city suffer-
ing as much as she is for the want of this very
road? Did Baltimore so act i'm regard to her
great road? Ii she had, where would that work
be now? Has Philadelphia pursued this course
with the Pennsylvania Central and other great
lines which are now pouring untold wealth into
her lap, the production Of regions which were
as wild and unprOduotive as the widest part of
the country through which the LoudOn and
Hampshire road win pass? We might not in
aptly quote here DR.. J0hnsOn's letter to Lord
Chesterfield in reference, to the tender of his
patronage Of his great Dictionary after it was
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