The national Republican., 1869-02-19
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.

THE ALEXANDRIA, boUDOUN AND hAhf- /
SHIRE RAILROAD MEETIro.-A conference |
with the citizens Of Washington and George |
town having been invited By Lewis McKen- |
zie, ESQ, president OF the Alexandria, Lou
doun and Hampshire Railroad Company, q |
large number OF the leading citizens Of the |
District assembled yesterday at the Board Of
Trade rooms, whore they were met by Mr.. |
Mckenzie and quite number Of gentlemen |
from Virginia.
There were present at the conference from |
Virginias Lewis Mckenzie, president A., l..
and II. X. R.; r. johnson, c. =. Lee, Col. |
Powell, OF Fairfax, Wash. Blythe, J. VI. Orr, |
Of Leesbufg, Hon. W. +. Mcrcler, Virginia |
State senate,) and Captain J. W, Foster, Of
Loudoun county, q. c. Wcddeburn, Andrew
Jamison, and some others.
Washington was represented by Mayor
Bowen, Alderman Richards, Councilmen n.
sardo, l.. q. Hine, W. II. Chase, W. Il.
Brown, Robert Ball, l.. b. 3. Miller, and q
large number OF prominent citizens, among
whom we noticed A. R. Shepherd, Col. A.
q. Allen, J. B. Bryan, y. b. Mohun, G. B.
Clusky, Mr. Latta, (kilbourn q Latta,)
John Purdy, =. Pilling, NJ. W. Gait, DR..
Maynard, G. b. Church, Augustus y. Perry,
R. B. Mohun, James G. Mcclure, Joseph L.
Savage, Col. DUNCAN, Samuel Bacon, James
L. Barbour, Thomas Parker, II. d. Cooke,
W. NJ. shuster, II. Semken, Mr.. solomons,
{PHllp s, : soslomons, s Nv; 9; MetzcrS!t, Judge
8. Jones, jesse B. Wilson, Henry Polkinhorn,
Mr.. Hume, lHall & Hume,) DR.. N. G.
Towle, c. s. Noyes, Vim. II. Claggett, II. B.
Sweeney, and many other Of our leading
citizens.
Among those present from Georgetown
were Levi Davis and Jenkin Thomas, Of the
Board Of Aldermen; DR.. Cragin, G. 3. Rams
burg, G. 8. English, Ed. Shoemaker and W.
r. Collins, the committee OF the Board Of
Common Council; W. II. Tenney, J. B.
Boguc, Thomas Bowling, Col. James Ma
gruder, Z. d. Hartley, George Waters, John
7. Mitchell, Esau Pickrell, Councilman Ed
monston, Geo. Hill, IT., and many other
prominent citizens Of that town.
Alexandria was also represented. Among
others we noticed Messrs. G. T. Lee, Edgar
Snowden Of the Alexandria Gazette, Reuben
johnson and N. Jamison.
Leesburg was represented by Messrs. Fos-
ter, Henderson and others.
Mr.. James G. Mcguire called the meeting
TO order at ll.45 q. m, and nominated Mr..
Samuel Bacon as chairman. Mr.. Levi
Davis, OF Georgetown, was appointed secre-
tary.
Mr.. Mckenzie then took the floor to explain
the object Of the meeting. He said there
had been a strong desire manifested that this
road should be completed, and this confer
ence was called with a view of seeing what
could be done In the matter, and stated that
which would require considerable money.
The road was chartered and fostered by the
State Of Virginia until the calamitous war,
by which the State subscription OF 5000, 900
was lost. They had In past years brought
the road before the public Of Washington,
but from some cause Che did not think II was
want Of interest) their attempts had so far
failed. They had last year extended the
road seven miles further, to the town of
Hamilton, and were now anxious to extend
1t to Winchester and tap the richest county
in the State, which would require 81 ,600, 900.
At this point Mayor Bowen entered the
room, and Mr.. Bacon noticing him, said II
was the intention of the gentlemen compos.
ing the meeting that the Mayor should pre-,
side. He therefore invited that gentleman
to take the chair, which he did.
Mr.. Mckenzie then gave some statistics
showing the fertility Of the country through
which the road passes, and Its mineral re
sources, the total product of Loudouu county
in grain being sol 900 bushels annually
He said If good wishes, newspaper para
graphs or kind words would have built the
road II would now have been extended 10
California. What they wanted was money.
The road had cost $4,000, 900, and had but
little indebtedness-si2,O 200 of mortgage
bonds out, s10,0 of bonds that were not
mortgage, and s16O, 900 floating debt There
was no road In better condition. Now they
proposed that the people of Washington
should become partners In this road. Lou
doun could throw In immense supplies o
produce, and Clarke county had rich iror
ore and copper, and the agricultural produc
tions were behind no other counties. Last
year the receipts were s72, 900, and had they
not been building an extension they coulC
have paid the interest on $500, ,000, 900. He
recollected when the Baltimore and Ohio
did not pay her interest, but now she had q
capital Of s27 900, 900 and was building roads
nj 4 ~. n
Alexandria road. The difficulty was the
Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire had
but a few friends, and when a man was
asked to take stock he preferred United
States bonds. He suggested that the city
could subscribe, stating that he understood
the last assessment Of Washington amounted
to sSs, ,0Oo, 900, and the present would amount
to "a 200 900.
Mayor Bowen corrected the last figure
saying that the present assessment woult
show about SSI 100000.
Mr.. Nick. continued, saying that the cit
was so much better able to aid. The wa
was over, peace had come, General Gran
was President, and the prospect of the cap
tai was now settled He had not come her
to beg, but having understood that the citi
Zens desired more railroad connections h
had requested this conference. The roa
should be opened TO Winchester, and he sug
gested, In answer TO the Chair, that II tn
WOulu ulu the fOuu tnc people Ot ' II
ginia would raise, say $500, 900.
DR.. Cragin said there was nothing til
people of Georgetown were more intereste
In than this road, and were ready to ask Cor
gress for permission TO subscribe $500, 900 q
her share, or to ask 1t In connection wit
Washington. They desired the co-operatio
OF Washington In this matter and the latte
had most Interest. Georgetown wanted tn
wheat and corn, and Washington supple
for a great city of 10000. This road con
meets with the great centre of the country
and If constructed, and the noble river an
harbor were improved, large trade viii
spring up. We nave been asleep and al
lowed trade to go elsewhere, but now We ar
waking up and meant to act. The cities a
corporations should subscribe, and If no div
dends are paid the benefits would be felt o.
the property and the laborng population
Georgetown Is willing to make indiyidua
subscriptions of 100000, which was NOR
than their share, but they were willing, Il
view Of the benefits. He moved that a com
mittee be appointed to draft resolutions Il
relation TO the road.
Mr.. Mckenzie said he was obliged to hi
friend DR.. c. for his remarks, and he woul
say, II encouraged, there would soon b
branches run into one or the other of tn
cities, or both. He read a letter from Moor
field Va, to show that the people there ar
alive to the benefits of railroads, expressing
tax themselves to aid In the construction o
the road, and suggest that In the direct rout,
OF Cincinnati, the A. l.. & II. road could b.
used.
Mr.. Tenney did not know that the appoint
ment OF q committee would bring us any
nearer to the point. They could not work In
public meeting, and he doubted whether
the amount could be raised by u private sub.
scription, and the corporations should aid
them. This was through road, and the
only one which could compete with the Balti.
more and Ohio railroad monopoly. lie
would make the assertion that the populn.
tiOn and wealth here now was rs much as
that Of Baltimore when the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad was commenced. Georgetown
was ready now when the point Of connection
agreed upon. Chain bridge had been sug,
gested and the Aqueduct. lie understood
that the engineers had selected CRrlln Spring
route, and that the president objected to this
route.
Mr.. Mckenzie said that he had not, but
the engineers thought twas too far up. The
question Of the connection was one for The
en0inaera and he Woull leayp II A., 81.