Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-02-18
JHE ALEXANDRIA. IOUOON AND
HAMPSHIRE RAILROAD.

HAMPSHIRE RAILROAD.
The Meeting at the Board Of Trade Rooms.
At II O'Clock to-day a large number Of the
prominent citizens eff Washington and George
town assembled at the Board Of Trade Rooms,
(Clagett Il Sweeny 81 No. Market Space, to
have conference with the President and
directors of the A. L. and H. X. r. Co, at
their tQuest, in Re ference t. extending the road
westward TO the coal region of Virginia to con-
meet at Winchester with roads running through
the VALLEY. The A, L. and II. r. Il has now in
operation A miles from Alexandria, to a point
beyond Leesburg, near Hamilton, and the pro.
posed extension passes AillsburK and throus d
keyes' Gap IN the Blue Ridge, over the Shenan-
doah below Long Marsh Branch, through Ber-
ryyIlIe and Winchester, then taking a line
north CT the old survey for the Manassas Gan
extension, crossing the Great Catoctin, through
South branch, crossing Middle Ridge near
Darlington, up the west side OF Knobby noun
Jams 10 faddytown on the North Branch of
me Potomac, theLce To Piedment-a distance Of
IA miles from the prese ut terminus, "a miles
from Alexandria,) making a total length Of l6-
miles.
There were present at the conference from
hnslnla, Lewis Mckenzie. President L. and
ID h X: X. johnson, q. +. Lee, Col Powell,
OF Faufax, Wash. Blythe, j. NJ. Orr, of Lees
bu s. Hon. W. +. Mercer, Virginia STATE
Senate,) and Cap tain J.W. +, sIer, of Loudoun
county; q. l.. WeddeDurn and Andrew Jaml-
sob
Washington was represented by Mayor
SarGo, l.. q. Hine, w. II. Chase,w. T. Brown
Robert Ball, l.. Il. 5. Muller, aud large u am-
Der Of prominent eiiiz. Ne, among whom We
noticed A. X shepherd, Col. A. CT. Allen, J.
Latia, (kiloourn Il Latta.) John Purdy, L.
Pulling, NJ. w. Gait. Dr. Maynard, Z. Il.
Church, Augustus Z: Perry, r. b. Monun,
James G. Mcclure, Joseph L. Styage Col,
Dusgan, Samuel Bacon, James l.. harbour,
Thomas Parker, II. IL. Cooke, W. NJ. Shuster
III semken, Mr. solomon, (Philp Soiomons, J
" g Me'zsIott, Judge ]. W. Wright. Joseph
Z. Brown, Major q. ). Jones, Jesse b. Wilson,
Henry PolkInboIn, Mr.. Hume, (Hall & Hume J
and Dr. n. &. Towle.
Among those present from Georgetown were
MAJOR George w. Hill, Levi Davis, and Jen kin
Thomas, OF the Board OF Aldermen; Dr. CragIn,
&. ). RamsbeIg, q. 5. English, Ed. Shoemaker,
and w. L. Collins, the Committee of the Board
of Common Council; w. H. Tenney, J.
Bogue, Thomas Dow hing, and other prominent
citizens.
MIR. MCGUIRE called the meeting to order and
nominated Mr.. Samuel Bacon as chairman, and
be was elected. Mr.. Lew Davis, of George
town, was chosen Secretary. Mr.. Bacon
stated the object to be TO confer with the ID.
rectors Of the A. l.. and H. X. r., in referen ce
70 me extension OF the road To the coal fields OF
Hampshire county and TO Piedmont Mr.
Mckenzie the President Of the road, stated
that this was an enterprise of magnitude, and
which would require considerable money. The
road vas chartered and fostered by the State of
Virginia until the calamituous war, by which,
the Stale subscription of S6OO 900 was lost They
nou IL past years brought the road before tn
public OF Washington, ana were vet anxious
mat connection should be formed with the
District They had last years extended the
ROAD miles further, to the town OF Hamilton,
and were now anxious TO extend II TO Winches-
fr and tap the richest county in the State
which would require SLGUO,OOO.
At this point Mayor Bowen entered the room
eIG wss called to the char.
DIR. Mckenzie continued, saving that the
read mad cost S2,OOO.OGU. and had but little in.
deoiednfss, $4,000 of mortgage bonds ont
There was no road in better condition. Now,
tney proposed that the people of Washington
should become partners in this road. Loudon
could throw in immense supplies OF produce
and Clarke County had rich iron ore and
copper, and the agricultural productions were
behind no other counties. Last year the
receipts Were S7l.OOO and had they not been
building an extension they could have paid the
in the interest on S1pO,UOO,WO He IecolIected
when the Baltimore and OHIO did not nav heT
interest, but now she had capital OF S27 600 600
and was building roads in all direc tons and
aiding the Orange and Alexandra roAd. The
dlmculty was the Alexandra and LoudOn and
Hampshire had but few friends, and when a
man was asked TO take stock he preferred United
STATES bonds. He suggested thar the city could
subscribe. stating that he understood that the
last assessment OF Washington amounted TO
TO >ii,COc,hOb.
Mayor Bowen corrected the last figure, saw
ing mat The present assessment would shew
about S-1,UGn,tU0.
Mr.. Mex. continued, saying that the city was
50 UuCn DtlteT 10 alQ. de had come
heIe 10 beg. but having understood that the
citizens desired more railroad connections he
had requested this conference. The 70 nd should
De opened TO winchester, and he suggested Al
answer 10 the Chair that II The District would
and The road the people of Vi gina would raise
say S60O,tUO.
Dr- Cragin said there was nothing the people
OF GeCTgetown Were more Interested IN than
TINS road, and Were ready 10 ask Congress for
PERMISSION 20 subscribe $4,000 AS her share
OF 10 ask 1t in connection with Washington
Ibey desired the cooperation OF Washington
I'D this matter, and the latter had most in terest
Georgetown wanted the wheat and corn and
ashlhgton supplies for great city OF 10000
Ihis ROAD connects with the great center Of the
country, and II constructed, and the noble ri YER
ana hsItCr were improved, a large trade will
spTlng up. We have been aslC ep, and all owed
hade TO 90 sewhere, but now we are waking
up, and meant To act. The cities as CORPORA
mons should subscribe and if no divio nnds are
paid, the benefits would be felt on the property
and The laboring population. GsorgeIown is
wiling 10 make individual subscriptions of
$4,000. which was more than their share but
they Were willing in view OF the benefits He
moved tfat committee be appointed TO draft
re oluuons IN relation 10 the road
Mr.. Mckenzie SAID he was obliged 10 his
irieud Dr. T.. for his remarks, and he would
say II encouraged, there would soon be
branches run into one or the other Of the cities,
or oolh. de read a letter from Moorfield, Va,
10 show that the people there are alive % tn.
Dtnelhs OF railroads, expressing the belief that
the oounties on the line would tax themselves
10 ald IN the construction OF the road, and sug-
gtets That IL the direct route to Cincinnati the
ID L.. ~ II road could be used.
Mt. lenney aid not know that the appoint
ment OF q committee would not bring us any
nearer TO the point They could not work in a
puDhc meeting, and he doubled whether the
amount could be raised by private sunscrip.
non, ana he Corpore tons should aid them
Ids was through road. and the only one
Whlch could compete with the Baltimore and
ONO Ialiroao monopoly. He would make the
assertion that the population and wealth here
row was as much as that of Baltimore when
the bali more and Ohio road was commenced
deO1getoWn was ready now when the point of
connection Is agreed upon. Cnain Bridge had
hen suggested, and the Aqueduct. He under.
stood that the engineers had selected the (,arIiu
Spring route, and that the president objected 10
tins route.
Mr. Mckenzie said that be had not. but the
engineers thought II was too tar MP The
question OF the connection was one for the en-
eIneers, and he would leave il to them; and
even II the connection was within two miles
OF Alexandria il could be arranged 70 make
the freight and produce the same TO Alexan.
ora as TO GeorgetowD, ana give her an equal
chance
Mr.. Tenney continued, saying that the ben
efiis of tins road would be felt by the three
cities. Alexandria would Ia Ne the coal, George.
town The grain, and Washington would have a
large portion OF the produce. IL was not the
nelghoorhood OF the depot in which the bust.
ness Is done. He would, If he was a citizen of
Washington, and he hoped to be one yet with.
out moving from Georgetown, move that the
meeting recommend Washington to subscribe
a million dollars.
Mr.. Eau Pickrell, Of Georgetown, suggested
that the proposition Of DIR. Crag:n was proper
TO get things In shape, and he seconded his mo.
ton.