Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-04-19
COMMUNICATED.

o., A. j. NJ. Ii. H. NC t - - Ill - - |
,icIe ever the signature OF ". puohsneu III
the Gazette of the 9th inst, may be Ss1 uo"u
and regarded as one OF the extraoloioaty
fusions Of the day. The style,tone' ana manher
,Iareof ;mnrcss the reader, that its author
n1ust he one in high official authority in the
nrossnt management OF the road; whose pre-
rosotive il is to command, and the 'Wbo'e
marld ond The rest of mankind l. expected
to obey, h;,l;.,;o sorato lars
And sits attentiye to his own applause.
ua verv srayely Eliminates as fact, that
u,be columns of the Gazette have been filled
With long and laboured communications writ
ton annarentiy in the interest of the CONSOLIDATE
Cd line from Norfolk to Bristol, and assalIlng
tbs management and interests OF the Orange.
Alexandria and Manassas railroad company
Now, to say the least. this assumed denun-
c;atinn of those who have claimed and exeres'
cd Tie RIGHT 10 pass in review, before conhdlng
neorIe the NAL ad ninistration OF great cor,
noration, welding an Influence sustained and
backed up by millions CT the peoples money,
is cratuitous 10 the extreme, and will, have
| no doubt, receive that just condemnation
which it so eminently merits.
Il il not strange, indeed, that, because some
oi orr hest citizens have complained through
tho nuhlic press and otherwise, or the III ansge
ment of this road, in this. that 1t was opefaten
through series of years to the great lG]ufy u
orr CITY. and Disseminated and imposed upon
the people along and adjacent to the lines u
the road most ruinous charges Tor the trans
nortation of their freight, they should os
| denounced and set down as unworthlly IN the
interest of another Virginia railroad Wonder
| full indeed, that because of their own com
plaints-modesty made and pIescntcd-we are
| told we are doing our utcrmost to break down
| our own local road.
This certainly is forced and uuauthollzod
deduction from the writings alluded TO by ". ,
| The opposition made has not been directed
AGAINST the road, nor the interest OF the road,
| but rather against the policy adopted by, the
| managers thereof believing that It more lloe.
raj and generous spirit in the management OF
the road had been accorded the. people; most
decply interested, the opposition spoken OF
would never have been made, and the roau
would have received the cheerful support anu
! encouragement so necessary to Its success; pu'
| these complaints and appeals OF the suHer'pe
neoplc are alike abortiVe, and as 1t seems only
serve to arouse the hostility OF ottlclal9, anc
invite Jenunciatiou, ridlcule or abuse
The rceapt exposition 10 the State journal
showing the very unjust interpositlon OF the
r & O. r. R. Co., in the afflrs of our State
affecting seriously her most vital interests, has
induced solemn invocation from the before
mentioned correspondent addressed to the
"Mo.t Hiph,' 10 this wise: God save the
pood old Commonwealth when she has 10 LOOK
TO rhe State Journal, and its allies, tor safety
and protection; save me from such friends, anc
| will take care of mine enemies.
Now [ shall not call in question the SIN
cerity of the gentleman 10 this connexloD, no.
do I propose to defend he past CT present po
litical status of the State Journal. Yet l d.
assume to say that the State Journal has pre-
sented an array of facts lncontestlb|y true, anc
which the gentleman has not attGmp5eu It
specifically deny. that the B. l. o. K. Il. 20.
did at time when Virginia stood manglet
and bleeding at every pore, come with he
mighty Influence, which she brought to bea
upou the legislature and succeeded in blsect
/ ing the State; and in rcvcrting to this
ono Of the many injuries imposed upon us, vi
5 are classified as allies generally OF the Stat
Journal. Why there is an old maxim, sugges
to the recollection of c., People who live il
! glass houses should not throw stones. 1t /
r said that not quite twelve months ago, pendln!
the GubernatorIal canvass, certain otholas OF TN
3 road stood in sympathy and feeling at least will
the candidate who opposed the present mos
excellent Governor Of the State, and not onl
thar. it is further slid, that if not directly: 10
direct overtures were made by gentlemen II
the interest Of the present management OF TIT
, road 10 furnish large amount OF money Il
the State Journal for its Influence aud sunpor
in furthering The interest Of the o., A. 4 NJ
r. H. Co. These things are not adVerted It
for the pu pose of arousing unklnd or unplcas
ant feelings, but rather to repeI the idea sug
gcsted by &. that We are, 10 violence of ou
long cherished political feeing,in sympathy ane
accord with journal representing advancat
ideas looking to the reconstruction OF the goo(
old State of Virginia.
&. further says For the information o
such Of your readers as wish TO compare tht
business of The o., n. &. NJ. Il. X. with tha
of other roads in the State, he requests tht
publication OF o statement of figures taken from
the editorial columns of theRichmoDd Enqulr
err made up from the business operations Of
the several roads therein named for the year
ending Sept. 80, 1869. from which it appear:
the O., A. g. NJ. Il. R.
Delivered to Alexandria $3.50
Received from do 24,95e
Total tonnage to and from Alexandria 63,2o'
Delivered to outside cities IA S3t
| Received from " - 81:
Total tonnage to and from outside cities 29, = Is
Now sir, it must be admitted. that in con-
sideration Of the adverse determinations made
against the city Of Alexandria as shown 10 the
severa! cJnnunication5 addressed to your pa
per- and the recent report Of committee o.
reutlerscn representing the Corn Exchange oil
this city, that the business men Of Aexaodria
have undoubtedly displayed great energy ir
controlling so much of the tonnage passing
over the road. However, whilst this is all
true. we believe there wero other great csus
cs operating which com pelIed this great pre-
pouderauca of tonnage 10 favor of Alexandria
ior the year mentioned. 1t will be recolIect-
ed that for at least one quarter of that year,
and that too, a quarter probably the most
profitable, commencing in March, the railroad
bridge over the Potomac at Washington city
ives impossible for freight cars, necessitating
the WAC coming OF ell frcishts, 1T least Il miles,
at greatly advanced charges to the shippers.
During this interruption in the transportation
| ~ u, r,,t, ~ aifh or