Middletown transcript., 1871-05-13
PEACH GROWING INTEREsT.-RAlf..
ROAD ExTORTrON.


The following is letter received by n
gentleman in this ncighborhood extensive
y engaged in the peach culture. from an
other peach grower. ut distance. II was
not written for publication. but ~ il con-
taiued important facts in regard to railroad
transactions not generally known to peach
growers, It was deemed proper to submi,
i. to them through this paper.
May s. 1871.
Dear Sir:--At your Peach Mectin. on
Tuesday would il not be well to appoint
u committee to visit the Pennsylvania Cen
trail X. X. Co. aud know their intentions
toward the peach interest. The Penn.
Genital have leased the Camden & Amboy
X. II. far 900 years, and take possession
July lst Of all tho main stem aud lateral
branches with the appurtcn"uces thereto
They propose leasing or buying the P.W.
4 Is Il Il. in order to have direct con
troll Of all tho lines connecting Washing
ton with San Francisco. The Vice Pres
idcut of the Z. c. stated during the past
week that if arrangements could not be
made with the 7. W. & b. Il. Il. they
(thc =. 60 would build parallel road ,as
they were bound to have the dircc. con
ncction. The +. G. are this day building
the X. i. from Pomeroy station, on their
main stem to Delaware City, aud if the
proper c Hort be made by the local inter-
es,s, viii build the Bay Shore line to Lew
istown. 10 orler to establish n, iha, point,
under tie auspices Of the general gov, n
national coaling station, | writc this to
give You an outline Of what is really aud
truly under consideration by this great II
r. corporation. and as by reference to
their freight tariffs you will observe their
rates are nearly 5rds less than the p W.
4 BIS | am led to think u conference
with the Z. c. would materially lessen the
rates on thc Camden 4 Amboy, and since
Mr.. lInc!;lcy claims the trouble Of peach
| frcights 10 rest with the Camden 4 Amboy
this proposed interview might result in d
very satisfactory reduction. The r. W.
4 B. X, Il Co derive the bulk of their
net gains from the peach shipments, aud |
am crcdibly informed that had il not
been for the receipts from peaches in 1870,
tho p. ". 4 B. II. II Co could not have
declared stock dividend of more than .
per cent Yet this Yankee worked mo-
nopoly most ouirageously impose upon the
people Of Delaware, ignoring laws. traduc-
/ ing their authorities, and cxtorting their
hard earnings far freight aud ,ransporta-
| ton. To my surprise, gentlemen of your
Association are constantly defending the
r r. authorities, and derouncing our tax
laws n. unjust and oppressive. Yet il
they vii but examine the operations of
railroads throughout the country ihcy will
find no other railroad with such glaring
inequalities and Irregularities in their
frcigh,s For instance Peaches are car
ricd from Norfolk, Va. across the Bay to
Crislield, and from thence to New York n,
very near the same rate as from Laurel
Del. And to show you that these imposi-
tions ORC not confined to peaches alone.
have paid for railroad ticket from Prn-
cess Anne to Wilmington, 81 aud fronl
Princes Anne to Baltimore, $40 The
rates from Newark to Philadclr rhin is
81 %, while from Wilmington to Phila-
deli pha i is but 80 cents, making for ].
miles from Newark to Wilmington - CTS
aud for Is miles from Wilmington 10 Phil.
adelphia 80 cents iou will notice ,hes.
determinations are in all eases against the
people of Delaware. The opportunity has
arisen for our people to effect, through n
better and more honorable corporation
such arrangements as will be mutually ad.
van,agc''us to shippers aud carriers And
now is the time for the initiative steps, and
T the members Of the Peach Growers Asso
citation are.thc proper persons to take them
provided their committee eau be compos,
ed Of gentlemen not in the interest of III,
=. W. 4 B. r.. II.