Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-06
washington Il Ohio X. K.

Washington Il Ohio X. X.
Mr.. Lewis Mckenzie, President of the W.
u 0. X. r., has addressed letter to the
Washington Chronicle, in which paper com
munication had appeared rehicting upon the
management of the Road, and himself person
ally, from which we note the following extract:
"Asto the pcrversion Of the " aShington and
Ohio railroad to gross monopoly; and that
the authorities of the road are acting in such a
way as to prevent the citizens of the region
through which the road passes from sending
| their produce to Washington without passing
it through the hands of two or three grades Of
middle men in Alexandria, my answer
to all this is that it is utterly untrue
Every facility in the company power
has always been freely extended to every one
DESTROYS of sending freight to Washington or
by my direction, going out of their way to aid
them, in various ways that could not be reason
| ably required of us. We have 20 connection
| by rail with any road leading directly to Wash
| ton-that which formerly existed at Swami S
having been taken up by those who put 1t
there. Our road crosses the Washington and
Alexandria railroad at an elevation Of nearly
twenty feet above it. To replace the former
turnout dropping back considerable distance
for grade) would cost US, including right of
way, fully 600. Our present means OF access
to Washington are by steamboat or BY Union
street. via the Orange railroad depot at Alex
andria making the entire circuit OF the city of
Alexandria by the Orange track. have told
the people Of Loudoun, in the vicinity OF Ham
ilton, repeatedly, as we'll as those along the
rest of the line, that so soon as the Alexandria
and Fredericksburg railroad laid their track
(which will be very SOON cur connection by
rail with Washington would be complete and
reliable. and their produce could then go
through in our cars without break or stoppage.
By June next have every reason to hope our
cars will be seen daily at the depot of tie Bal.
timore and Potomac railroad in Washington
So far from endcavoring or wishing to pre-
vent the passage Of freight to your city, it has
ever been our desire and effort to promote 1t.
Since 1858, when this company was lncorpora-
ted under the name of the Alexandria, Lou
doun and Hampshire railroad, beginning with
the days of the mayoralty Of the lanented
John ". Maury, our efforts to get branch to
Washington or Georgetown have been lnccs-
SAINT Appeals have been made to this end to
councils and people of both cities to
cooperate with lis. We offered to deliver
freights in both cities at precisely the same
amount of charge as upon freights to Alexan-
dria, and offered to leave the location point OF
divergence of the branch or branches to the de
csion of engineers to be appointed by this
company and the Georgetown authorities as to
her branch. Fearing, however, that some OF
the trade might pass the branch aud continue
on to Alexandria, they we're not satisfied with
equality of charges, but required also the adj
vantage in distance, which necessltated route
for the branch involving heavy grade, sharp
| n
to render it in the opinion Of our engineer an
act of mere folly to build it.
The name Of the road having been changed
to washington and Ohio, we caused sur
vey to be made. at an expense ofoVer $50, 900:
to the Ohio river. by way OF the great coal
fields of West Virginia The result was to de-
monstrate that we have line shorter to Gin
cnnati, by l27 miles, than any other, whether
built or proposed, with remarkably easy grades
throughout On the strength of these facts,
when in Congress ! got bill through the
House authorizing subscription of million
to our stock by Washington city, with the con-
sent of the voters This bill provided that
the subscription should be paid only as the
road was completed in sections Of FIVE miles, at
the rate of SlG,0 900 per mile, and that the tax
payers should become proprietors OF the stock
in proportion to their payments OF the special
tax to be imposed for the payment OF interest
| upon the requisite loan. This bill was unani-
mously recommended by the Board of Trade
of Washington embracing many OF the most
substantial merchants and property holders OF
the city When the bill reached the Senate 1t
was referred to the District Committee, by
which it was reported back without rccommcn-
dation. In the meantime the project OF new
government for the District was being pressed,
a., - in, al, f,oynrpOr
Cooke, promising that the subject would be ia.
vorably entertained by the new Legislature.
When this government went into operation we
made an application to the Legislature. BY
which nothing has been done.
After all these and many other anxious et-
forts to get the best possible connection with
Washington, it sounds very silly tor me to be
accused of desire to prevent produce or pas
sengers going to that city
In reference to other matters Mr.. Mckenzie
adds that every charge or insinuation that he
has ever used the road for his exclusive benefit
is false in every particular.
"PUFFINu. The greatest nuisance con
uected with modern Journalism, and that which
other causes combined, is, the system of indis-
criminate putting If a man does dollar
worth of advertising, he expects to have
heavy puff thrown in, exceeding in space
his advertisement; levying. in this way, ungod-
" tribute on the conscience of the editor who
does it, for he must needs lie, over and over
again. 1t may be very pleasing to the adver-
tiser to have his wares and merchandise pro-
nounced, by the editor, "the best in the mar
ket; ~ although he seems to be utterly blind to
n fact that the editor, who is a general en-
dorso, for all of bis advertisers, will soon be
bankrup.' In credit with the public, and his en-
dorsement y. ore utterly worthless. In nothing
conuec,ed with modern journalism is there
greater necessity fv." reform than !, 10 TINS con,
science-strechng pra,' tlce OF inaiscr,%nate
putting There is neither us.ce or .ru.u h ~ u,
1t is shame and reproach % tnose w . IN