Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-05-29

General who inquired ..how far the Tom
bigbee river ran up?' The sub humor-
ously and pertinen,ly replied, ..that the
Tonabigbee river didn't run up At all
and as far as he was able 10 ascertain from
the Oldest inhabi,ans. il had always been
in the habi, Of running down The great
official did not appreciate or accept wit
when he sought information. He gave
his humorous employ &C a license 70 resign,
and received from his more sedate sue
cessor the importan; information required.
Now, Messrs. Editors. have to assure
suudry correspondents that. as TAR as I
have been able to learn, the Southern Md.
read has been running up and not down
the county. Some invisible power stands
in the way prohibiting a downward and
Southern course. An inability to decide
between two proposed lines has been as
signed as the impeding cause BY Mr.. Pre-
sident Smoot. and in view Of the fact
(swOrn to, bye.,he-bye). that there is at
present in the treasury The sum Of $780,
900. independent Of any amount realized
by. and from state subscription, of $685.
600, it is manifest that want Of the ISL
news of war" is not the cause o: the pre-
sent sluggish and upward course of the
road. or as some stupid and ill-natured
persons have maliciously termed it. island
, still and fixed position and Southern ter
minus" / hope that my position and IL
lie Of major" and all contingent emolu-
ments may not be jeoPardized BY this my
answer to very innocent question which
'sur Ia fol d'animal'' has more of fact than
poetry in it.
Now, sirs. it is right as il is expedien,.
in view of the influences that our railroad
matters are bound to exercise over the
election to Offices Estate and Nationa)
next Fall. that should essay a short and
rapid retrospect Of same. and that un-
questionable facts and acts, official aud
non ficial, Of prominent men, should not
be allowed TO drift out Of mind and MEM
Dry Of grateful and approaching public.
Many, if not all. the gentlemen whose Of
fetal and non-official ACTION has determin-
ed the present status of railroad affairs.
are, believe, candidates for election or
re, election 20 some Office or other, and ask
endorsement of their several records from
the property holders, tax paycrs aud vo-
tiers Of our county.
No personal emnity or unkind feeling
towards them actuates me in my present
undertaking. As 4 citizen having a COM
mon interest with others in the ultimate
and speedy success Of railroad from tide
water to City of Washington. have hith-
erto cniearored in my particular felt Of
labors to forward the views aud interests
of those whom | conscientiously believed
were able and determined to realize our
wishes and make such project success.
Influences other than mine, however, have
intrustcd the management of affairs to 9TH
err agencies. under circumstances that APP
pcarcd to many to involve a polpaLle and
unnecessary breach Of faith with an ineor-
porated Company. without any corrcspon.
ding or compcnsating advantages or secu-
rjty to our comfy or the State Of Mary
land. Let US look back.
The internal improvement acts Of 1868
secured to St Mary's. Charles and Call
vert counties the aggregate sum of $780,
000. 1t was further provided, that no
more than oue-itth Of said sum should be
paid in any one year, and that the State
subscription should be payable on same
terms. and '.puri poSsu' with private SUBJ
scriptions. For the State appropriation
due st, Mary's county (Si63, 00O) two
applicants appeared before the County
Commissioners. the City Of Washington
aud PIT Lookout and s. Nd. Co. After
long delay and mature consideration and
balancing the conflicting claims of both
Companies, the County Commissioners in
the month of July. 1872, agreed and COW
cnantcd to cause the fund to be paid over
to the Pt. Lookout and W. City Compa-
ny. at such time and subject to such pro-
risoes and Limitations that amply secured
The county aud State against contingent
loss or possible interpolation ofihe same.
The pi,h of said condition and provisoes
may be cpitomised in four words, mo mo-
ncy, no road. or no road. no money" At
the tirc Of making this disposal of the
fund" very large expenditure had been
incurred By the Pt. Lookout Company in
survey. clearing and grading of road,
having its Northern terminus at City of
Washington aud Southern at Corn-feld
Harbor in this county. and arrangements
were being made (and subsequently, con-
cludcd) with Northern capitalists to put
tie whole line through the lower counties
under contract. In January Of the pres
cnt year. the County Commissioners re-
verseG their previous and most wisely con-
ssrra,iya action and NJ ii secret scssio,
wherefrom the public as well as the par
ties more particularly interested were de-
signedly and unfairly excluded. the same
Board Of Commissioners (Mr. Parsons be-
ing absent through severe indisposi,ion)
voted the State subscription (Sl63. 000)
Internationally and irrerocauy to the s.
Md. Company, with no safe guards. pro-
viso or Limitations annexed or thrown
around the interests Of the county and
State Of Maryland. In presence Of this
adverse action of our County Commission
ers. and after legal proceeding had been
instituted. compromise was made. which
is on record in the Office Of st. Mary's county
Circuit Court, by which Pt. Lookout and
W. City Company. in consideration of
$40, 900 cash TO be paid and the assign
ment Of 5000. 900 worth of 5. Md. bonds.
agreed to withdraw their appeal on the in
junction question. and bound themselves
to build road from Brandywine juno
ton on b. & p road to City Of Washing
ton, leaving to S. Nd Co. TO build road
from said Brandywine Junction to South
ern terminus on St. Mary's river. a. such