The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-06-13
M i s. @ ellanS O III 8.
Our Underwater Railway,

Our Underwater Railway.
A correspondent of the Washington Sun
day Herald, writing from Philadelphia I'M
der date of May 22d, gives the following
graphic sketch of our tide-water railways.
1t is especially interesting, as giving what
purports to be an inside view of the great
railroad war now being waged between
the two great rival railroad corporations,
the Baltimore and Ohio and the Pennsyl-
vania Central, and also as calculated to
re-inspire the hope that our own particu-
lafcounty and neighborhood will ere long
be blessed with abundant railway facilities:
With a map in my hand have spent
the time between Washington and Phila-
delphia, studying the programme and the
late connections of the new lines of rail
which are concentrating about US. Let us
see what these are:
First, what is the Pennsylvania Railroad
about? To understand a railroad, one
ought to take peep at its history. And
in this respect the Pennsylvania Company
has been entirely consistent with itself from
the beginning. 1t was not like the Erie
or the Baltimore and Ohio, an original and
unified enterprise. 1t was rather like the
New York Central road, the picking up and
the piecing together ola large number ofsep-
arate works. The State of Pennsylvania
was the chief sufferer in establishing lines
of communication by rail, canal and river
from Philadelphia to the West. The orig
| inal railway terminated at Columbia and
then proceeded by canal to the foot of the
Alleghanies, where portage railroad pull
ed cars and boats over the mountains, and
then the water was the vehicle again to
the Ohio river. After the State politicians
had handled this system of works in o cor
rupt and Improbable way, clamor arose
in the State for the sale of the public works,
and the Pennsylvania and Reading Com
panies climbed into an easy good fortune by
assuming the responsibility of running
them. II was then but little while be-
fore the Pennsylvania Company, with the
superior advantages, better grades, etc., of
its rich commonwealth, outstrippel the
other roads, and, wishing to lay hand upon
Chicago, set the example of appropriating
the Fort Wayne road and guaranteeing its
stock. That experiment proved successful
beyond the hopes and fears of all, and that
policy has been the Pennsylvania ever
| since.
| GUARANTEEING.
Its connections with the West were null
tiplied so as to cut off competition, and
at the close of the war its managers saw a
rare opportunity to lease the deprecated
railroads of the South, and thus they came
into competition with the Baltimore and
Ohio road, which had just got a wonderful
boost by its splendid management during
the war.
| NIP AND TUCK.
The contest between these two roads is
an intellectual and physical war of itself,
almost as interesting as the strife between
the North and the South. The combatants
themselves may be likened to the handling
of the Northern and Southern armies, and
the Baltimore General has to contend with
superior resources, a denser population,
more credit and more versatile and prac-
teal experience. He fights, however, on
the inner line, and has at his back the pre-
judices and provincialisms of the State gov
ernments. He is too close, and perhaps too
conscientious, to buy a legislature or to
lead lobby to the assault. 1t would ap-
pear that he is being steadily outfanked,
but he makes the fight in his own way an
interesting one, and there is no danger of
his being crushed out.
"REMINISCENCES.
The Pennsylvania Company gained the
first advantage over Mr.. Garrett and broke
his abattis, when a charter was secured by
Governor Bowie and others for a State rail
road down the Western Neck of Maryland.
1t isno secret that this charter was obtained
as a speculation and sold out to the Penn
sylvania Company. Proceeding to arouse
the prejudice of those parts of Maryland to
which the Baltimore corporation had re-
fused an outlet Mr.. Scott compelled the
Metropolitan branch, and, despite Mr.. Gar
rett's opposition, the Western Maryland
road was carried over the mountains to
Hagerstown. But, like General Lee, Mr.
Garrett in turn made dash, and invading
the enemy's commonwealth laid hand
. upon Pittsburg. This aroused the Penn.
sylvania Company to the pitch of ven
geance. The New Jersey lines fell into it,
grasp, by which New York has been dislo
Gated from Baltimore Next in order, the
Pennsylvania Company procured from Con
gress depot site which Mr.. Garrett was
weak enough to protest against in person
but without avail. Next, the great TUNE
around Baltimore was resolutely undertak
. cu. LNoAu, hl. 0dlIOte CohnoCtiohS oOutl
of Richmond were remorselessly torn away
and he was left suspended in mid air will
one foot nowhere at Harrisonburg and tn,
: other scarcely anywhere at Lynchburg
This compelled Mr.. Garrett to lay out
line from Lynchburg to Danville. Blu
again the Pennsylvania Company appeared
1t tore off his connections south of Danville
By an extension southwark from Hagers
town the Pennsylvania Company strucl
Mr. Garrett at Martinsburg and proceeded