Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-10
Garretrs New railroad CoY,,.,,,o,

AT meeting of the stockholders of the
Orange and Alexandria and the I.vnchhurg
and Danvilie railroads. in Lynchburg on Tues
Gay, the two roads were consolidated, under the
authority given them by the Virginia Iegis-
lature. In order to do this, four acts of the
state assembly had TO be accepted, one of which
authorizes - the company TO extend its railway
from the present northern terminus at Alex
aHdria 20 a point opposite to or above the cities
OF Washington and GeOr getown, on the Potion &C
river" resolution accepting the new name of
The company, the Washington City, Virginia
Midland and Great Southern railroad" "a pro-
vided by act of assembly, was unanimously
adopted y resolution was also passed that the
company accept the act of the general assembly
OF Virginia, approved February IJ 1873 entitled
an act to authorize the Washington Civ yir-
glHia Midland and Great Southern railroad
company to iSsue bonds to provide for the paw
ment OF the bonds and debts of the Orange
Alexandra and Manassas and Lynchburg and
banyille railroads, and for other purposes.
This is further development of Mr.. Gar
rett's scheme, in concert with certain Virginia
railroad mans gers who play into his hands. to
make monopoly through line south from Bal
tmore, and head of Tom. Scott, who has been
seeking to make great through line south in
connection with the Pennsylvania system of
roads IL world seem TO be the interest of Viz
gina and the South to have as MANY competing
roads as possible. but the sapient legislature of
that state not only refused "A charter to Mr.
Scott to make his connections from Fredericks-
burg TO Richmond, but under the influence of
Garrett and the local railroad mOnopolists ac-
tually voted down free railroad bill, which
would afford encOura cement to healthful COM
petition from any quarter. The state of Vir-
ginia, therefore, instead OF coming up to the
takes the retrOgrade, and adopts the dog-in-the-
msngor railroad policy which won so much
odium for New Jersey and Maryland, and
which those states have recentIy discarded.
In the war OF the railroad magnates generally,
we here are not particularly concerned, but in
this case our city has considerable interest Mr.
ScOtt's through line makes Washington a
prominent business point in the connections
We have the assurance of this in the expensive
and permanent improvems nts made here OF in
PTogrcss-the costly Long Bridge, the heavy
tunnel through the eastern part of the city, the
Anseestia bridge, the new station houses.
depOts, &c, &c. All these point to heavy bust
ness operations in and through Washington, as
soon the needed southern through connec-
tons are perfected. Mr.. Garrett proposes
nothing OF the Kind in his Understanding
Washington City, Virginia Midland. and Great
Southern railroad" He will not spend dollar
IN tunneiing or bridging here; or in the erection
OF any structures calculated to develop anv
railroad business here. Whatever he does will
certainly be Of the cheap, picayune order to
enable him to get around Washington and to
Baltimore, his objective point. Instead of
building bridges and tunnels, costing millions of
dollars, as Scott has done, he will hire scow
ferry boats and Old rieketty omnibusses to get
his passengers through or past this city. And
4 he has his choice between renting a comforta-
bic and safe bridge and rail line. and the slow
and tedious omnibus and ferry route, at the
same price, he will inevitably choose the latter,
as he has IN his late "new arrangement" for
transporting travel through Washington.