The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-11-16
The Recent Conference of Railroad
KInHR.

We have already alluded tolthe some
what remarkable gathering that took
place at Baltimore the 'other.dsy. The
presence in that city Of the great VAN
DRRDnT and the enterpriSing scoTT seek
ipg IN interview with the President oi
the Baltimore and Ohio road, in order TO
get him to join their Syndicate, was cir.
cums,ance that attracted the general a.
lcntion Of the press throughout the coun.
try. It Is construed by the papers as
on unwilling tribute on the part Of these
rivals to tho growing Importance OF the
Baltimore and Ohio road. The New
York Bulletin says that the story in that
city is that Commodore VANDERBILT
sent request TO Mr.. GARRETT to meet
him and others in New York, but that
the latter answered that bis place ol busi.
ness was in Baltimore, where he would
be happy 10 meet the Commodore, Col.
SCOTT, and the balance Of the magnates.
Aud so they came to Baltimore. Accord.
Ing 10 the Baltimore american the inter.
view lasted about four hours, and took place
at Mt. Vernon Hotel, Monument Place, in
that city, where Mr.. GARRETT enter.
tanned his rivals in fine style. While,
however, he was very liberal to them In
the way oI vlands and good wine, he
absolutely refused TO Join their syndicate,
The American lntimStes that two attempts
were made during the interview 10 induce
him to do go, but he was firm and un-
yielding, and told them, like Rip Van
Winkle, that when he said a thing he
meant It, SO they returned about as they
came. Whether Q new war Of any sort
will break out remains 10 be seen. The
Wall street money writers note the fact
that the market for railroad stocks was
unsettled for time by the news. Still
the policy Of the Baltimore road Is SO con.
servatiYe that no violent proceedings are
looked for. The Chicago Tribune is
greatly pleased over the result Of the con.
ference and halls the extension Of the
Baltimore road to that place as the dawn.
ibg OF better day for the grain growers
Of the West. II seems that year ago
the Baltimore road began to foreshadow
its policy in respect to that trade. Upon
this point 1t speaks as follows:
Early last winter the Baltimore s. Ohio
reached this city over the Illinois Central
from Ksnkakee. 1t Immediately put down
the freight on wheat and corn to an aver
age Of 81 to 81 cents between Chicago
aud the seaboard. The winter rates on
the three great Eastern lines had before
been about 80 cents. This made saving
10 the Western farmers Of at least - cents
per bushel on all the grain they sold. The
Old lines grOwled terribly, but OF course
were obliged to follow suit. So active
were shipments during the winter, and
SO large the drain upon the usual surplus
In the hands Of dealers and producers on
account ot these low ireights that when
navigation opened shippers were forced
10 put down freight to Buffalo, so that an
average of about 4 cents will cover
the price for the season. Freights
on the Erie Canal for aGonsiderable por.
tion Of the summer were put down TO 10
cents. So, owing to the competition Of
the Baltimore & Ohio Railway last
winter, the people Of the West have been
getting their corn and wheat through 10
New York Tor from 10 TO IS cents per
bushel,-a saving Of at least from 8 to s
cents over former years. Suppose the
shipments Of cereals eastward from this
city should equal those OF last year. viz:
about 00O0O,0OO bushels; that the ship
ments from other ports on Lake Michigan
and the lesseniDg OF ireighls eastward on
provisions and WestTard on merchandise,
should be the same, il is easy to see that
the Northwest has saved during the last
year and has now in its Golfers at least
100000 from tho competition afforded
them. There will be universal protest
against return to the old state OF things,
and the management otNthe Baltimore u
Ohio In the past warrants the belief that
the road will not be party 10 any COM
b!nation to effect such return.