Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-03-11
LETTER FROM CHICAGO.
The Railroad War Between the Baltimore *
Ohio and the Pennsy .vania Central Roads-
Cheap Passenger Rates--Etc.

Special Correspondence of the Herald
CHICAGO, March s, 1875.
EDITOR HERALD The railroad
war now being wa.sod between the
Baltimore & Ohio AID Pcnnsylo ania
Central railr ads Sc ms to continue
without any marked indication of
cessa ior. The pas NJ rates over
the Bal imore & Ohio from Chicago
to Baltimore is SO, from Chicago TO
Washiogto', s1O, and from Chicago
to Philadelpti', $12 being less than
one.h half the usual rates charged. 1t
is thought by some that tickets will
be sold to the above named points as
low as SIS within the next ten days.
The amount of travel over the road
is immense at present. The public
one and all, seeming to take advan-
tage of the unprecedently low rates.
Immense quantities of tickets are
bought by parties who do not wish
to use them at present, but will dur
ing the coming summer. A discus
sion of the day, and one of intrinsic
merit to those who hold large guam
titles Of tickets bought at present
rates (there are spectators who are
investing thousands of dollars in
them) is this: Will tickets bought
at half their usual value be accepted
next summer by the company for
passage, when the rates will have ad-
vanced TO the old standard price :?
The right of ticket holders to present
tickets ct remote date from the
time of purchasing has been contest
ed in the courts upon several oc>
casions, the decision invariably be-
ing given in favor Of the ticket hold
err. The clay over" check business
has been met with similsr results.
Upon the other band, any and all
railroad companies are permitted to
sell "half-fsre" or excursion tickets
and not be compelled to accept them
after the time for which they have
been sold may have expired. Under
this head the Baltimore & Ohio COM
pany may claim that tickets sold to
Baltimore or Washington at $40 are
excursion or half-rate tickets, and
therefore refuse them Nevertheless,
agents here are dealing out thous-
ands every day to parties who will
take their chances and hold them. 1t
is cheaper 10 go to Washington now
than to stay at home. The HERALD
is no doubt acquitted with many in
Wisconsin who have been trying to
get down to the Nation's Capital up
on cheap rate plan for some time.
Would it not DO advisable for them
to embrace this opportunity, and say
nothing to tho State abOu. it? This
spasmodic struggle through which
the two companies named arc pass
ing tends TO be draw back, more or
less. to all classes Of business rather
than to facilitate it. Together with
passenger rates, freights are as low
comparatively. The roads can not
stand such business long and the
sooner a compromise is made the bet
ter. Such DEPRESSING from tho usual
line is disastrous to the country. 1t
opens up the way to, and is the cause
OF, great financial depression. The
"Panic" through which we passed
something over year ago, the effects
of which are felt yet Qor instance,
notice the failure of business houses
in New York and other cities whose
paper gwen at that tins and now
coming due can not be mot), was
brought upon us in similar manner.
1t is probable that as long as the
world moves, such reverses will be
met with. There is sometimes way
to prevent them, but it does not
always show itself in time. The
throng of people now passing over
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad will
ride through for ten dollars if they
car, and for which they can not be
censured 10 the least. Every one
would do go A man would be fool
ish NOS to. That railroad companies
should not allow such cutting and
slashing is the point. No incorpora-
ton, however large or small, should
be permitted to do so. There should
be a law preventing too low tariff,
as we'll as one preventing too high a
tariff. 1t is thought by men who
know the resources Of both COM
panies that the trouble will not con-
tinue longer than sixty to ninety
days. Probably not so long. The
suggestions made in this letter might
be the cause of some over prudent
man rendering full fare (s22) to the
company, but as finances are at
present generally close, it is more
than probable that such will not be
the case. ALEXANDRA Kid.
Danger Ahead.