Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-02-25
THE RAILROAD WAR.
baltimore & Ohio VS.. Pennsylvania Centra
Enormous Reductions in Freights.

Hon. John W. Garrett, President of the
Baltimore Il Ohio Railroad Company, has ad.
dressed long dispatch to Col Scott, Presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania Road, in which,
after reciting the facts relative to the warfare
between the trunk lines, be says that he has
been informed that the Pennsylvania Company
intend to deprive the Baltimore & Ohio Road
of the convenient use of the Pennsylvania
lines by Withdrawing through passenger
tickets from their offices in New York and
New England, and prohibiting the freight
cars of the Baltimore & Ohio from passing
over the tracks of the Pennsylvania Road in
the city of Philadelphia. The dispatch con-
cludes as follows:
1t is due to the grave interests involved to
state to you, that if l am correctly informed
as to the action of your Company and that
you approve OF that action, that the Baltimore
L. Ohio Company will feel at liberty to adopt
and will adopt such measures in reference to
passenger rates, and otherwise, as will vindi-
cate its ability to maintain its rights and to
secure equitable and just relations tor its bust
ness to all proper points. will be glad to
learn that serious results that will follow to
many interests from course which will other
wise be forced upon this Company, and which
no one will more sincerely regret than myself,
may be averted by prompt correction OF any
extraordinary alledged action of your Compa-
ny of which have been advised.
JOHN w. GARRETT.
To the above T. A. Scott replies ambiguous
ly, as follows:
As far as this company is concerned, you
may rely upon it that we will protect the busi-
ness of Philadelphia, and place Baltimore,
New York and other points accessible by our
lines on an equitable and fair business basis on
all matters relating to transportation over our
own road. While we desire low rates for ser
vices performed, believing it is best for the
public and for the interests of railway prosper
ity that this should be the case, we should
always be ready to take care of our share of
the business of the country. With rates and
facilities equal to those of any other Company,
the lines from Washington and Baltimore to
and from New York over our road shall be
made quite as perfect for the convenience of
the public from this date as they have ever
been at any time in the past. There shall be
no inconvenience whatever to the public by
reason of your effort to destroy the railway
property of another party. The Northern
Central Railway Company will, during the
present year, perfect its terminal facilities at
Baltimore SO as to place that city on full
equality with others on the seaboard, and it
will be the the duty of the Company whose
lines terminate there to give to Baltimore
line in every respect equal in advantages, both
as to rate and facilities, to any that the Balti-
more & Ohio may be able to offer.
1t seems to me most unfair that you should
try by the course indicated in your message to
force other parties into a policy that might re-
suit in great injury to the property they repre-
sent. If the measures to be adopted by the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company should
produce the results that you anticipate, there
will be no difficulty in understanding the mo-
tlves which prompted such course, and |
believe the railway officers and stockholders
that may be injured will hold you, as Presi-
dent of the Baltimore & Ohio Road, RESPONSE
BILE for this policy of destruction. So far as
this Company is concerned it is abundantly
able to take care of its interests and its stock
holders.
The Baltimore & Ohio railroad returns an
swer in the fcwllowing very pointed orders:
President Garrett Tuesday states that Presi-
dent Scott's telegram of Tuesday is-a tissue of
gross misrepresentation In order to compel
the Pennsylvania Railroad to open the gate
ways of commerce to the people of Philadel-
phia and New York for the Baltimore & Ohio
Road and its connections, orders have been
given by the Baltimore s. Ohio Company for
an immense reduction of rates between Wash
ington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and the lead
ing western cities, viz: between Chicago, Bal
timore and Washington from $40 to $40; be-
tween Cincinnati, Baltimore and Washington.
from $16 to $40; between St. Louis, Baltimore
and Washington from $23 to $15; between
Louisville, Baltimore and Washington from
$50 to II; between Pittsburgh, Baltimore and
Washington from So so to $6. A similar re-
duction is about being made between Phila-
delphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louis
vile and Pittsburgh. These reductions take
effect at once. 1t is understood that the Bal
timore & Ohio Company is arranging for
line of tirst-class steamships for the convey
ance of freight between New York and Balt
more. All its western connection have tele-
graphed to the Baltimore & Ohio Company
that they will cheerfully cooperate in its
policy throughout as long as the Pennsylvania
Road continues to obstruct its business to
Philadelphia and New York