Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-03-12
The Battle Of the Giants.

like that of the old woman who witnessed
the fight between her husband and the
bear-one Of perfect indifference. But
then we cannot help remembering that it
was the Pennsylvania Central which built
our road, after years of suppEication to
Mr.. Garrett to do so, and this too after
Southern Maryland had for so many years
befriended the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road, both by pouring out its taxes uncom-
plainingly to help build it and then by the
votes of it's delegates in the Legislature in
granting favorable legislation whenever it
was sought. Indeed in this section we al
ways felt a pride in the road and sought
in every way to foster and build it up. In
return for all this, when the management
of the road was besought by our people not
to allow the charter of the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad to pass into the hands of
foreigncapitalists, we were thought scarce
~ worthy of a reply. The people then
began to have a glimmering of what be-
came afterwards the broad glare of know
ledge: That the Baltimore and Ohio,
whilst in every sense of the word it was a
Baltimore road, to that extent and no
more was it Maryland road. Of course ell
of us feel a natural interest and pride in the
welfare and prosperity of the Monumental
City. She is the child of our common
mother the State-her eldest born and
fairest-bone of her bone and flesh of her
fesh and any benefit bestowed upon her
will in due proportion rebound necessari
ly to the benefit of the rest of the State
The rest of the State, at least we may speak
for our section, has always appreciated
this fact and acted up to the full measure
of that appreciation. But we do insist
upon it, that ever since Mr.. Garrett has
had control of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad it has been managed by him sole
ly in the interests of the city and to the
utter ignoring of the rest of the State.
Any man who will examine the tariff of
freight over this road will find the most
glazing and preposterous discrimination
against local traffic and in favor Of through
freights. In this respect the local freight
tariffs on either the New York Central or
the Pennsylvania Central will compare
most favorably-they being very nearly
one hundred per cent. lower by :he two
latter roads than by that of the Maryland
company. For years and years we know
very great effort was made to induce
Mr.. Garrett to mete out some sort fjustice
to local interests along the line of his road,
but without avail, until at last the peo-
pie have given up the contest. and now
there is very little more evidence of pros
perity along the line of the road than
there was twenty years ago, when Mr., G.
assumed the Presidency. Any man travel |
ling along the line of the Pennsylvania
Central, New York Central, Erie or Hud- |
son River Railroads is amazed at the evil |
dences of great wealth and prosperity
which he witnesses from the time he !
starts until he reaches the end of his jour
an almost continuous village, whilst the
traveller over the B. & o. r. r. passes
through a monotonus wilderness, almost |
in its primeval state, except here and
there where the company, out of its own
funds, has established workshops or built
a fine hotel. Why is this? 1t will not do |
to give the sterotyped answcr-that our
people lack energy and capital. That is
all bosh. If the energy and capital were !
not here the magnificent water-po er OF
Weverton and other places equally well
done elsewhere. Look at the Washington
Branch of this same road-the oldest road |
in the country, located between the Ne
tropolis of the State and the Capital of
the Nation. 1t passes through almost as
much of wilderness as the B. & P. r. r.
which has only been established so short
time. All this can be attributed to but
one fact-a lack Of encouragement to, if
not positive discrimination against To-
cal traffic. When we look at all this, con-
nected with the further action of Mr.. Gar
rett in repudiating the solemn contract to
pay to the State of Maryland the one-fifth
of the gross receipts from passenger travel
on the Washington Branch, we feel our
selves justified in saying that his road is
not a Maryland one except in so far as the
State at large is benefited through the city
of Baltimore.
Mr.. Garrett is a great railroad manager,
perhaps the best in this country, but he
runs his road entirely in the interests Of
its stockholders To this we take no OBJ
lection, except that we object to its being
sought to be made, par excellence, the Ma
ryland road. This being so, it seems to
rs that tbs Pennsylvania Central in the
sight now going on is as much if not more
entitled to our sympathy than its antago-
mist. It too seeks, whilst running in the
interests of its stockholders, to benefit
Baltimore city. But It's policy has al
ways been to strengthen itself by building
I'D local trade and traffic, until now it has
such mine of wealth along it's whole line.
that it may safely stand the brunt of any
injury which may be inflicted on its thro'
business In the present contest. 1t is true
that thus far we have not seen much evil
r. IL, 81 Mt