, 1876-09-26


CHEAP RAILWAY TRANSPORT ALTON.
boon of great practical benefit to tho country.
and in this benefit the railroads themselves
have literally sharod, Tho opentne Of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to Chicago was
tho opening of another trunk railway from
tho Wost to the Eost, That road was out Of
debt, had a surplus greater than its capital,
md had tho shortest line. It boasted Of it's
ability to perform railway service protitably
at less rates than any Of its oyerburdenoa
coEnDetitors, and its completion was vel
comod BY tho whole pcoplo of the Valley Of
tho Mississippi. The cheap rates were
established by that road, md tho Company
was applaudod accortlingly until it was dis
covered that tho Baltimore i Ohio Ind more
ly resortcd to that service to compel tho
other trunk roads TO admit it to combinn~.
ton from which it had been previously ex-
c1udod. As soon Us tho combination was
opened to 1t, it went in with nil tho
ea1nestncss aud qualification OF veteran
monopolist. Tho era OF tho pool and
mileage ratios followed, which lasted until tho
Vanderbilt 1nnnagors discovered TINT thoir
businoss was going by the shorter routes to
the nearest points. VANDERBILT, of course,
ropudiated this losing business, aud estab-
lislled tho only just md equitable rulo, and
certainly tho only one by which Nav Yo rk
con hope to rotain It's trade, The WANDER
nt1r route Is, In miles, longer from Uhicago
to Now York thau any Of the othor lines.
but LIE has liscnrded Tho mileage theory, aud
ofTers to take froights to md from Chicago
and New York at as low rate as they aro
carried between Chicago and any other East
arn city. Tho New York Contrnl Ra!lroatl
and it's connections, though 75 miles longer
than eithor Of the other routes, has the ad /.
vantage Of ayodiugall mountain grades and
of running through level country, Through
New York it is provided with four trucks.
Tho Baltimore aud tho Philadelphia lines
haye tho disadvantage OF passing through
| tho mountain districts with tho hoayy eyodes.
Tho facilities and RESPONSIVENESS Of hand
ling grain In PHILADELPHIA and Baltimore,
and tlo clespness Of coal, are, 1t is claimed,
offset by tho commercial advantages Of Now
York CITY, and tho ability to hor1 laroer
trains. At all evonta, VANDERBILT claims
that at tho same sim per ton from any poin t
It IL to tho advantage Of tho shipper to use
his lines in preference 10 those leading to
othor cities. We assume that, by establish
Ing this limo Of policy, ho Inns beon rocoyer-
ing portion Of tile trado which Ind boon
directed to other points, and has been 70.
taining for New York other trads TINT
threatened at one time to abandon that city.
We aro confirmed In this opinion somo-
what by roaling that President GARRETT,
of tho Baltimore l. Ohio Railway Com.
pany, Inns been declaring that tho New
York Coutral d Hudson River TAIL
road Co,unany. by making the aamo
rates of ;frc,oht botweon tho Wast
md New York A are charged by shorter
lines to other cities, and tliscardiuR milepee,
not only ..ieuores tho laws of trade" bui
III noting absurdly. Tho solieftutlo of the
President Of the baltimore l. Ohio Railroatl
lest the Now York Compapy would iuiuro II.
flnapcos betraye a generosity TINT Is go sarf
that, in tho liQht Of the mast. It looks liko an
ojror for n,nther combination. will, advanoat
ratos all around
ria tiua for ro;,rooa conb,,ot,on, mn;