The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-07-28
3 The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.


Board of Directors of the Baltimore 6 Ohio
Railroad Company, giving an account of his
recent visit to the Pacific coast. 1t was
generally supposed that the trip of Mr.. Gar
rett was taken solely for health and pleasure,
built appears that if such was the impeling
cause the business, and interests of the road,
aud necessarily those of the State and the
city ofBallimorc, were not neglected What
Mr.. Garrett says in regard TO the interests
the city of Baltimore has in the Baltimore
Il Ohio Railroad applies as well to the in
terests the State has in the road
1t is to be hoped that all differences exist
ing between the State and this company
will be finally settled at as early period as
possible, on a firm and equitable basis, by
prompt action upon the part of the courts to
which the controversy between the State
and the company has been referred, The
interests of both demand it. That the COM
pany did not accept the proposition made
by the Legislature in 1872 was mistake,
for If this had been done all the past bad
feeling which has been engendered by the
enemies of the road would have been avoid.
ed, and the money and time consumed in
legislative debates and suits at law would
have been saved. Still, when it is remem-
bered that the very highest legal talent of
the State Reverdy johnson included, advis-
Cd The course which was taken in these mat
tiers by the company il is not to be wonder
ell that il was followed, although other
friends might have counscllcd differently.
1t is useless now, however, to say what
should have been done. The situation rs it is
must be accepted, and we repeat that the
best interests of the State and of the city of
Baltimore will be promoted by an early set
tlemcnt of all points in controversy and MS
Mr.. Garrett says, when that is done, the con.
tinued cooperation and just and equitable ac-
ton of the State and city must be relied ON.
With such course, which, unqucstionably,
will show the highest wisdom on the part of
the State and city, the tax payers may hope
not only to realize the immense advantages
which arc now being secured by the enter
prise and powerful connections of the Balti.
more and Ohio road, but they may also
reasonably look for the relief which now
flows from the successful completion of the
plans and works of the Baltimore and Ohio
company.
1t is evident that the great ambition of
Mr.. CARROTS life is to make the city of Bal
timorc, the place of his nativity, the success
full rival of New York, as one of the great
commercial centres of the United States, and
it is not at all an improbable thing that his
wishes will eventually be fully realized
MR., GARRETT's TRIP TO THE wEsr-DEvEL.
oPMENT OF BALTIMORE INTERESTS.
The regular monthly meeting of the board
of directors of the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road was held at Camden station, President
Garrett in the chair. After the transaction
of the routine business, the president gave II
sketch of his recent trip Of 1000 miles over
the connections Of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad to the Pacific. He stated the pros
poets for increased business in view of the
great advantages of the port of Baltimore
and of its geographical location to the cities
of Chicago, st. Louis, Cincinnati, Louisville
&c. He called attention to the fact that the
Cincinnati Southern road would be open for
one hundred and sixty miles, from Cincinna.
ii 10 II point south of Danvile Ky, by
january the first next, and that it was eX-
pected by the trustees that the entire line
from Cincinnati, through Kentucky, to
Chattanooga, Tennessee 1888 miles,) would
be completed by July 1, 1877. The city Of
Cincinnati has already appropriated $40,
900, 1000 to the construction of this work.
Mr. Garrett stated that he looked especially
for large increase of business between Gin
,inpoti and RnItimDrn n la inn
mense advantages in distance for Cincinnati
using Baltimore as its Atlantic port. The
advantage by the Baltimore and Ohio road
to Baltimore in distance, rs compared with
New York, by the New York Central road
to Cincinnati, is 304 miles,
Mr.. Garrett called attention to the fact that
The latitude of San Francisco is 3747, of
Washington, Baltimore and Cincinnati 49,
Of Louisville 80, St. Louis 3S4 and of New
York 40 degrees, showing the natural geo
graphical relations Of these great centres OF
business as being with Baltimore and not
New York.
From arrangements in progress he antici
pated large business with the Central Pa
cific and Union Pacific railways in tens and
other goods from China through San Fran
cisco via Baltimore to Europe Also through
changes of tariff by the Pacific railways, of
large business from local points east of the
Pacilic coast, especially of ores, bullion and
general merchandise and live stock.
The difference in distance in favor of Bal
timore by way of Chicago, as compared with
New York from San Francisco, is 179 miles,
and by way ofSt Louis $50 miles. Passcn-
ger and freight traffic heretofore have been
diverted from their natural channels from
San Francisco by tariffs based upon erro-
neous principles more being charged in
many instances TO Baltimore and Washing
ton than to New York, and traffic being sent
by New York TO Baltimore and Washington,
% Instead of by way of Washington and Balti-
more to New York. Mr. Garrett also OK.
pressed the opinion that under properly.ar-
ranged tariffs there should be largely in
creased business between the merchants of
San Francisco and the Pacific States and the
merchants of Baltimore.
MIR. Garrett remarked that during his alb
sence he observed statements made in con-
nection with the Valley railroad rs an in
ducement for the commissioners of finance
to intervene and give their instructions OF
: their advice TO the directors of that road, that
J.. the city had q larger interest i'm the Western
Maryland than In the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, naming the interest in the Western
Maryland road to be $4,000,000 Certainly
that had proved most unfortunate interest
for the city, involving constant and heavy
taxation upon the people of Baltimore, with
very limited comparative advantages. 1t is
local line which should have been built by
the interests in connection with the city of
Baltimore which were benefited by it. The
expenditures upon extensions OF this line
will be additional burdens upon the taxpay-
ers of Baltimore But what is the interest