Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-06-02

~ PSi p'S@A>AASo w $4,000
THOSE families who desire to accom-
modate summer sojourners should not
put their prices too high. 1t must be
remembered that board, etc, can be
obtained at watering places Of high
repute at low rates. Any attempt at
fancy prices here will drive visitors
away, who, latterly, like other people,
are inclined to count the cost and
select the cheapest. In other words
they don t want much of our splendid
scenery charged for in board and lodg-
ing bills. They even want as much OF
our salubrious air and pure water as
we can spare for nothing.
NARROW GAUGE.-The engineers
in charge Of The survey and location
of the Narrow Gauge railroad from
. Cum elland to Homecoming and other
points in the Georges Creek valley,
are now busily engaged in making NJ
their specifications, ETC., with the
view of putting the work under con
tract at the earliest possible day. 1t
is the determination of the company
to push the entire work forward as
RAPIDLY as circumstances will permit
This road is intended AS direct
feeder to the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal; hence its great Importance to
this county, to say nothing Of the
State at large. The canal company,
fully recognising this fact, have, it is
understood, by and with the consent
of the stockholders, agreed to give
the necessary aid asked for at tAeil
hands.
The building of this road at this
particular time is a matter of the
gravest Importance to the people Of
this coal field, and will no doubt be
fully appreciated by all classes as the
first and most available escape from
the perils of threatened monopoly
of our carrying trade. As such it
will afford the strongest possible
guarantee that the canal can and will
command its share, and thus maintain
itself against the alleged designs Of its
great rival to wipe it out OF existence.
Whether such allegations be we'll
founded or not, contingency invol-
wing so much power in any corpora
ton is not desirable. The Baltimore
and Ohio railroad may be great and
good establishment if we accept sue
cess as the standard of merit, but we
cannot prefer a condition Of things
which invests it with the arbitrary
exercise of its own will. The miners OF
this region had a taste of its oninaus
toward them last winter, and yet that
might have been a mere premonition
of what would follow We're it to gain
greater ascerdancy The same could
no doubt be said Of the canal con
pany under similar circumstances.
The provision OF boats for coal car
riage can beas easily prohibited as the
provision If cars for the same use, and
We have no reason to assume they
would be less arbitrary in matters MOI
concerning them than the railroad
company, had they the same discre-
ton.
1t must be remembered, however.
that the building of the narrow guage
road Is not necessarily the panacea for
low wages. 1t will not follow, OF
course, that the new road is to be an
established argument in favor of high
rates for digging coal. But it will in
sure this much, that when the canal
is operating it will ih'all probability
not be the province Of the railroad
company to stop general work by re-
fusing cars. And the canal, depend
ing almost wholly upon coal carriage,
will rarely, if ever, play into the
hands Of its great adversary by refus-
ing to furnish boats. This condition
of affairs will diminish very much the
power and inclination of both to en-
force lower wages by stopping the
means Of transportation.
The matter Of wages will therefore
stand upon much sounder basis than
now, and the probabilities for steady
work will also be very much improv-
ed. The equal competition of the
two lines will be great element en-
abling the miners to command fair
prices for mining, and an immense
factor in the scarcely less important
work of developing our resources.
1t is hoped that Cumberland's vital