Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-10-12
MIscELLAREous.
HON. JOHNSON N. CAMDEN.

hoN. dOdNNON N. CAmU6N.
The basslsss and mean charges which have
bsen psrsistsntly made against the eminent
gentleman above named have at las: been
fully refased by np open, manly letter,
which appears over bis own signature, in the
Vest Vir1iniu Walking Beam. We regret
that, in full justice to Mr.. Camden, we are
unable to give the letter entire, but have to
content ourself with the extract below which
is certainly sufficient to place Mr. Camden
in proper light before all honorable men.
ond forever set at res. the groundlcss in
s'nuatI'ns which have been cast against hin:
There is another subject to which | wish
to refer. 1t has been so long and persist
eatiy circulated that am largely Interested
in the b. & o Railroad that [ am some
times In danger of figuring it up 10 my as
sets, when in truth l never owned dollar
Of its stock, or had cent of interest in it in
any form. My relations with the road have
been purely of business character. and 7
have sought to make that quite as adyanta-
geous ts the oil interest aud the interest of
Parkersbarg, as to myself, and if the fore,
sight aud business enterprise of the Camden
Con Oil Co, has at any tune secured for it
advantageous business arrangements, the oil
interest OF West Virginia and the Citv of
Parksrshurg have shared in these advanta,
ges. This is illustrated hy at least ono case
In point 1t has been urged that refused
to snswer the questions propounded by the
railroad Investigating committee, of which
Col johnson was chairman, requiring mo to
state what private arrangements, If auy. I
had with tho & o. Railroad Co. I re-
fused TO answer the question for the reason
that | considered it an improper one, and an
infringement upon the rights of the indi.
vIdual. in which the Legislature sustained
me, although l afterwa7d asked permission
OF the Senate to answer, which was declined
for the reason that tho committee oonld onlv
then act by direction of the Legislature
The ruin Of tho most important manuf.ctpr.
ing interest OF Parkers5urg was involved in
that question, and it may be interesting to
give the answer in this connection. Years
prior to that tune the Camden Con Oil Co
had represented to the 3. & o. Railroad
Co. that In order to build up apy large
manufacturing interest in oil on it's road at
farkersbure. 1t was necessary to bring tho
crude oil chiefly from Pcnnoylvanis. as tho
production in West Virginia was small. and
to do thnt and succeed. it was nccessarv for
ths B. Il 0 r. r. to equalize freight by
way OF Parkersburg to the sea board on oil
from Pennsylvania, that is, If the i & q.
road would make the same rate Of freights
from Parkersbursburg TO Baltimore as from
Pittsburgh to Baltimore aud allow for the
cast of bringing the crude oil from Pitts
burg t. Parkersburg, to be refined and
shipped over its road to Baltimore. that ,he
Camden Con Oil Co would contract to shin
a given amount per year over the road to
Ia timore The B & o. R. r. Co. as bu
sinsss proposition Of reciprocal advantages
entered into this arrangement, and under
this arrangement the Camden Con Oil Co.
built up largo manufacturing business at
l'arkershuEg, and for more than three wears
shipped to Baltimore over 250OO barrels
oil refined oil per year, in competition with
Pittsburg refneries. Expendine in Park
ersburg at leas; a million dollars year for
slaves. barrels. labor, material. &c II was
evidently unwise for me. and detrimental to
the vital Interests CT Parkersburg to expose
to competing rsilroeds and other interests
outside OF the State, the arrangements By
| which we were enabled to do this large bu-
sIness at Parkersburg under supposed dis.
advantages. The arrangement iu itself was
cred'tabie to the business management OF the
road, and to the eEteTprise of the Camden
Con. Oh Co., and tended to build IN the
manufacturing interest of Psrkersburg. The
result, however, of tho Investigation and the
proceedings had before the Legislature
caused the road to abroga.e the arrangement
and practically to destroy Parkersbure's oil
business, for it is evident that nanufactu>
rer st Parkersburg could cot bring crudo oil
from PennsyIvanis, refine and ship it TO the
seaboard and sell in conn petition with oil
shipped direct from PsnDsylvanis to tho sea.
board, unless undsr some such arrangement
to equalize freights. The result has bsen
that for the past two years the Camden Con
Oil Go. has not shipped a barrel of oil east
fer export from Parkersburg. Parkersburg
has lost its business; the G. G. O. Co's
works are idle; it was forced to sell i,s ste.n,
boat, barges and equi ipments for bringing oil
| from Pennsylvania. and transfer e.nitsl +o
baltimore to build re6neries there to t.ke
tho place of those left idle at Park.r.lrr,-
hany men were thrown ont of emnIovrsnf
and who was benefited b7 it? CertainIv M.
the people of Petersburg. nor the oil inter.
G. est OF west virginia, nor the Camden Con.
va 20. Inns is the answer to the question
SO often asked why the G. G. o. Co, or the
monopoly as 1t is called. are not doing more
business here, and why laboring men cannot
GET employment. Il has been prevented
from doing so, and it is just as true now, that
the producing interest of West Virginia il
largely benefited and sustained by the bn.
sIness OF the G. G. o, c.. as it was true then
tnae the manufacturing business of Psrkers>
burg was benefited by its arrangements. if
IT was not so the producers would NOT find
the ready market and steady advance over
prices OF Pennsylvspia oils they now enjoy.
hcPe my oil friends will not regard it