Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-10-09

The last issue of the Wdlkin6
Beam, published at Parkesrburg,
and which has persistaEtly mis-
represented Mr.. Camden publishes
a letter from that gentleman, from
which we make the following
short extract, as being of general
interest
have noticed many articles in
your paper in which my position
on certain questions is either great
ly misunderstood or strangely
misrepresented. / will be glad if
you will grant me the courtesy of
a reply.
X y \
There is another subject TO
which II wish to refer. 1t has
been so longIand persistantly cir
culated that ! am largely interest
ed in the B. & o. Railroad, that l
am sometimes in danger Of figur-
ing it up in my assets. when in
truth l never owned dollar off
stock, or had a cent of interest in
it in any form. My relations with
the road have been purely of bu-
siness character, and l have sought
to make that quite as advanta-
geous to the oil interestland the in-
terest of Parkersburg, as to N.Y.
self, and if the foresight and bust
ness enterprise Of the Camden
Con. Oil Co., has at anytime secur-
ed for it advantageous business ar
engagements, the oil interest Of
West Va, and the City Of Park
ersburg have shared in these adj
vantages. This is illustrated by at
least one case in point. 1t has been
urged that / refused to answer the
questions propounded by the rail-
road investigating committee, of
which Col. Johnson was chairman,
requiring me to state what private
arrangements, il any, | had with
the b & O. Railroad Co. l refus-
ed to answer the question for the
reason that l considered it an i'm
proper one, and an infringement |
upon the rights Of the individual,
in which, the Legislature sustain
ed me, although afterward ask
ed permission of the Senate to an
sWer, which was declined for the |
ceason that the committee could |
only then act by direction of the |
Legislature. The ruin ofthe most
important. manufacturing interest |
Of Parkersburg was involved in
that question, and it may be inter
esting to give the answer in this
connection. Years prior to that |
time the Camden Con. Oil Co,
had represented to the B. & o.
Railroad Co., that in order to build |
up any large manufacturing inter
est in oil on its road at Parkers-
burg, it was necessary to bring the
crude oil chiefly from Penna. as
the production in West Va, was
small and to do that and succeed,
it was necessary for the 3. & O. r.
r. to equalize freight by way of
Parkersburg to the sea board on |
oil from Penna., that is, if the b.
g. o. road would make the same
rate of freights from Parkersburg
to Baltimore as from Pittsburgh |
to Baltimore, and allow for the
cost of bringing the crude oil |
from Pittsburgh Ito Parkers-
burg, to be refined and ship
ped over its road to Balti-
more, that the Camden Con. Oil
Co., would contract to ship a CIV
en- amount per year over the road
to Baltimore. The B. & 0. Il. II.
Co. as a business proposition of
reciprocal advantages entered into
the arrangement, and under this
arrangement the Camden Con. Oil
Co., built up large manufactur-
ing business at Parkersburg, and
for more than three years shipped
to Baltimore over 100000 barrels
of refined oil per year, in COMPETE
ton with Pittsburgh refneries.
Expending in Parkersburg at
least O million dollars year for
slaves, barrels, labor, material,
&c. 1t Was evidently unwise for
me, and detrimental to the vital
interests Of Parkeroburg to expose
to competing railroads and other
interests outside of the State, the
arrangements by which we were
enabled to do this large business
at Parkersburg under supposed
Disadvantages. The arrangement
in itself was creditable to the bust
ness management of the road, and
to the enterprise of the Camden
Con. Oil Co, and tender to build
up the manufacturing interest Of
Parkersburg. The result, bowev-
err, of the investigation and the
proceedings had before the Legis-
ture caused the road to abrogate
the arrangement, and practically
to destroy Parkersburg's oil bust
ness. for il is nNident that a MANN