The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-05-15
Reasons Why Baltimore Should Build
the Elkton and MIdiletown Rail
road.

If the merchants and capitalists Of Bal
timore realized the advantages to be de-
rived from the construction of this road
half as well as the editors and cores
pendent of the SIM the road would soon
be built:
MESSRS. EDITORS. the Della
ware railroad was constructed nearly all
the trade of the peninsula was with Bal
timorc. Farmers sent their grain to Bal
timore and groceries and other necessary
supplies there. The products and popu-
alton of the peninsula have largely in
creased since then. The quantity of
grain annually raised, to say nothing of
peaches and other fruit, is now estimated
to be over 1900, 600 bushels. much the
larger portion of which now goes to
Philadelphia and New York; all of which
can be diverted to Baltimore. because it
is the best market, and in return the nee
essary supples-such as groceries, dry
goods, fertilizers. lumber and other re-
uuiSites for farmerS-would be purchased
in Baltimore. as formerly Most of the
passenger travel that must necessarily
follow this trade would pass over this
short and cheap road of II miles. costing
less than 5000. 000-S5S 600 of which was
subscribed by the State at the last ses-
sion of the Legislature, thereby making
it paying road to the stockholders.
This road will reduce the distance from
Middletown to Baltimore. via Whining
ton. as now travelled. over 30 miles,
Even by the circuitouS route via Will
mingron to Baltimore the annual revenue
from the Delaware road from points
south of Middletown amounts to within
Il fraction of $40. 600, which is believed
to be about one-tenth the revenue from
the same points to Philadelphia, showing
the large trade Baltimore has lost by
reason of increased railroad facilities to
Philadelphia. and which will be restored
to Baltimore when this short road is
made. paying large dividends to the
stockholders from the start. y l'hila-
delphia paper. the Times. says: THE
proposed road, if built. would cut down
the peninsular trade of Philadelphia and
Wilmington and build up that Of Balti-
more Formerly the latter city had much
more of the trade than now. but within
the last twenty years Philadelphia inter-
ests have been gradually extending. to
the detriment of those of Baltimore
The new road would tend to turn the
tide again
The "Elkton and Middletown rail-
road will have as feeders 466 miles of
railroads. connecting it with lateral roads
that pass through rich agricultural
! country, south of Middlctown. and nu-
merous large towns. such as Chestertown,
Centreville and Easton. which towns
have no other means of reaching Balti-
more during the Winter season than by
rail- The Delaware railroad and tribu-
taries was built principally by Philadel-
phia and Wilmington enterprise: those
cities are now reaping the fruits thereof.
Will Baltimore longer hesitate to build
this short link of II miles and recover
the trade that has been taken from her
by Il little Northern enterprise? | trust
not If the Corn Exchange and Board
of Trade of this city will appoint an ac-
tive working committee to solicit sub
scriptiouS from merchants DESTROYS of
increasing their business and capitalists
seeking for paying Investments, no doubt
the necessary amount can soon he OBJ
tanned. The Delaware railroad i; leased
by the Philadelphia, Wilmington 4 Bal
timore road and pays handsome divi-
dends. The ELTON and Mddletown
road will carry all the trade aud pasSen
StIS lIldl ttlllt oNcl INC iiIlI IlI IbHt
from and below Middlctown for Balti-
more. The President of the Philadel-
plia. Wilmington & Baltimore road has
agreed to pay handsome percentage of
the gross receipts of their road from all
passengers and freight brought to their
road at the junction at E!kton and Mid
dletown. and furnish ears and do the
work at the dcpots at Elkton and Mid
. lIatn,,-,, nj ,,,bIorntn n1, #
Upon which the editor OF the sun co!n-
ments as follows:
The SIM has very often urged the bust
+ ness necessity to Baltimore of this most
important "cut Off. which our citizens
can secure by the Subscription Of simply
$50, 900. The road will only be twelve
miles long, it will put us thirty miles
nearer by rail to all points on the East
crn Shore than we now are. and it will
restore to Baltimore the lost trade of the
rapidly growing bay counties. The pro-
posed cut off will tap the Delaware Rail
road-the stem of the herring bone -
railroad system of the Eastern Shore and
Delaware-at Middletown, and will place
Baltimore nearer to those sections than
is Philadelphia. The merchants of Bal
timore ought to build this road at once.
as much for the sake of the Eastern Shore
as for their own SakcS. Minor enterprises
of this sort will contribute in a remarka-
BILE way to consolidate and give utility to
our larger advantages. In grasping ut
the grain trade of the West we should
not lose sight of the crops of our own
eastern counties, which ought to fill many
a bin in our elevators and freight many a
shin r., T. Ilnn 1t,,vIa1 Of
! Shore grain brought to Baltimore pays
us, i'll indirect ways more than five bush
els brought from Chicago. for the Mary
land grain is sold i'll our market. and the
money paid for it remains III circulation
here. 1t is employed to buy in the Bati-
more market the things which the East
ern Shore farmer needs. and which he
now buys in Philadeiphia-sHch things
as tools, implements, fertilizers. clothing.
groceries, lumber dc. 1t goes to sup
port our hotels and orr places of amuse-
ment, to employ Baltimore labor and rein
force Baltimore capital. 1t is in these
| things that the great advantage of con-
| trolling the trade of local and adjacent
sections consists. and to nurse and fos-
! ter that trade is part of the necessary
| policy of every prudent community-tak-
| ing care Of the pennies in order to give
| the gulneas chance to take care Of them
! selves. This valuable local traffic can.
and ought to, be made an important CO.
adjuvant to the great and increasing
through trade, of which Baltimore is the
| ehfFCpOf, We hope to Snc the day. and
we believe that day IL Hot far distant.
when the Western merchants who ship
grain here for export, because it is the
cheapest market, will also come or send
here to buy their supplies and groceries
! and foreign goods and domestic manu-
| features for the same reason, that Balt-
more is the cheapest market for such
things likewise. We hope to see the
time when every year a hundred million
bushels OF western grain. shipped through
this port to Europe, will all be converted
into raw materials for Baltimore manu-
facturers to employ their labor and CAPT
tai upon, returning again to the West in
the shape of manufactured articles. every
one of which represents Il profit to Balti-
more skill and industry and enterprise
But until we can show our ability to be
come the best and cheapest market for
the citizens of our own State and our
nearest neighbors, We can scarcely hone
to convince buyers in more distant locali-
ties Of the advantages We are able to hold
out to them. OF Ole thing let our mer-
chants rest assured: Ii such an oppor-
tunlty as the construction of this Eikton
and Middletown cut off were offered to
the business men of Cincinnti. Chicago.
or St. Louis, it would not be many hours
before all ti.n stock would be subscribed
nor many weeks before tie road was
completed and i'm OIrratiuu