The daily gazette., 1883-02-27
RaiIroads in sussex County


Railroads in sussex County.
Ifthsrs Is one thing more than another
dear to the heart OF the average Sussex
eountian 1t 80 railroad, either as matter
soffact or in the shape Of charter, from
which BIS fond Imagination equips double
line Of shining rails which daily transport
huge trains Of loaded ears, rapidly
bearing the products OF old Sussex
to the markets of the world. In his mind
the roads on paper are preferable, as they
cost less than roads Of iron and steel to be
tTRversed by locomotives aud carriages and
are, to him, constant reminders of the
future greatness Of his section Of the
country.
Just now Sussex county is having the
railroad fever in the worst possible manner,
and the cause Of this latest eruption is bill
before the Legislature to amend the charter
Of the Sussex Midland Railroad Company
so as to allow the construction Of q line
from Georgetown to Lewes, which
would be in direct competition to
the Junction g. BreaISwater. Now,
strange as It may appear, not a single cross
tie Of the Sussex Midland railroad has been
laid, although its charter has been in ex-
istenee moro than a dozen years, and yet
the permission for its projected extension to
the Breakwater Is as valiantly fought for as
though 1t had depots in Georgetown
fairly bursting with freights, and ocean
steamers at Lewes only waiting for the lay
ing OF rails across the intervening distance
to carry the fruits of Sussex energy and In
dustry TO ports on the other side OF the At
lantic ocean. The new line Ia said TO be
bIek'd by New York capitalists, and the
idea In contemi lali, n is an ''air line" from
Washington. across the Chesapeake bay and
lower Delaware to LEWIS, where i'm.
mense coal depots are to
be constructed AS outlets for the mines of
Maryland aud Virginia, and tho wealth Of
business thus brought to the chief seaport
of Sussex is to result Ia the erection Of shops
factories and dwellings, until the sleepy old
town strides gigantically to the froht as the
leading city of the Peninsula, leaving even
WILMINGTON far In the rear.
This is the rosy picture drawn by the ad-
vocates of the Sussex Midland amendment,
but strange as it may seem, there are many
old fogies in the State who oppose their pet
scheme and cruelty suggest that they had
better get their main live constructed before
they ask permission to branch out to the
rea. And, worse than all, Il Is lntImated
that there are more railroads now in Sussex
county than can pay operating expenses,
and that competing lines would simply be
drain upon the people and a dead
loss to all who put their money into such
superfuous concerns.
We regret exceedingly that we cannot join
with those who see such rosy visions OF the
future In the railroad scheme that Is now
agitating Sussex, but we are constrained to
admit that IN our opinion Sussex county has
plenty of railroads, even on paper, to last
for years, without any amendment or In
crease. Let any person take a map of
the county and look at the various
lines already In existence, and see II he can
with the Delaware railroad traverslng the
western section, the j. &. B. fairly covering
the north and east, and the Breakwater &
Frankfort affording facilities for the resi-
dents of the southeastern portion-fnd any
opportunity for a new road to pick up busi-
ness enough to pay operating expenses, to
say nothing OF interest and dividends on
stock. The existing lines, with a
single exception, are as yet Improbable in
vestments, and the construction of a new
road, under these circumstances, would be
such perfect folly, that we doubt If thou
stnd Il rs could be raised In Sussex
county for tie honest purpose of being ex-
p nded in su, h visionary scheme.
There are other and equally potent rea-
Sous against the Sussex Midland movement,
but the utter impraeiicability of the enter
prise ought to be sufficient 10 induce
the Legislature TO give it no
further encouragement. Railroads on paper
are of no benefit to a community,
however profitable they may be to
q few individuals, and when the Sussex
Midland Is backed by solid organization
and only lacks an outlet at Lewes to make 1t
. complete success, it will be time enough
for the Legislature to grant the desired per-
mission.