The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-15
A RAILROAD FIGHT.
The Baltimore & Ohio Company's Attempt
to Enter Philadelphia.

lever occurred In this city is now IN progress ue-
tween the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and
the Baltimore & Ohio, the latter seeking an
entrance and terminal facilities to the city. For
q long time the Baltimore & Ohios project to
come in has been the bugbear of the great cor
poration which has its headquarters here on
Fourth and Walnu streets, and this company
has deprecated such an entrance, fought 1t at
every turn and fortified itself by precautionary
legislation looking to the event until it was
thought by nearly every one that there was not
the remotest possibility for the Maryland cor
poration ever to effect an entrance. But it does
seem as If all laws and all human effort adopted
to control the laws OF trade when put
to the test are nugatory, for the Balti-
moro & Ohio, despite all the systematic
and continuous opposition of the Pennsylvania,
is bound to come in. To understand the stu
alton requires a large comprehension OF the
railroad laws and the complications arising out
of them in this city, that have been in operation
for the last twenty years. The Reading has al
ways enjoyed terminal facilities in the city, both
at Ninth and Green and Broad and Callow hill;
the North Penn, in the extreme northern part OF
the city, and the Pennsylvania, at Thirty. third
and Market-prior to the Filbert street pur-
chase aud the extension and the erection OF their
depot at Broad and Filbert streets.
The Baltimore & Ohio has never had any di-
rect franchises giving il entrance, but by CO.
operation with the Reading and the facilities OF
the junction road, it has spasmodically enjoyed
during it easement leases on the old Pitts.
burg, Washington 81 Baltimore railroad-translt
through the city and some little trade. All
the while, though, the Pennsylvania was its
open and secret enemy, councils for a long time
were in the absolute control of the Philadelphia
and home corporation, as was the State Legisla-
ture, and between the two, ordinances and laws
were piled, Pelion on Ossa, adversely to the
rights of the Baltimore & Ohio, or against the
ACQUISITION of any rights. The face of railroad
matters has vastly changed in and about this
city within the past ten or twelve years. The
old and cumbersome method of freightage by
undertaking cars on Market street first disap-
peared. The abolition of the terminals in West
Philadelphia and the handsome depot built there
during the centennial epoch followed. The
MAGNIFICENT and very expensive condemnations
and purchases to secure the Filbert-street extern
sion to the heart of the city, and the erection and
uses of the new depot, freight and express Offices
on the present location. were made. All this was
an enormous work, and few who ride into Phila-
delphia now contemplate at first glance all the
outlay and engineering problem this change en-
tailed. A great contest for possession of the
through route to Washington and the
South-took place just prior to Thomas
A. Scots severe illness and death.
This road for a long time was under
the DOMINATION Oh Tie IeEUSylTduld. III 6DdlJI-
more 8 Ohio had privileges over it. The con-
test ended, finally, in the full purchase by the
Pennsylvania, the CARROTS. of Baltimore, when
they saw it was to pass TO this control, being
satisfied with turning over a cool million profit
on the transaction and accepting the inevitable.
With this predatory acquisition by the Pennsyl-
vania and the extended lateral lines it permitted
1t to make In the west confines of the city, the
managers of the Pennsylvania fattered them
selves that the exclusion of their great rival was
aOrnnlafo T11t tina naraa1 Yoilroo6 Iow IF 1868
permits railroads to be built. When this law
was passed the Pennsylvania was alert enough
to have inserted a clause prohibiting the build
ing of a road for construction above the amount
of $50, 600 per mile. This was to throw further
obstacles in the way of the B. & 0. coming into
this city, as no road could enter but at o far
greater expense per mile. In 1883 a general law
was passed removing this mileage restriction of
500, 600, secured in the interest of the South
.Pennsylyania Vanderbilt lines.
The Baltimore g. Ohio, under the general rail
road law, began the construction of a line to
Philadelphia shortly after the alienation Of the
Pittsburg, Washington d Baltimore, foreseeing
the speedy determination of their privileges over
this road when under complete Pennsylvania in
fuence. So they went to work to survey and
lay out q parallel line from Baltimore through
Maryland and Delaware and the lower southeast
corner of this State, ~property was condemned,
the preliminary construction proceeded with up
to the city line at Cobbs creek, and is now al
most finished. This was all done uncertain of
the entrance to the city. Now comes the tug of
war, and the Baltimore & Ohio is at the doors
of the city asking for entrance. All the power
of the home corporation is opposing it, and yet
it seems as if the foreign corporation would
be successful. By a combination with the
Reading they are making the fight to secure
privileges from councils to run into
The lower end of the city at a locality
known as the Meek, and cross Lower Schuyl-
kill by a draw, strike the west lateral of
the city at a point below the arsenal, and run as
the Pittsburg & Lake Erie does with you on the
south side-along the river front-to Arch and
Vine streets and thence come in across Spring
Garden, above grade, and to thesconnection with
the New York branch of Reading. This west
road will, of course, be at the terminals of the
east ard west streets and do the least damage
none at all it is claimed-by intersection. At
the Cnestnut-street crossing, under grade, IL is
proposed to erect the city passenger depot-a
magnificent structure.
The dispute (which began in councils and is to
terminate there, for these privileges) is taken up
by the people, and II is but just to say that
although the home company 1.-THE Pennsylvania
may be said to be owned here, yet the popular
sympathy is all in favor of the Baltimore 81
Ohio securing the rights they have fought so
long and arduously for. / suppose, if apoll were
taken, fully ninetenths of the voters would
grant the franchise at once. The papers-to
which the fight has been a bonanza, as both the
companies have expended very large sums in
printing and advertising-are generally favorable
10 the entrance Oh bu0 COfDp cbluS li1c, tuS
Record championing it. and the others following
with various qualifications. Much of the popu-
lar sympathy for the Baltimore & Ohio's conten-
ton to enter is due to the mastery manner in
which their case has been presented by their
counsel, MI. John X. Cowen. mot Gowen, the
names being often confoundedl the eminent
Baltimore lawyer, counsel for the Maryland COR
p~oration. His first argument before city coun-
ellis was exemplifed in thu papers and was so
graphic, plain and plausible as to make him a
fonn1 ~nrrtafinn ipayp adiu Ha iS a nla1 eapt
speaker, but his great hit is in his didaetic
method of explaining. which he does by means
of large maps, recurring SO often and happily
to them that he has won the sobriquet of
school master" He spoke last night to an i'm
mense audience in the Academy Of Music, COM
pietely captivating his auditors, using the same
map Illustrations. The replication to Mr.. Cow
EMS argument before councils was by Wayne
MacVeagh, general counsel for the Pennsylvania
road. 1t was a very able argument and mainly