Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-02-21
MINER.
CUMBERLAND CULLINGS.
Legal Errors-What Ought to Be--And
What Appears Not to Be
Nous Verrons.

" HUI appears NOt 10 be
Nous Verrons.
CUMBERLAND, Feb. u, 1885.
To the MINING JOURNAL.
Being over on the west side yester-
day and hearing that two prisoners
were to be sentenced, dropped in at
the Temple of Justice, where found
His Honor, Judge Hoffman, upon the
bench about to perform very painful
duty towards young married man
who preferred to be tried by jury in
Allegany county rather than trust his
life in the hands of twelve Garrett
county men, who would probably have
given him equal justice.
What a great mistake some lawyers
make in taking advantage of the pres
ent law by advising their clients to
make an affidavit to the effect that
they do not believe they could have a
fair trial in their own county, and
therefore preferred to be tried among
strangers. 1t is generally an evidence
of weakness in their cause, and very
rarely turns out better for the client.
If we have a new constitution in
1887 the law will probably be amended
and the judicial system also. Every
county should have resident judge in
our estimation, and the Court of APP
peals should be an independent body
as it was under the constitutions of
1851 and 1864. Garrett county should
be entitled to a resident Judge, and no
two circuit judges should come from
the same county.
The "raging canawl' seems to be
lowering upon the ragged edge be-
tween Hope and Despair, and depend
ing for success this year upon the ac
ton of the Maryland and American
coal companies.
l hear some people say that the
Georges Creek and Cumberland rail-
road, instead of being a benefit to the
canal, so far has been an injury, as
those companies seem to prefer to ship
their coal principally over the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad, which fought
them so hard when they wanted a
crossing at Hay street. ] hope such is
not the case, as our city council appro-
priated $65,O00 to the Pennsylvania
railroad in Maryland, thinking the city
would be benefited in the way Of COM
petition in freights, and that our canal
would be benefited by increased ship
ments of coal after the Cumberland
and Pennsylvania railroad had IL COM
petitor. The people of Cumberla nd
do not as yet discover the benefits
which were expected when this new
road was completed to Homecoming, as
they see by the official report last year
that the Cumberland and Pennsylya-
MIA railroad and the Cumberland
Branch shipped by canal 275, 199 tons
of Georges Creek coal, whereas the
Maryland and the American coal COM
panies together only shipped 69,765
tons by canal. The same two compan-
les shipped by the Baltimore AMI Ohio
railroad 263, 1914 tons, and by the Penn
sylvania railroad 156,959 tons. In
other words, the city of Cumberland
gave to one railroad $65, 900 to enable
these two companies to break up the
canal by having an outlet through the
Pennsylvania railroad, independent of
the Cumberland and Pennsylv ania
railroad. The question now is-which
benefits Cumberland the most the
Consolidation coal company or the
Maryland and American coal compan-
ies9 The shipments by canal this year
will answer the question. CADMUS.
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