The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-07-20
A Golden Opportunity.

The landholders and business men of mid
die Hartford who have for full generation
past been signing for railroad to develop
the wonderful agricultural and manulactur-
ing resources of their beautiful section, must
now face the fact that while this potent FAC
tor is almost within their grasp they must
take another step forward, and that soon, or
the prize will be lost. The directors oil the
company have been making vigorous ezer-
tions to comply with the terms offered by
the contractors, and can fully meet them II
the people interested will grant the right-oi-
way and subscribe $4,000 to the capital
stock of the road.
There are cases, of course, in which it
would be unreasonable to expect land
owner to give free right-of-way, and in
others lack of public spirit may prevent
man from assisting in this laudabe enter
prise. Therefore, after all reasonable efforts
have been exhausted to secure the remaining
ungranted rights-of-way, it is understood
that juries of condemnation will be summon
cd, to consider, in each case, the relative pro-
portion of damages and benefits. If exces-
slve and unreasonable damages are allowed
the directors state that they will be compelled
to surrender the field The margin between
success and failure is very small, and every
obstacle, no matter how slight, that is thrown
in the way may defeat the entire project.
Messrs. John Moores and L. NJ. Allen have
diligently canvassed the entire route and
have secured the right-of-waY for about
ten miles, which is two-thirds of the
distance The remainder, it seems to US,
ought to be nearly all given by those through
whose lands the railroad would run and who
would be directly benefited by it. The total
amount of stock subscribed is little over
$4,000.
The terms upon which the railroad can be
secured are liberal but positive, and more
must be done before we can get it. Meet
ings have been held at various places in
proximity to the line of the proposed rail
road, but they were SHINY attended, owing,
probably, to the busy season, and not, we
hope, to any lack of interest or failure to
appreciate all luul tHC ploPOoSu iohi'"H
would mean to large scope of country.
Every Deer Creek farmer and Gamer can
estimate for himself, approximately, the
amount he would save each year in teams and
wagons alone, by means Of railroad, to say
nothing about the increased value of his
land and the opportunity the railroad would
afford him of engaging in more profitable
business than farming. With this estimate
before him he can easily ascertain how much
he can afford to invest with certainty ofpro-
ftabc return. 1t shonld be remembered, toe,
that according to the terms of subscription
no money is to be paid except as the work
progresses, and then in easy installments.
The contractors, too, will spend the great
or part of the money they receive along the
route of the railroad, and the expenditure of
this large amount will be an immediate ben
eft.
1t would seem strange, indeed, il our peo-
pie would let this golden opportunity escape
them. A very little effort by the friends of
the road, including small percentage of in
crease in their own subscriptions, will give
good railroad through a section in which
the agricultural interests are languishing, in
the effort to compete with the railroads and
the fertile lands of the great West.