Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-01-13
IMPORTANT CANAL MEETING.
Speeches Of Col. Alfred Spates, Judge W. '
Boaic, DR.. WoottOn and others.

The canal meeting held here on Saturday
of last week brought out large number o
the citizens of this county. Upon the motioI
of Col. VIM. Kilgour, Mr.. Oliver s. Maui
was elected chairman and Mr.. Ernest Oar
BY, secretary.
The chairman stated that the object Of the
meeting was to appoint delegates from this
county TO cooperate with similar repre-
sentative bodies of the other canal counties
in an effort to induce the Maryland Legis
lature and the National Congress to appro
pirate money to relieve the canal from It's
present financial embarrassment
Col Alfred Spates, of Allegany county
who had been invited to be present, was the
first to address the meeting. He stated that
the other canal counties exhibited live in.
terest in the present effort to revive the
canal. He recited the history of this great
water way, and demonstrated the old time
interest taken in it by repeating toast Of
Cost johnson before certain body of bril-
liant intelligence-"Thec canal first, the Bal
timore and Ohio second the canal had de-
veloped the great coal fields of Western
Maryland and sent the railroad to the wild
west" He illustrated by figures the vast
business that had been done by the canal
and its usefulness spoke of the disadvan-
tages that it is now operated under against
its formidable competitor, the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. He spoke with familiarity
of the connection of the foremost men oi
this county with the canal in its sasast aYs,
and in point of support that it gave to labor
in this county he said that it had been shown
by an illustrious foreign engineer that it cost
$500 per mile annually to maintain the ca
nal-lock- k-tending, repairs, &C., included
and that amount expended on thirty-six
miles in this county distributed $21 1600.-
He was willing to forfeit the States interest
in the canal, as she had long ago been re-
Quilted by large amount Of taxes, &c,
from the improvements along its line. The
aid that We may now give was only doing
what our fathers before US had done, and
closed with warm appeal to the citizens
of this county to give all the aid that they
could, SO that we once more can see whether
the canal can live in competition with the
railroad.
Judge Bouic inquired of Colonel Spates
whether it was intended that the canal
should be governed in the way that it has
been and by the same political bosses if aid
were given it, or was it to be conducted upon
business principles? .r
Col Spates replied that the Legislature
might consent to give aid, but would not
forfeit the right to say who should control
the canal. Do the best you can.
Col. Spates' remarks were evidently re-
ceived with much apprec iation an warmth
of feeling
Judge William Vers Bouic, who has not
borne an active part in public matters for
several years in consequence of poor health,
and who had sat patient and attentive
listener throughout to Col. Spates' address
upon its conclusion moved from his seat on
the side of the room to the edge Of the bar
and made one of the most vigorous and
effective speeches of his life-it was as the
awakening of the lion from his nights slum-
ber, shaking his name in the sunlight and
making for his prey. Quiet as the stream
before it shoots the precipice, Judge Bouic
commenced by saying that he had listened
with much pleasure to the remarks of Col.
Spates, and as Paul said before the Council,
there was one who could bear witness TO
what he had seen and heard, but he re-
GREETED that Col. Spates had not given or
suggested some more speedy and effective
measure by which the canal could be re-
lieved from its present embarrassed condi-
ton and placed on a sefsustaining basis.
That the canal should have eventually fallen
into his helpless state was not surprising
to him. From the time the swarms OF
Northern marauders swooped down upon
our people and committed series of devas-
tations and injuries he had closely watched
with painful anxiety and interest the many
phases of this work. The administration OF
President Spates surrounded and subjected
to the startling emergencies occasioned by
the movements of the contending armies,
was one of the best in the history Of thirty
seven years. By his energy and personal
supervision, on salary oil $4,000, without
any pocket money, he kept the canal in
complete and thorough order, and to his
credit and to the satisfaction Of all inter
ested it was in good condition from one end
of the line u the other when he was super
ceded.
But what want to get at is TO remind
you, for doubtless many have forgotten
where all the inwardnesss and crookedness
originated, whence sprung the evils, wrongs
and outrages which you now desire to see
corrected in order that the canal may live
The original charter of the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad Company provided fol
the construction of a road from Baltimore
to Port Tobacco, in Charles county, via
Upper Marlboro, with branch from Uppel
Marlboro to Washington. Whilst Oder
Bowie was Governor an amendment to sale
charter was put through the Legislature
enabling the company To build the roac
from Baltimore u Washington direct, will
a branch to Port Tobacco via Upper Mari
boro', beginning at some point between Bal
timore to Washington. Strange as it may
appear the intersection of the branch will
the line between Baltimore and Washing
ton was on or near the land of Gov. Bowie
and the station called Bowie, is now believ
fourishing little place. You can all SCI
how gratifying the location of this import
ant depot must have been to Gov. Bowie.
But let US go back step This amend
ment to the original bill had to be engin
eered through the Legislature. 1t so hap
pened that at that time Jim Clarke, and
know him well--he was born in this town
and know the spot good place to bt
born init showed the power of his birth
but an excellent place TO get away from
had been elected State Senator from Balti
more county. He had moved TO that coun
ty from Pennsylvania, and believe at thu