Smyrna times., 1889-03-20

ADVERTISEMENTS will be inserted at the rate
ofSeven Cents a line for the firstinSertion sub
sequent insertions Threeand-a-half cents. A
liberal discount made to quarterly, semi-annual
and yearly advertisers.
OBITUARY NOTICES will be charged Five Cents
per line
WE give in our local columns
the current rumors or schemes of
developing the Baltimore and
Delaware Bay and Smyrna and
Delaware Bay Railroad. What
there is in it remains to be seen.
As a means Of local travel or
traffic there has never been any
thing in it. The Bombay Hook
end of the line has been in disuse
for several years from rotten ties.
and latterly from removed rails
the other end Of the line to Ches-
tertown has been kept up by
patch work, and, as thus tempOr-
lied, has not commanded conf
dence for safety. The large float
at our bay side to connect with
the Jersey Southern was con-
structed at d cost of $4,000, but
is now in a complete state Of de
cay. It has been a question all
these years whether Jay Gould
really intended to establish a per-
manent line, or did it as q faint
or a whip held over other rail
road magnates to force larger and
more profitable schemes to him
in other places. The battle was
with the Carrots, of the B. & O.
road, who held Maryland with a
vise-like grip in their hands, and
it is now stated that Gould from
first to last sunk $4,5OO,OOO in the
unequal fight.
1t would seem that now the
CARROTS are no longer in con-
troll, or by new laws, or by some
assurance or hope Of the new
syndicate, that the original de-
signs Of Jay Gould twenty years
ago are to be renewed and sue
cessfully completed. If there is
anything real in it, this would at
least seem to be the purpose. To
resuscitate this road bed, extend
it to COLCHESTER, relay it with
steel rails, construct steamboat
docks and put on powerful trans
ports on both the Delaware and
Chesapeake bays will cost an i'm
mense outlay Of money, and the
scheme must embrace very large
plans if there is anything in it.
We have no positive informa-
ton from those interested, but
the parties composing the syndi-
cate seem to be the New JERSEY
Central, the Richmond Terminal
and the Central Georgia
road, whose object is to get
a direct route to New York
for Southern products from
Georgia and other Southern
points. 1t is claimed that freight
can be put through over this line
from five to six hours sooner
than over the lines it now has to
pass. If so, it will prove a great
desideratum for marketing early
fruits and vegetables. The diff
cult point has always been over
Maryland soil If the Richmond
Terminal has been able to make
connections or been given the
privilege to extend a short line to
Annapolis or some other point on
the bay opposite COLCHESTER, then
the links Of leng route, passing
across the Peninsula, are united.
OF course, in the establishing of
such a road considerable local
traffic will be picked up along the
route, but for such an expensive
line it must have a wide territory
to gather from at its southern
terminus.
The Jersey Southern is doubt
less the moving spirit in this en-
terprise. Its trade is local. For
some years in building up its
trade it was no profit to its stock
holders ; now it is said to be pay
ing dividends, and wants to in
crease its traffic to be able to paw
larger ones. The same condi-
ton pertains to the other corpo-
ratiOns composing the syndicate.
While there is a natural dispo-
sition to regard it as a simple re-
newal in talk only of the old
schemes. we find "a disposition in
railroad au other circles to give
it credence. Mr.. Gerker's lease
on the Kent County road will
terminate this Spring, and from
Bombay Hook to Tolchester there
are expectations among those in
terested in the road Of speedy
and important changes. This
being so, Smyrna, Clayton and
Bombay Hook have a decided in
terest in all the developing prof
ects and enterprises.
THIS is looked upon as the big
week in the Legislature. 1t COM
menced with a meeting of the
A