Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-08
THE CANAL AND BUSINESS.
Talks with Merchants About the Effects
of the Flood.

|
| HOW THE ABANDONMENT OF THE CANAL AFFECTS
| TRADE-THE PRICES OF CUMBERLAND COAL AND
| OF FLoUR-vARIoUs VIEWS AS TO THE FUTURE
| GENERAL OPINION THAT RAILROAD WILL
TAKE THE PLACE OF THE CANAL.
| As stated in yesterdays STAR business men
| generally are discussing the effects. present
and future. of the suspension of traffic on the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal, due to the ruin
wrought by the food. STAR reporters have
| talked with many merchants on the subject
Mr.. Jesse c. Ergood, of Ergood Co.. whole
sale grocers said that the destruction of the
| cannal cannot be otherwise than severely felt
in Georgetown, for the coal trade. now broken
up, was the leading business of the town, with
! the milling business equally as important. The
mills of course now idle as well as the coal
wharves. and the whole District, if not directly
is indirectly affected. las for our business
said Mr.. Ergood, lit is not directly affected
excepting so far as to deprive us of the advan-
tage we often had of having our goods brought
here by the golfers. often as ballast.
do not see how the canal can be rebuilt
but there should be some way of bringing the
coal. lime. cement. &c. If railroad is estab-
lished ii will benefit some, but not all. and the
fight will be out of all previous proportions
W. W. Bullen, of Bullen & McKeever said:
! Until the canal is restored; until something
can be had to take its place, the damage will
be felt by the whole District The coal mist
be had. and it will be brought here. A railroad
must be constructed to do it. 1t will not how
ever, be constructed in the bed of the canal
for that has been too often overlooked. The
COAL stone and lime must come, and the Balti-
more and Ohio would be too glad to run into
Georgetown if the people would come to the
front and aid them i'll getting across the river
They desire good southern connection. which
they have not at present Its southern ter
minus now Is this city. while persons can by
the PENNSYLVANIA and coast line 90 from New
York to Florida. The Baltimore and Ohio
wants the same advantage. They have been
trying Tor some such connection with the Rich
mOnd and Danville for some years and would
not be surprised if they succeeded this time"
Mr.. J. F. Saum. of Saum Co.. produce COM
mission merchants. remarked that the business
il not directly affected but indirectly the whole
people are affected. There is but little in the
produce line from the canal which reaches
Washington. The market for wheat is severely
affected and the mills are practically stopped
1t seriously affects the building trade for the
stone quarries are practically out of reach of
the railroad and there must be some means de-
vised 70 get the stone. the lime and coal down
railroad will be of more importance to
Georgetown than ever the canal was and the
tonnage of the colliers, if railroad is placed in
operation, will largely exceed the tonnage of
the past. IL Is true that the cost of bringing
coal. &c. here, would be largely enhanced. but
with interstate law in force there would be but
few II any uni ust determinations attempted
But the railroad should not make Georgetown
Its terminus; it should cross the river and form
a connection with the southern roads and be-
come through route.
THE EFFECT on CONSUMERS AND BUILDERS.
Mr. W. ]. Stephenson, of the firm of Stephen
son Bros, told STAR reporter that in his opin-
ion the canal was irretrievably ruined He
thought that there would eventually be a rail-
road III place of the canal. but meanwhile the
effect OF the stoppage of the canal traffic would
De felt directly by all consumers of Cumber-
land coal and lime. The cost of Cumberland
coal. all of which vii! have to be brought by
railroad. will. Mr.. Stephenson said, be advanced
about 30 cents a ton. Brickmakers and every
one who used steam in the District would have
10 pay this advance. To a brick-making COM
pany. Mr.. Stephenson said, he furnished A. 600
tons OF Cumberland coal year. and the addi-
tlonal cost will make a considerable item to
them. The STEAMBOATS,, some of which used
5000 or 5000 tons a year. would also have their
running expenses largely increased. Mr. Ste
phensOn thought that in the end Georgetown
would probably be better OF with railroad in
stead of canal.
Mr.. Frank Hume said he did not think the
price OF flour would advance from the destruc-
ton 10 the canal. He did not think the canal
would ever be repaired; in fact he hoped not as
he said 1t was only political machine. and did
not do anybody good. good railroad would
do ten times as much good. he thought and he
was OF the opinion that one would be shortly
constructed.
Gen Peter F. Bacon. the vell-known grocer.
said that while he did not know the damages
done to the canal. he was of the opinion that il
would be repaired, but that there was a strong
possibility OF n railroad taking its place. He
said that ne did not think flour would advance
III price.
EFFECT on THE ICE BUSINESS.
''Yes, the damage to the Cumberland canal
has affected the ice business considerably"
said Mr.. John d. Bartlett, the general superin-
tendent of the Great Falls ice company. You
see the coal supply from Cumberland has been
shut of. and the vessels our COMPANY char
tered to bring the ice. with the understanding
that they would receive load of coal in re-
turn Will have TO load at Baltimore, making an
advance in tonnage. / trust that q railroad
will be built upon the bed of the old canal and
feel sure that at some near day one will be con-
structed."
''Georgetown would be dead without the
water supply" said Mr.. John A. Baker land
for that reason | am of the opinion that the
level will be repaired. The canal proper how
ever, think, Is doomed. and i'll nv opinion
will be superseded by railroad possibly the
Pennsylvania road. as they could save at least
100 miles by coming into the city by that way
from the west"
Mr.. G. Il. Church. of the Independent ice
company. said that he OF the opinion that
the abandonment of the canal and the substi-
tuition OF railroad would be a great thing for
Washington. He thought that there would be
an increase in the price of ice, although the
company were striving hard to keep the pres
ent rates. The ice trade, he said. had been
affected IN that freight would be higher for
the reason that the company chartered vessels
at a certain price with the understanding that
they could get a return cargo of coal The
canal has been damaged and no coal can be
brought up that way, consequently the boats
would have to be towed to Baltimore He
said further that he thought the canal would
be repaired up to the three-mile level to fur
nlsh the water power for the mills.
WILL IT EVENTUALLY PROVE BLESSING?
Col. Robert Boyd thought that while the stop
page of the canal traffic would be an immedi-
ate injury to Georgetown and this city, yet ne
ventured TO say that ultimately the destruction
OF the canal would be found to be a blessing
IN disguise. Like the coal-oil lamp, the canal
Is behind the age" he said. land must give
| place to more modern facilities. Transporta-
| ton by water. while il may be cheaper is slow
| and uncertain, To do business in these DAYS
/ there must be quickness of Communications and
Tor that reason the express is largely used by
merchants IN preference TO the cheaper freight
Besides the canal does not pay and probably
never would pay. 1t must give place to rail-