Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-06
CANAL IN BUSINESS HANDS.
The Effort which IL to be Made by
Western Maryland Capitalists.

From the Baltimore American To-day.
We hear from unquestionable authority that
a. soon a. the present farce of trying to
sell bonds which no one will buy is over q
concentrated effort will be made by prominent
capitalists Of western Maryland to repair the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal
1t is not political matter, but plain bust
ness intention of business men. These gentle
men will not place a cent in the repair bonds,
for the simple reason that they have no con-
fdence whatever in the present canal manage
ment In fact, this feeling is practically anani-
nous all along the route of the canal The
reason for it is easy to find. For instance, the
canal boards estimate for repairing the
Georgetown level was first $4,000 and then
$50, 900; contrac tor is doing the work for
Georgetown busin ess men for els, 700. To re-
move bar above Williamsport, a canal official
said that $500 would be necessary. A Williams
port man did it for the town, and felt fully
recompensed with $50. To replace the abut-
ment Of a damaged dam the canal officials said
81, 900 would be required. A business man
has offered to do it for S25. To repair the
whole canal the board wants $500, 0cc. The
business men say that the work can be done on
business basis for 100000. The difference
between these two sums is intensely significant
As a rule Baltimoreans do not appreciate the
importance Of the canal. The monumental
error in ending it at Georgetown, instead of
bringing it to this city, has always operated
against full estimate of its value as business
channel. 1t affects directly one-third of the
population and property of Washington county,
one-third Of Montgomery, one-fifth of Fred
erick and one-fourth of Alegany. From five
to six thousand people are directly dependent
upon its operation. All the county roads in
the southern half Of western Maryland were
laid out SO as to be contributory to it, and tens
thousands Snpnt
them. To the farmers of western Mary
land it gave home market for hay and
cereals and method of cheap transpor-
tation to the city. To thousands of acres
of farm lands its discontinuance means a depre-
citation of fully thirty per cent, and large
diminution in the annual growth of grain. The
farmers are also dependent upon it for their
coal supply, which is serious matter, since
most of the wood has been cut down. 1t is
only when we understand the large ramifica-
tions of the canal in the business life of the
country from Cumberland to Georgetown that
We can appreciate the great depression that
now rests upon the people. They are entirely
fes their bitterness toward the gross misman>
agement that has made the canals history q
disgrace to the state.
These business men will step forward at the
end of thirty days after the first advertisement
Of the repair bonds and make their proposition
to the board OF public works. 1t will be that
the board supplant the present canal board
with men Endorsed by the capitalists who are
willing to invest their money in the enterprise
Their purpose is to save the interests along the
canal and to avert the want and depreciation
that must inevitably follow its abandonment.
We understand that they are willing to take all
risks, and that they believe that, with the
three hundred boats now available, they can
run the enterprise on such an economical basis
that no loss will follow.