The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-12-07
Col. Hoods Explanation.

is so uncertain as to be practically valueleSs,
both for mail and travel. No one here, and
it is probable the same at other points, thinks
of going to the depot to take passage on it
without first iuquiring the probable time It
will arrive. Last Friday it was late about
forty minutes; on Saturday about six hours;
on Tuesday about an hour behind. On
Friday the mail messenger was taken from
the 947 A. NJ. train and put on the 4.24 Z.
NJ. train. With the uncertainty of the fast
mail, this left Westminster and every post
Office on the line of the road to Hagerstown,
with no reliable morning mail communication
to Baltimore and beyond On Saturday, the
fast mail being late, the first mail to Balti
more was by the 4.24 P. NJ. train-too late
for delivery at business establishments until
Monday On Monday the Postofhce Depart
ment authorized the dispatching of lock
pouch mail for Baltimore on the 9.47 train.
the one that was formerly way mail. This
improvement is acknowledged, but it does not
meet the necessities of the community, as
way mall as formerly, is desired, and the
evening mail is too soon for the banks at New
Windsor and Westminster, and on Fridays too
soon for the paper at Union Bridge and the
papers at Westminster. As noted last week,
that in order to reach subscribers in the lower
part of Carroll on Saturdays, the papers must
be sent to Baltimore on Friday nights. To
get them ready for the 4.24 train, they mnst
be Sent from the publication offices before
clock, necessitating going to press quite
( early in the afternoon-too early for Satur-
day paper. For the banks and the press the
/ old schedule Of the fast mail was admirable.
Z If it was an hour or two late, or even three,
. it was unimportant, for it was only necessary
for mail to reach Baltimore by y midnight in
I order to be carried on the early mail on the
Baltimore & Ohio road to lower Carroll or
/ for the morning delivery in Baltimore.
| Col. Hoods explanation OF why the 4.24
I train does not 90 down about O'Clock or
/ later. sustains what the ADVOCATE said last
) week-that 'sThe Western Maryland railroad
/ does not seem TO care much for the conve-
/ nience OF the towns along its ine. By this,
/ we meant its main line. and particularly the
/ important points in Carroll. The explana-
ton is. that trains from Williamsport and
/ Shippensbur1 meet at Edgemout The travel
/ runs combined to High6eld, there to separate,
/ one train going to Baltimore via Hanover and
: the other via Westminster. There could
/ be no reason for this, except TO accommodate
! a few passengers, and very few most probably,
from the Shippensburg line and points on the
main stem vest Of Edgemout. who would
want to 90 to local points on the Tape Worm
road. Those going to Baltimore would un-
doubtedly prefer TO 20 down or the main line
and the shorter route. To accommodate
these few, every bank aud newspaper. aud
many people who do not ike to leave their
/ business SO soon in the afternoon TO 20 to
/ Baltimore, Taus, be Inconvenience.
/ In regard to the fast mail being run east to
make connection with the Cumberland Valley
Road. and to accommodate Winchester aud
Mar,insburg, We accept Col. Hoods siste-
/ ment that the connection followed the change
Z ana was not the cause OF it. When the SEIZED
nile Of the fast mail train was changed the Bal
timorc papers laid great stress upon the
Z opening of this new line 10 MartiusbaFg sad
Z Winchester, aud spoke Of 1t as beneficial to
( the interests Of the Monumental City. From
these press notices 1t appeared that the ex-
tension Of the Cumberland VALLEY road was
( the cause Of the change in the schedule Of the
/ fas, mail.
/ Col. Hoods remarks about the fast
mail being put on to accommodate peap.e
+ east of Hagerstoxu, do not change our yieWs
/ in the least The fast mail scheme originated
i ia desire Of the Baltimore papers 70 reach
+ Hsgerstown aud points beyond SO as not 10 br
+ prscedea by Northern dailies. That was the
/ obiecl-the supplying Of local points between
4 Baltimore and Hagsrstown was the incident.
T But for the fact that 1t was desirable 70 have
/ an early mail from Baltimore 20 HagersloSn
I and beyond. the first mail from Baltimore
/ wonld probably now be coming along al the
former hour, about 40, The early service
I is duly appreciated, and during the washout
last June. when we were deprived Of the fas,
+ mail, its loss was keenly felt. But the accom-
modntion xe get from the early mail Is the
I incident not the object.
On this point Co. Hood says the unfavor
able comment has not worried Us. as Nc
/ have not been accustomed TO receive evidences
Of appreciation for anything doue for your
/ point
/ As far as the ADVOCATE is concerned, Col.
Hood and the Western Maryland Railroad
have never received anything bat kind words.
Every publication that could benefit the road
has been given. and il has underworld to aid
I il in every possible way. When the Western
I Maryland wanted 70 lease the canal, the An
vocArE supported it, and the Carroll repre-
sentatives in the Legislature we're favorable
/ to his scheme.
There has been much individual complaint
+ here as to freight charges aud insufficient pas
senger accommodations, but the ADVOCATE
has not voiced H. As remarked last week
the people here have silently put up with in
/ eonveniences because the road was in debt,
/ bat silence seems to be taken for eontentment
I Col. Hood seems to be quite sensitive over
any illusions to these subjects, and IN spite OF
+ his intention to be amiable, little feeling
crops out.
/ As to receiving evidences of appreciation
/ for anything done for your point, We would
/ ike 10 ask Col. Hood what his road has ever
I done specially for Westminster, except Of a
temporary character, such as on occasions Of
large gatherings here? Has there ever been
I a train put on to accommodate this place ?
So far as we can now recall, all the benefits in
I the way of travel have been incidental. The
/ Blue Mountain express was put on the road
! to accommodate guests at the Blue Mountain
( House. That iras the object. 1t was SEIZED
uled to stop at Westminster as matter Of
] business. And so with the fast mail.
/ As to our depot criticism, We were aware
/ of the purchase of site for a new depot, and
/ that. not being undertaken before the disas-
I trous washouts, the building had to be de-
I ferred. And we were also aware that during
/ the past few years insignificant stations have
/ been supplied with handsome depots, while
/ Westminster, New Windsor and other points
/ in Carroll have been neglected. We were
aware too, that the Company has been talk
I ing of new depot here for some years, and
/ thai it had possession Of the site for one here
two months-the time when building opera
lions are usually begun-before the disastrous