Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-05

II the examination to be made at once of the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal by the officials of
the company and the business men of George
town results in confirming the gloomy predic-
tions concerning its condition, and the imprac-
ticability of restoring and improving it as
waterway the sale of the canal property under
a foreclosure of the liens upon it is expected.
The Baltimore and Ohio railroad is the princi-
pal holder of the preferred bonds of 1878.
Whether the financial condition of that
road will justify the sacrifice of its
interest in these bonds for the sake of
Kidding itself of a competing waterway
or a competing railroad along the course
of the waterway is a question to be determined
by its management. II the railroad cannot
afford to lose the ready money which will be
secured by foreclosing its lien, the canal pro-
perry will be sold to the highest bidder, and
opportunity will be given to the capitalists who
are said to be DESTROYS of utilizing the canal
bed as the road-bed of an independent railroad
line. The franchises and other property
of the canal are valuable, and if once put
up for sale would probably cause considerable
competition among would-be purchasers and
bring a substantial price. The first interest of
Georgetown and Washington, is, of course, to
canal as waterway for its full length. The
distressing uncertainties concerning the results
of its abandonment would at once vanish. If
the canal is not to be restored the next local
interest is to secure the repair of enough of the
canal to serve as a mill-race and the substitu-
ton of line of railroad for the canal
which shall furnish at least the same transport
tation facilities, as far as possible at the same
cheap rates. Only line Independent of the
roads now entering the city can offer the
promise of this service. and the interests of the
capital demand that if the repair of the canal
Is hopeless, this competing line shall be secured.
If the Baltimore and Ohio road should obtain
the canal property it would not be likely to run
q line along the canal bed and duplicate one
link of its system for the benefit of Georgetown.
and the fear would be felt in Washington that
if this road were the only substitute for
the canal in bringing coal, wheat, and
limestone to Georgetown the commerce and
trade of the capital would suffer for the bene-
fit of Baltimore, whose interests it has been the
proverbial policy of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad to foster. Georgetown's trade and
commerce and the cheapness of many products
at the capital depend upon the control of di-
rect and cheap communication with the sup
plies of coal, wheat, and limestone which are
handled in Georget OWN, and which, in part after
manufacture, supply return cargoes to the
ships which bring up the Potomac other pro-
ducts more cheaply than they would otherwise
be obtained. There Is a doubt whether any
but line in competition with the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad would build up the interests
of the capital as a shipping point and point of
manufacture and exchange. when the same
business could be transferred to Baltimore, if
the substitute for the canal should SO desire.