Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-02-08

waterway, and if any railroad com
pany wants to tap our coal fields it
should come, but not over the dead
body of our greatest public work. If
another railroad is to be built let it
come independently, but not by the
canal bank.
Why any Baltimore city delegate
should vote for railroad puzzles me
beyond expression. If the railroad is
constructed to Washington and George
town the coal it carries would be load
ed there or at some other point on the
Potomac river and never touch Balti-
more. If the railroad is only con
structed along the canal us far as Will
Transport it will there be transferred
to the Western Maryland road and
carried by it straight across to Ship
pensburg in Pennsylvania, and thence,
by the Pennsylvania railroad to tide
water at New York or Philadelphia.
1t is stated that president Hood of
the Western Maryland road, admitted
that coal would take that route before
the Senate committee on corporations
at the last session OF the Legislature.
And he further stated that the coal
would not be taken to Baltimore over
the Western Maryland road on ac
count of two things
FTSt-The heavy grade on the Western
Maryland railroad over the Blue Ridge,
and
Second, The dependence of that road in
Baltimore upon other roads for lit terminal
facilities.
Thus the Western Maryland road,
which has been largely aided by the
city of Baltimore, would be directly
instrumental in diverting trade from
that city.
1t is said that two schemes are at
the bottom of canal troubles
/, The building of railroad from Cumber
land to Williamsport on the tow path.
., The gobbling up and absorption of the
valuable property Of the canal in the District
of Columbia.
And it is stated on good authority
that those working these two schemes
are hand in hand.
The success of either or both of them
means serious loss to the business of
Baltimore.
We in Allegany are also interested
from the fact that the construction of
railroad from Williamsport along the
canal means the closing out of large
business in Cumberland dependent
upon the preservation of the canal,
and the active competition of West
Virginia coal in the market. The
West Virginia, or Elk Garden region,
will become u more active rival of
ours, and it will not benefit the people
Of our own State by cheapening the
cost to them of coal, but will merely
force down the price in our region and
send the trade in other channels to the
benefit of interests foreign to our
State.
OF course, Judge Alvey, in deciding
the question of a receiver for the canal.
cannot consider The matters of policy,
State benefits or advantages except in
so far as their legal aspects may be
concerned, but he should consider that
the Indebtedness of the canal com
pany to those poor men who have fun
nished their labor 70 the extent Of
seventy or eighty thousand dollars,
can never be discharged without the
appointment OF Il receiver, and that Il
sale of the canal means II total loss of
their claims. Many of these men are
residents OF Allegany county, and we
have many merchants who have ad-
vanced money to them with these claims
rs collateral security. In short, there
Will be no inIarest III the State which
will be benefited by the construction Of
Il railaoad on the canal. On the other
hand, our coal interests will have IL
more formidable rival and Baltimore
city will lose large amount of its coal
trade. Under these circumstances will
our Legislature, at the beck or nod of
anyone. vote for II measure which can
only have disastrous effects upon the
interests of our whole State