Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-06
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE


sternation thrown into the ranks of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal gobblers iby
Judge Alvey's appointment Of receivers,
was only momentary, it seems. Before the
action of the courts is day old, they have
secured the introduction of an amendment
in the Senate to the charter of the Washing
ton and Cumberland Railroad permitting
them to buy or lease the canal from the re-
ceivers as well as from the State, and meet
ing in other particulars the condition of
things brought about by Judge Alvey's
decision of Tuesday.
They find, however. that they will have to
move very cautiously in the management of
their lease bill in the Senate. That is why
it did not come up on second reading there
on Tuesday, as was expected. The Lower
House, which passed the lease bill, is more
absolutely under the control of the canal
ring from Baltimore, while the Senate is
conservative, smaller and more independent.
On the whole matters look a little healthier
now for the friends of the canal than they
did a week ago.
THE GOVERNORS ATTITUDE.
Governor Jackson's very radical friend
ship for the railroad enterprise astonishes
many OF the old and conservative citizens of
Maryland. 1t is that, in connection with
the efforts of persons high in public life at
Washington City and Baltimore, which
makes the proposed deal one of the most
sensational that has been engineered in the
United States for many years.
The Governor happened to sit down beside
I'd, 4ho+ IL.
more one day this week. 1 occupied the
seat behind them and could not avoid hear
ing the conversation which passed between
the two officials. Judge Miller is one OF the
ablest jurists in Maryland, and sits upon
the bench of the Court of Appeals, the
Chief Justice of which is Judge Alvey, who
the day alter this incident appointed re-
ceivers to ascertain the amount of damage
to the canal.
Judge Miller evidently did not know the
bold stand OF Governor Jackson on the canal
Legislation, and he opened the subject this
way: II am sorry to read of the doings at
Annapolis this spring. and then the Judge
innocently proceeded to tell what a public
misfortune it would be to close up the old
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal When the
Governor answered him in terse, emphatic
terms as to the necessity of having a rail-
road there instead of a canal, Judge Miller
could not hide his surprise.
SOME LEGAL OBSTACLES.
Judge Miller told the Governor very
plainly that he doubted the legality of the
Legislatures bill to lease the canal, He
held that the State of Maryland was simply
mortgage of the canal and simply one of
its stockholders, like the United States,
Virginia, or any other State which sub
scribed to the original stock over half
century ago. AS mortgage he admitted
that Maryland might, by going into the
courts and through the usual routine, fore
close the mortgage on the canal and then
sell the property, if it is shown that the condi-
tions of that mortgage had never been salts
fed. But he declared that it was an un-
heard of thing for mortgage to lease his
mortgage rights for term of SO years,
and that is practically what this deal
amounts to. Especially is this the case
when it is remembered that Maryland is not
the only stockholder of the canal.
The Judge also told the Governor that he
believed the canal would be useful for trans
portation for years to come, and that it
would be bad public policy to close it up.
Governor Jackson denied this, and declared
that it was entirely impracticable to think
OF repairing the canal and resuming its
operations IS a waterway, because the very
next freshet n the upper Potomac river will
wreck il again.
THE TRANS-ALLEGHENY CANAL.
I talked with Judge Miller subsequently,.
He admits that every freshet in the Poto.
mac for the last 10 years has damaged the
canal more or less. 1t was not so much the
mistake of the original engineers in con-
structing the canal so close to the river as
it has been the later destructionsof forests,
tol - i
of water from the mountains alter heavy
rains, thereby causing greater floods than
we used to have. The Judge, however, be-
lieves the canal should be maintained. He
says it will always have an important field |
for work in carrying Cumberland coal to |
Iidewater, because ocean steamers prefer |
the remarkably soft Cumberland coal to all |
others for fuel
Judge Miller likes the Allegheny |
canal project, and although he fears scar
city of water to operate the large number Of |
locks that would be required, he says the |
mere agitation of such an enterprise is an |
additional proof of how valuable the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal as ti6ewater outlet |
is regarded by the people to-day, and is
thus an argument against the Legislatures |
proposed filling up of the ditch.
ONE OF THE PLANS.
Senator Pearee, of Cumberland, and Sem
ator Stake, of Washington county, are
going to be the principal speakers ior the
of the canal when the lease
bill comes up in the Senate. One proposes
to have the clerk read aloud the articles in |
The PITTSBURG DISPATCH about a con-
Meeting canal over the mountain from
Cumberland to the Monongahela river, and
the other proposes to prove by them the vast
importance OF the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal as tidewater outlet from the entire
West.
Senator Pearee says: 81 am heartily in
favor of that ns-Allegheny canal project
should be done. 1t would bring the Chesa
peake and Ohio Canal up to its full meas
ure of utility, and in opening up thousands
Of miles of internal Western river communi-
cation, from Chesapeake Bay TO the Gulf
Of Mexico, and from the bay to the great
lakes-ior 1 believe Pittsburg has already
began the survey of the canal from the
Ohio river to Lake Erie-it would make
Baltimore what the Erie Canal has made
New York City And it would give Cum
berland coal water outlet to the West.
AN IMPORTANT POINT.
"I want the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
because, no matter how SEEM
ingly small a canals business is, the traffic
on water to-day regulates the 1relgnt charges
IN railroads. That can be easily proven.
Build all the railroads you want up the Po-
tomac, but leave the canal open and we are
always safe from their monopoly. Close up
that canal and we lay at the mercy of rail-
road rates with no escape, no hope.
"This canal has been mismanage6 for
years by politicians. 1t has been as scanda-
lous as this proposed dicker is outrageous.
Had it been run on business, principles it
would never have been allowed to lose busi-
ness, and to-day would be well-paying prop
,rty."
In a preyious letter smoke of tine ttTide- |