Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-10

ioss al sue uaoe We nau upon the canal as 1ar
as Seneca All the lumber we receive by rail
we have to haul three Or four miles, and it takes
all our teams day or day and half to I'M
load a single car. l am sure that q road with
its terminus in Georgetown would be the big
gest thing the town could possibly have. There
Is no telling when the canal could ever be put
in the same condition it was before. canal,
1t Is true, would offer the cheaper means Of
transportation, but the certainty OF delivery by
rail would more than compensate. We receive
no freight by canal. and if we had it back it
would only make our shipments I'D the canal
cheaper. But really think that il we had the
two side by side we would use the road Our
last shipment up the canal was BY the Balti-
more and Ohio on the 18th OF July, when we
sent load to Seneca. This was the last bust
ness we have done in that direction, except
when wagons have come in for loads"
wHEATLEY BROTHERS.
Mr.. VIM. Wheatley, Of Wheatley Brothers.
lumber dealers, said: Il am sure the canal if
1t were rebuilt would never pay. All the old
boats have been used up and no new ones
built, and in a canal SO liable to damage as this
no one would care to build new ones now. /
doubt il there are more than hundred boats
iii for service, and at any reasonable rate OF
hand, a railroad could be built rapidly and put
in running order. 1t would open upa new
section of country to Georgetown for at Cum
berland it would connect with the West Vir-
ginia Central, a road that runs through some
OF the best coal and timber lands in West Vir-
ginia. This would make Georgetown once
more great coal distributing point. The
West Virginia Central would send in vast
amount of coal Of cheaper grade, which is
now wasted. They have no outlet for it now,
as they have to send 1t over other lines, which
are interested in coal beds of their own and
discriminate against them. Now the West
Virginia Central can only afford to send out its
coke and very fine coal. 1t would be cheaper
for them to send all right here. 1t would also
open up to Georgetown vast territory covered
with hard wood lumber around West Virginia
which Is as yet undeveloped. The men who
are interested in the proposed new railroad are
also interested in Georgetown and Washing
ton, and do not think they would let it be
turned away from here to Baltimore. A rail-
road out OF Georgetown would open up fine
suburban residence section to this city. l
have talked with grain and lumber shippers
and local business men generally, and can
assure you they are almost unanimous in favor
OF a railroad"
COMMISSIONER HINE.
Commissioner Hine, speaking of the matter,
said: II am of the opinion that railroad to
Cumberland along the bed of the old canal
would be good thing. although am inclined
to believe that the canal would be better. How
ever, it seems as though nothing would ever be
done toward rebuilding the canal and rail-
road is the next best thing"
JAMES F. BARBOUR.
Mr.. James +. Barbour, the lumber merchant,
said: "There is no doubt but that railroad
along the bed Of the old canal to Cumberland
would be good thing for Washington. 1t
would open up the country and be Of immense
local advantage. trust it will be laid"
H. l. GREGORY.
MIR. H. I. Gregory, stove and furnace dealer,
said something should undoubtedly be done
to give us direct freight communication with
Cumberland, and am glad to see that a rail-
road along the bed of the canal is contem-
plated. 1 trust it will be built"
WIN. H. BAUM.
MIR. VIM. H. Baum, the wood and coal mer-
chant, said to the reporter: "The canal was
certainly of the greatest advantage to me and
l was sorry to see it go. As to this new scheme
really knew nothing Of it until saw it men,
toned in The STAR a few days ago. Person.
ally would prefer q canal. but if we cannot
have it let US have railroad, and that right
soon. presume railroad would be more
generally useful than a canal. for 1t would fur
nlsh quicker transportation and would open up
a section of country hitherto but little devel-
oped. The only question in my mind Is
whether railroad would not be much more
tainly true that railroad could not be sue
cess if it charged the same rates of toll as a
canal"
f. z. JACKSON AND co.
Mr.. /. N. Jackson of the firm of E. E. Jack
son Co., the lumber dealers, said: II think
to build q railroad is really the only thing that
can be done under the circumstances. There
is no earthly chance of the canal being rebuilt,
and If 1t is what reason have we to believe that
the same fate would not overtake it once
more?"
n wyyyurv
Mr.. W. D. Wyville said: II think the plan
good one-that is if operated by company
other than the Baltimore and Ohio railroad"
JAMES F. OYSTER.
James F. Oyster: 'There is no doubt of the
benefits Georgetown will derive from railroad
communication with Cumberland along the
bed Of the canal trust the road will be laid"
n. H. SHEA.
N H. Shea: "A grand scheme and one that
will be of immense benefit to the citizens OF
Washington, for a railroad along the bed of
the old canal will open up new country"
JOSEPH ATKINS.
Joseph Atkins, shipping clerk and manager
for Frank Hume, said THE idea of connect
ing Cumberland with Georgetown by railroad
is good one and the best way to utilize the
old canal. / sincerely hope the road will be
coming into Washington"
SAMUEL EMERY.
Mr.. Samuel Emery, the wood and coal dealer:
'The railroad plan is undoubtedly good one,
and, in fact the only practicable one, as it
seems nothing will ever be done towards re-
constructing the old canal, and oven though il
was reconstructed they could not get boats to
run on it. The old ones are rotten by this
time"
B. p. SNYDER.
'There is no doubt in my mind as to the de-
STABILITY of the proposed road" remarked
President B. P Snyder of the National savings
bank, 'for think that this would materially
decrease all the freight tariffs into town. But
1t looks to me like movement in the Balti-
more and Ohio interest, and do not hope that
Washington will be selected as the terminus of
the road if it is built. In such matters this
city is usually hopelessly in the minority But
1t would be most advantageous if it should
happen"
GEO. L. SHERIFF.
my opinion is" said Mr.. George L. Sheriff,
the coal dealer, shat the canal would be of
more benefit to the District, as the boats con-
tanning coal could be taken out in the river as
heretofore and unloaded on whsrves along the
river front. BY having railroad the dealers
would have to haul from the depot in George
town. In my judgment the canal could be
made to pay by proper individual manage
ment."
C. C. BRYAN.
Mr.. c. c. Bryan, grocer, thought that it
would prove of great benefit to Washington
If the proposed road were built.