The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-05-20
Corporation Assessments Increased.

The County Commissioners at their meetings
on Monday and Tuesday were engaged in ad-
justing the assessments of the various railroad
and telegraph lines operated in the county
On Monday Hon. Charles ]. NJ. Gwinn appear
ed before. them on behalf of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, and after hearing
his arguments the Commissioners fixed the tax
valuation of the Western Union property, in
Guiding its leased line, the American Rapid, at
S53, AGO, an increase of S15,4S0 over the for
mer assessment
On Tuesday Messrs. Henry ID. Farnandis and
Thomas H. Robinson, attorneys for the Phila-
delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
Company, presented the answers of the COM
pany to certain interrogatories propounded by
the Commissioners, and argued against an eX-
In their answers the company states that the
entire cost of the road and equipment, includ-
ing the equipment of the Baltimore and Poto-
mac Railroad Company, which was purchased
July 1, 1891, as shown by its books on October
81, 1891, was S14,SSS, 7O6.47. Number of
miles of road, main line, 94.99; number of
miles of branches 29.S1; number of miles in
Hartford county, 1877. The original cost OF
the whole length of the Baltimore and Deposit
about SO miles, single track, with stations,
sidings, terminals, &C., as given by the books
of that company, was about S9OO,OOO, or
S25, 900 per mile.
The average annual gross receipts from the
| road and branches for three years preceding
the last annual report, is given as follows; a.
ye aea end fnG9 9et 81 ST. year
ending Oct 81, 1891, S3,44O, 1874.
detailed statement is then given of the
value of the road and equipments in each dis
| trict of Hartford county, the summary of which
is as follows:
First District-Six miles, s1O5, 1855. Second
aayre Se Srne e Teta Rae
| of road in Hartford county, $329,S15.
The company in their statement say that the
cost of the road, as shown by its books, in
| in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and that an
| average cost per mile, as represented by the
total cost on the books, would not give any in
| dcation of the Hartford county part of the line.
Also that the cost of the road equipment re-
presents the cost of equipment not only on the
main line but on oil its leased and operated
roads, and that the gross earnings of the line are
vastly larger for the Northern end than for the
portion in Hartford county.
This railroad was heretofore assessed at
SIS, 900 a mile, but the County Commissioners
| increased it to $4,000 mile, the total in
| crease in its assessment being S1S7 900, or
Mr.. George L. VanBibber, attorney for the
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, was
also before the board on Tuesday with regard to
! the assessment upon the road in Hartford coun-
| ty. The company, in answers to interroga-
| tories; say that the company owns and oPer =
ateS 1865 miles of railroad, of which 1873
miles are in Hartford county. That at the date
| of the last annual report, October, 1891, the
capital stock of the company, including both
| common and preferred stock. amounted to
$40, 792, SOC since which it has been increased
to S29, 792, 500. That portion of its railroad
lying in Hartford county would be worth but
l very little more than the rails except in con-
| nection with the balance of the railroad, and
as the purchase of its stock would purchase
| the whole railroad, then the value of the road
! is what it would cost. The stock now is worth
| about 81. A calculation from this data shows
| that the railroad could be now purchased for
S14,T07 per mile, including all its station
/ houses, water tanks, rolling stock and other
property of all kinds.
The 1873 miles of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad in Hartford county had been assessed
| at S11 800 a mile, which the Commissioners
| increased to SIS, 900 mile. The total assess
| ment in the county is now $685., 400.
Mr.. s. A. Williams represented the Balti-
more and Lehigh Railroad Company, whose %
| miles of railroad in Hartford county was as
sessed at $4,000 per mile, or S69, 600 in ALL
The Commissioners increased the assessment
to 81, 600 mile, or 500, 900.
The total increase In the assessment upon
these railroad and telegraph lines amounts to
$685., $50.