Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-02-27
THE WESTERN MARYLAND r. r..

A gentleman residing in the upper
valley reports that he is SO annoyed
by inquiries from the great steam
ship companies of England as to
whether or not the Western Mary
land Railroad Company will absorb
all the commerce of the world, and
as to whether a combination should
MT therefore buy it out that he has
| furnished few extracts from bis
numerous letters for publication, viz:
"Attha time the opinion prevailed
throughout the Cumberland Valley
that the signal failure of the Gener-
ais efforts to gain possession of the
citg's stock in the Western Mary
land Railway, and his sudden depart
ure from the city Immediately after
wards would serve as warning to
the emissaries of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, not to approach
The city council again on that sub
ject. But, contrary to our predic-
tions, and entirely against our wishes
the indefatigable General is to the
fore again, as hopeful as ever that by
skillful tactics and tacit agreement
with some Arnold commanding an
outpost of the devoted city he may
be able to recover the ground from
which he had been lately elected as
an intruder on other peoples DO
main. Now, do not understand me
as saying. or for moment believing
that Arnolds or traitors of that kid
ney are to be found in the birth
place of the Star-sprangled Banner,
the only city on the Atlantic Sea-
board upon which the heads of Eng
fish Mercantile Houses are wont to
lavish unstinted praise on account
of its hospitality and its unrival
led commercial facilities. But you
may be certain that the General
however valiant and cunning in
fence should have hesitated before
venturing to retrieve his first re-
pulse by a second attack, if some
of the citizens themselves had not
encouraged him to believe that the
city council, to besrid of his cease
less opportunities, would hand him
over the coveted prize for a mere
song. Or, perhaps, judging by the
alacrity with which the franchises of
the ruined Chesapeake and Ohio Ca
nal were handed over to a prospec-
tive Railroad Company, whose inter-
ests are "O'er the bills and far
away" soon after the Western Mary
land Railway Company's petition
for charter to build railroad on
the dry bed of the same canal was
refused. The General imagines that
the agents of hostile corporations
receive more favors from the State
Legislature than are granted to the
promoters OF Maryland enterprises.
1t is hardly possible to believe, how
ever that the city council will use as
a precedent defunct act of the last
State Legislature in their negotia-
lions with the General if they do
then our growing commercial rela-
| tiOHo WIN DdlsiuOlC Will COEaS w
grief. A base of supplies embracing
a territory greater in extent and more
productive than the valleys of the
Trent and Humber will be cut off
from the Western Maryland Railroad
and annexed to the Pennsylvania
Railroad system. 1t will be ridicu-
lous if we are to be cut off from our
nearest and best market and forced
once more to submit to the terms of
dictators from whose grasp we
thought we had cut ourselves free.
Our position threatens to be as hui
initiating as that ofthe Gallo subjects
of Alsace and Lorraine under the
iron rule of her Gracious Majesty 8
cousins--the Prussians.