Democratic messenger., 1894-08-18
Looking to the Future.

undoubtedly lie IN the benefits that
will accrue to the cultivators of the
land bordering on these bays and the
facility with which the principal mar
kets may be reached by water if the
canal is once opened. Thousands of
acres OF land along this route which
should be under cultivation are now
unavailable and lying idle.
1T has been said that the peninsula
of Delaware and the eastern shores of
Maryland and Virginia are destined
to become the great garden spot OF the
North Atlantic States, supplying them
with early Vegetables, fruits and flowers
to the same extent and of the same
fine quality as its surrounding waters
are now doing with oysters. terrapin.
soft-shell crabs and fish. That this
to some extent has already become
true need not be pointed out. and If
the cities and population of the ada
cent States continue for the next fifty
years to grow at the present rate, and
there is all likelihood that they will
and the demand for the products Of
the garden the truck patch and the
orchard increases correspondingly,
there will then he left scarcely foot
Of tillable land ON the peninsula that
will not be required to contribute its
share of products toward meeting this
demand.
at is therefore, all-important that
in due time the waterways, the high
ways of the people, should be put in
order and not left to await the devel-
opments of the future.
Railroad Interests.
'"The railroads have already shown
more foresight in this respect, and new
branches are being planned and ex-
tended down the peninsula.
1T is generally assumed that the
interests OF railroads are Numerically
opposed to the construction OF canals
and the improvement of waterways
which run more or less parellel with
them or which in some decree tap
their territory. That this is fallacy
has been proved by statistics in this
country as well as in Europe. French
engineers have long ago conceded that
waterways and railways are destined
to supplement and not to supplant
each other.
TO the railroad goes the least bur-
densome traffic which demands regu-
larity and quick transit; to the water
ways gravitate the heavy freights Of
small value, which can only be trans
ported where rates are low. The
waterways produce another result !;
they restrain and moderate the charges
on the freights that prefer the rail-
roads; they are to railroad managers a
standing notice not to pass the limit
beyond which the merchant would
not hesitate to sacrifice regularity to
economy"
Plans Before Congress.
"Agitation has been going ON during
the past two years for an extension OF
the waterway between Chincoteague
bay and Delaware bay in several
directions, thus taking away its local
character and embracing other, larger
and more distantly located interests of
commerce and navigation.
Zone plan is to continue its present
general direction along the coast
toward Cape Charles and through the
many inland bays south of Chinco-
league inlet, and an order for pre-
liminary survey of this undoubtedly
valuable addition to the waterway is
now in Congress.
The other and more important
plan is to connect the Pocomoke river
with Sinepuxent bay by canal some
where above Snow Hill. Md. a pre-
liminary survey of which has been
made, recommending the improvement
to Congress ss feasible and worthy. II
is expected that accurate estimates.
based upon the permanent location OF
the line, will he submitted to Congress
next winter.
"rhe connection between the water
way and the Pocomoke river will be
of incalculable benefit to the coastwise
trade carried ON by small vessels. Ii
would form a valuable link i'm the
inland waterways planned and already
partly completed along the Atlantic
coast between Florida and Sandy