Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-28
PROPOSED R. R. DEAL
Suggested Sale of the Western Mary.
land Franchise.
OWNED BY TIE CITY OF BALTIMORE
Revival of a Scheme Agitated Sew
eraI Years Ago.
PLANS OF COMPETING ROADS

| The proposition to sell the Western Mary
land railroad, which is owned by the city
| of Baltimore, which sale had from time to
time been agitared for number OF years
previous to about four years ago is again
being spoken of by those in authority in
| that city. Should this be accomplished IL
| will probably make Washington a much
| more important railroad center than il is
| at present.
| The city register of Baltimore whose
| business 1t is to look after the finances Of
| the corporation, has within the last few
| Gays stated ii to be his belief that the
| time has come for the city to dispose of its
| holdings in the road and to apply the sum
to the liquidation of pressing debts and TO
| invest the remainder in stock which would
| bear interest and assist in reducing taxa
| ton in Baltimore.
| Up to the present time the city of Balti.
| more has invested over $4,000 600 in tho
| Western Maryland, and until very recently
II received no dividend whatever Even
| now. while 1t is guaranteed on a large
| amount or bonds. il receives interest on
| out small portion of the investment and
| the interest on most of the bonds has to
| he met each year by a tax levied on the
| people. 1t is hardly possible that any cor
| poration outside of the Southern Balti-
| more and Ohio West Virginia Central
would make bid for the property.
| The West virSinia's OHer.
| The West Virginia Central which was
| lhterded originally to be extended from
| Charleston. W. Va, to Pittsburg Pa. and
| which now has its eastern terminus at
Cumberland. has long been DESTROYS of get
ting an entrance into Washington. Some
| years ago the management of that road
| erdeavored to purchase the Chesapeake
| ard Ohio canal. and offered what was be-
| lieved to be a good price for it. intending
| to build line along that route but the
| Baltimore and Ohio, few Of whose own
| ers control the Chesapeake and Ohio canal,
| was able to prevent the West Virginia
| company from getting possession of IL.
1 buy the Western Maryland, which extends
| from Cherry Run, w. Va. to Baltimore.
| The plan was to build from Cumberland to
| Cherry Rum and proceed via the Western
| Maryland to point near Baltimore. and
| thence over the Baltimore and Potomac
to washington. For the property the
| West Virginia Central people offered S.
| GW,OOo. but they only proposed to pay
| 10000 cash and $4,000 per year for ninety
nine years. This proposition did not meet
| with favor and was eventually rejected.
| Now, however. the city register of Bal.
timore says that it is his opinion that if
purchaser will give $5.0o0.000 cash for
| the Western Maryland the city ought to
| sell 1t. His reasons for taking this posi-
| ton are that the property is comparatively
| ur productfve; that the taxes of the people
| of Baltimore are already high and likely
to be higher, and that many of the Lead
| ing citizens of Baltimore think the time
| has come for the city to divest itself of all
| financial interests in the road. This action
| Of the city register has brought President
Hood of the railway company forward
| with a statement that while the city has
| already invested over $sO00OOO the time
| Is approaching when, with increased BUSH
| ne SIS. Ii will be in a position to pay regular
| dividends on all its bonds.
| President Hoods Estimate.
According to Mr.. Hoods estimate. the
l fact that the city owns the road results
| In bringing to Baltimore a business of
| s6o.00o.O00 annually which the merchants
| there would not otherwise have. 1t is
| claimed by others, however, that no mat
| ter who owns The Western Maryland. the
latter would be operated in the interest
| of the city, and that the latter would
| not suffer from change of ownership. IL Is
| admitted by all persons who are CONVEX
| SAINT with the facts in the case that Mr..
| Hood has during his administration of
| more than twenty years doEe wonders
| with the corporation and has brought about
a condition Of affairs which would seem
to make 1t a very desirable property for
| Mr.. Morgan, as owner of the Reading and
Southern railways, to control. The West
| ern Maryland is the connecting link be-
! tween the Baltimore and Ohio and the
| Philadelphia aIo Reading Railway Com.
| panics for the coal trade Of the anthracite
| region Of Pennsylvania, or. more proper
| ly speaking for that part Of il which
IS owned by the Philadelphia and Reading
| Coal and Iron Company. which is identical
| With the Philadelphia and Reading Rail-
road Company. By means OF this connec-
ton the Reading has during the past few
| years been able to extend its coal traffic
| in the west to an enormous extent. 1t
| has also long desired to reach deep water
in this vicinity, which thus far II has been
| unable to accomplish. but which ii could
| secure by the building of six miles of track
| between another point on the Western
Maryland and the Readings own line near
| Harrisburg. Pa
| Charter Privileges.
| 1t is estimated that outside of the value
| of the roadbed and its equipment. which
is first-class. the charter privileges grant,
! ed to the Western Maryland by the city
| of Baltimore are worth many millions Be-
| ing practically the creature of the city,
| the council has granted to the read privi-
| leges that no other railway corporation
| could by any possibility get. One OF these
| is a charter for the construction OF an
| elevated railway over what Is known as
| Jones falls stream of water which
| runs through the city from north to south,
| and on each side of which there is already
built at public expense. an immense gran
| lite wall which would afford a magnificent
foundation for the superstructure OF an
elevated road.
Under the terms Of another charter the
| Western Maryland is empowered to build
| line from q point about three or four
miles west of Baltimore city. through the
| western limits of the city, and thence to
| deep water at Locust Point where the
government has dredged to the depth of
| twenty-sevcn feet. which is about the
| heaviest draught of any ships coming to
| Atlantic ports. OF course, even with all
4 these privileges. the Western Maryland,
| under Mr. Morgan's control, would not be
| able to get to Washington and connect with
4 the Southern railway. unless the same
influence controlled the Baltimore and Ohio
| or satisfactory arrangements could be made
with IL or the Baltimore and Potomac
| road between the latter Of which and the
Western Maryland there is already a juno