The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-11-03

4BOROUGH, M
dollars. * 4 1t is we'll known
that there are large amounts of prop
ertv in the city of Cumberland, now
occupied hy the Canal, lying between
the West Virginia Central and the
Baltimore and Ohio (railroads) which
for manufacturing purposes would be
a valuable property and worth, it is
said, from tuo to three hundred thousand
do1lars. There is property in the Dis
trict of Columbia valued at from
million tn q million and a half collars.
And now the State of Maryland is
asked to give away all of this valuable
proI erty for the pitiful sum of SIS 900
a year"
If Mr.. Cowen's estimates of value be
footed up, aud the lowest figures taken,
the value of the Canal in 1890 was
81 $50, 900. as follows:
lS4 miles of road bed at
$4,000 per miie.... S3,6SO,OO
Tunnel. Observation-Disclosures. 100000
AcQueducts (from 81 100000
to $2,000,00O O..........".. 100000
Property in Cumberland
(from 100000 to $780,
Ooo).. ........ ..................... 100000
Property in the District of
Columbia (from 81 100000
toS! ,500,000) 0)............... 100000
Total -. .........S7 $3.50 600
If we take Mr.. Cowen's top figures
the value of the Canal was SS,4S0,00O.
The bid of 1899, in tue interest of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was
$500, ,OO0-S3OO, 900 for what the now
president of the Baltimore and Ohio
said in 1890 was worth from 81 $50 900
to ss,4sO, 900.
If it was a proposed steal to pay off
a judgment of $50, 900, labor claims to
the amount of $4,000, about $500 900
principal and interest for the bonds of
| 1878, 1924 ,SI5 on the bonds OF 1914
and $4,000 a year to the State of
Maryland. amounting, capitalized at
five per cent, according to Mr.. Cowen,
to 81 ,364,SI5; what must sale be at
$500, 900, as proposed by persons in
the interest of the Baltimore and Ohio?
| And in this connection we would ask :,
has not the Board of Public Works
agreed to make the sale at S3O0,0O0?
And did not Governor Lowndes want
to make the sale at once, but upon re-
Election by the parties to the deal was
it not thought better to postpone it
until after the election, for fear of the
bad effect on Republican prospects?
And it is pertinent to inquire has not
Mr. Cowen, in consideration of the
agreement to sell, promised to throw
the whole weight of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company, SO far as he
can, in favor of the Republican State
and legislative tickets in all the coun-
ties whcrc the road runs?
These are questions that must be
satisfactorily answered, or the belief
will be general that bargain has been
made between the Allegany Ring (vir-
tual owners of the Republican party)
and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
by which the latter is to acquire tie
Canal at price which is uorsc than a
steal.
And there are some other inquiries
that are pertinent in connection with
the present pro- l,osed sale of the Canal.
An act was passed by the legislature
of 1896, chapter 1861, and approved
by Gov. Lowndes April End, 1896,
which was rushed through in the clos.
ing hours of the session, very oppor-
tune time for crooked work, when
every member is almost wholly engaged
in getting local bills passed. The pre-
amble recites that the c.. & O. Canal is
engaged in litigation and is in the
hands of trustees or receivers, by au.
thority of the Circuit Court of Wash
ington county; that prior to being
placed in the hands of receivers the
Canal Company had become indebted
to various persons for labor. supplies
and materials since 1871, some Of which
claims had been reduced to judgments;
that "a large majority of said claimants
are poor persons, to whom the loss of
their claims would he great hard
ships that the Canal company is in
debt>d d to various persons for labor
and materials Furnished in and about
the building and construction of said
Canal west of Dam No. 6, to Cumber-
land, prior to 1877, who have reduced
their claims to judgments, and revived
them from time to time SO that they
are now valid claims against the COM
pany;' that said judgment creditors
would equitally ly be entitled to a lien in
the nature of a mechanics lien on the
works of the Company which their
ltbor and means constructed, and said
recent labors are equitably entitled to
priority in payment of their claims
over all lien holders of all kinds, &c.
By Section the State valves all
liens by way of mortgage or otherwise
upon all property and the tolls and