The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-01-12

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Vanderbilt line along the west bank
of the Youghiogheny river to- few
miles north of Oakland thence
through gaps made by mountain
streams in the Alleghanies, traversing
Garrett county, and probably passing
through gaps to the south of Negro,
Meadow and Great Savage mountain,
striking the Potomac river, and cross
ing over this stream to Piedmont.
with the West Virginia Central a
party to this plan the Vanderbilt sys-
TEN could secure an entrance into
Cumberland over formers tracks.
Once in Cumberland the Chesapeake
| and Ohio canal would offer an easy
route to reach Cherry Run, and from
that place Baltimore could be reached
over the Western Maryland Railroad.
Objection may be made that the
heavy grade on the mountain division
Of the Western Maryland would not
make it attractive for a through trunk
line, but this could be remedied by
improving this division. When the
old South Penn scheme was under
construction contract was made to
use the Weetern Maryland Railroad
from Hagerstown to Baltimore that
called for the tunneling of South
Mountain at or neat Pen-Mar. The
South Pen Road, backed by the
Vanderbilt system, was being built
to take that system through Pitts
burg and on to Hagerstown, there to
join the Western Maryland and get
to Baltimore. This was defeated at
an immense cost by the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
Washington would be an objec-
tive point for such big system, and
it may be preferred to go to Wash
ington, following the canal, thence
to Baltimore. Going via Cherry Run
and joining the Western Maryland
Railroad there, the total new mileage
to be built to enter Baltimore whould
not be over 1875 miles.
"A union of interest between the
West Virginia Central ana the Van
derbilt system would no doubt be fol-
lowed by the building Of the project
ed extension of the West Virginia
Central south to join the Chesapeake
and Ohio, and thus reach out after
the Southwestern markets. In the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal there are
offered many attractive possibilities
of bringing another trunk line to-
Baltimore. In these days, when capi-
tai is available so readily for new en-
men of the country are not likely to
lose sight of this chance to reach Il
city which, in the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1898, was second to New
York i'll exports.
For the better part of a century the
city of Baltimore and the State of
Maryland have subscribed literally to
public works, and with few exceptions
never secured what was expected.
The Baltimore and Ohio was develop
ed under patronizing care. When the
Northern Central was started the city
had hopes of an independent system
to the great lakes, and Buffalo was
the objective point. This road should
have been built to Buffalo. When it
went into the hands of the Pennsyl-
yania Railroad it ceased develop
ment as a system in itself and became
a part and a helper in developing the
Pennsylvania system. The Western
Maryland was made practicable by
the city's aid. Where a policy is no
longer advisable, great care should be
exercised that in disposing of the
States interest in the canal the origi-
nal object, which proved so costly to
the State, namely, the establishing
of means of transportation that
would keep alive competition, be not
defeated.
1.-The Western Maryland Railroad
is a likely property to become a
means of bringing to Baltimore an
other trunk-line system. Its present
terminal, of course, would not be ade-
quate for handling the heavy taf1ic
that such a system would develop,
but its valuable unused franchises by
which it has authority to reach tide
water could afford all that may be de-
sired. One grant provided for the
building of an extension leaving the
present line and running via thr val
ley of Gwynn's Falls, crossing Spring
Gardens and entering South Balti-
more, thence past Federal Hill to the
south side of the harbor. Another
franchise calls for the construction of
line leaving the present road out
side the city litmit, crossing over to
the valley of Jones falls, along that
stream with the right to build above
/ the falls where necessary, down to
| tidewater, and along the water front
on the east side of the harbor to some
/ convenient terminal point.
1T is important for the growth of
/ this city upon greater lines that new
independent railroad influences be
brought in. Now the only large rail
road influences in this city are the
Baltimore and Ohio and the Pennfyl-