The evening times., 1900-01-03
THE WESTERN MARYLAND.



WHY Wishes to acquire 1t.
The latest gossip regarding the fate Of the
: Western Maryland Railway and of the
/ Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is that the
4 Pennsylvania Railway Company is now in
the field as a bidder for them. The story
regarding the designs of the Pennsylvania
comes from a Baltimore financial source.
It is interesting but railway men are in
riined to receive il with a trile of doubt.
It is asserted that the purpose of the
Pennsylvania * 70 break the combination
by which The Western Maryland is serving
as a connecting link between the Reading
and Baltimore and Ohio. chiefly for freight
traffic and which made it possible for the
latter, few months ago, to establish fast
passenger train service between New York,
Philadelphia, and Pittsburg. Furthermore,
this line serves 10 parallel the Pennsyl-
vania.
Another repu,ed object of The Pennsyl-
vania is attributed to its alleged apprehen-
sion that within few years tha Western
Maryland will be in position to utilize a
] franchise it mas for a road TO Jones Falls.
I the construction of which would relieve
| if Of the necessity of running its trains
through The union tunnel at Baltimore and
I'D
tunnel tolls. This would mean a CORE
spending loss of revenue from the tunnel
and cause A deficiency which the Pennsyl-
vania would have 10 meet
If il could control the Western Maryland
The Pennsylvania would be able 10 prevent
this as its continued use of the tunnel
could be enforced. The tunnel tolls. it is
said. are sufficient to pay the interest on
s. 019. 030 bonds al 1 per cent, at which
figure bonds endorsed by the Pennsylvania
could be foated. The inference is, there
fore, that in addition to the $500 the
New York syndicate is willing TO pay for
the Western Maryland, provision is made
for the 2.00O coo, and the actual cost to
the buyers OF the road would be 81, 500, 600
ii is further pointed out that the West
/ ern Maryland parallels the Northern Cen
! tral, part OF the Pennsylvania system 10
! York, Pa. and other towns in the south
! ern part of the State of Pennsylvania. The
! declared policy of the administration of
/ President Cassatt, of the Pennsylvania, is
! 10 buy up all roads that can nte! fere with
/ his road or prove valuable as feeders. and
! hence il would be advisable to remove the
! Western Maryland from the field as COM
/ petitor, as, in addition 10 paralleling the
7 NOTthJrH Central, il taps a valuable traffic
! producing territory of the Pennsylvania in
! Southern Pennsylvania, particularly in the
rich and populous Cumberland Valley.
Control of the road would leave the Penn
/ sylvania master Of the southern Pennsyl-
vania and northern Maryland territories.
! The struggle for possession of the Ches-
| apeake and Ohio Canal is believed 10 be a
/ part of the contest over the Western Mary
] land. 1t offers a practical route TO the
/ Georges Creek and West Virginia coal
| fields While the acquisition of the canal
| for the purpose of converting its bank into
railroad highway is beset with legal OBJ
stacles. the fact is recognized that the fu
! ture is fraught with possibilities Of the re-
moval of these obstacles, and the way will
! then be clear tor a railroad. The Penn
| sylvsnia. If in possession, would then be
| able to furnish a market for the coal Of
/ fered at Cumberland by the West Virginia
! Central and other companies, and this, 1t
| is said. neither the Western Maryland nor
any other road could do, owing 10 traffic
! contracts POW in effect between the coal
and railroad companies.