Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-20
c. AND @. CANAL CASE
z II
Continued from Second Paea.r

Reading Is prospective purchaser. 1t
was through Mr.. Hoods efforts that the
Western Maryland, which was when he
became it's executiveIhead some years ago
described by various Writers as a "streak
OF rust stretching from Baltimore to
Hagerstown. has beens brought to a first
class line. extensions, have been built in
various directions and trade developed.
until from having to appeal to the city of
Baitimore Tor financial aid it has become
apie TO ana does regularly meet the pay
ment of tbs fixed charges and most of its
bonded Indebtedness
Views of Hagerstown Citizens.
A leading citizen of Hagerstown, who Is
largely interested in coal lands in West
Virginia said, in conversation with Star
reporter, that he was sure from information
he had received, and which he believed to
be reliable, that the Western Maryland
road, through the aid of Mr. ]. Pierpont
Morgan, as the actual owner of the Phila-
delphla ana Reading Company, will be ex-
tended at no distant date to Cumberland
The last named company, he continued.
wants to get to Cumberland. and the West
Virginia Central wants to get in position
where 1t can make its own rates for freight
to deep water and not. as Is now the case,
be subject to an arbitrary rate imposed by
any road with which it did not happen to
have a specific contract"
When the day comes he further con-
tnued, when the road above referred to is
constructed. Hagerstown will be the half
way point between Harrisburg and Cum
berland, and not only will there be in
Hagerstown locomotive repair shops, but
locomotives will be built there. and the pay
roll of the Western Maryland Company at
that place, which now amounts to about
$3U 600 month. will be more than doubled
The extension mentioned has got to be built.
and while the cost will be great, there is
plenty of money obtainable to make the
improvements.
Action Of Maryland Legislature.
The fact seems to have been lost sight Of
in most quarters that the Maryland legisla-
ture in 1880 passed two acts, the object of
which was to secure an Independent rail-
way line from Baltimore to the coal fields.
One of these laws authorizes the terms and
conditions on which the board of public
works could sell the canal to the Washing
ton and Cumberland Railway Company, as
the proposed line to be called. The
words of the section which have a direct
bearing on the relations of the railway and
canal are that the said Washington and
Cumberland Railway Company Is hereby
authorized to connect with the Western
Maryland railroad and the Frederick and
Pennsylvania Line railroad and the Balti-
more and Drum Point railroad and any
other railroad, and like authority is here
by conferred upon said roads to make such
connections at proper and convenient
points; the Western Maryland Railroad
Company shall! have the right to the same
rates over said Washington and Cumber-
land railroad upon joint traffic interchanged
by it with said Washington and Cumber-
land railroad that the said Washington and
Cumberland railroad charges upon it's own
or other traffic Of a similar character; in
consideration whereof the Western Mary
land railroad shall pro rate with the said
washington and Cumberland railroad upon
all coal and other traffic received by it
from said Washington and Cumberland
railroad or delivered by it thereto
"A reasonable allowance being first made
Tor terminal facilities at Baltimore, each Of
the said companies shall deliver to the
other all traffic destined to points upon its
lines or that can be fairly and properly
reached via the lines of said other party.
and shall make as favorable arrangements
Tor Its traffic as 1t does for any other COM
pany with which 1t interchanges traffic, it
being the intention of this act that the
rates OF the transportation of passengers
ana freight to and FROM Baltimore over
sald Washington and Cumberland railroad
shal be as low per passenger or per ton
per mile as those charged to the most IA
vored customer, the said Western Mary
land and the said Frederick and Pennsyl-
Vania Line railroad companies, and any
other railroad companies, and the said
Washington and Cumberland Railroad
company are hereby authorized to connect
with and to make such traffic arrange
ments with each other may be agreed
upon by the directors of the respective
companies and ratified by their stockhold-
ers."
Provisions of Other Acts.
The Other act which was passed during
the same session placed certain REQUIRE
ments or amendments to the charter Of the
washington and Cumberland Railroad Com
pany In case it purchased the canal. Under
these amendments the Washington and
Cumberland was required to grant to the
Western Maryland Railroad Company the
right to connect with it's railroads and to
interchange care Of the Western MARYLAND
over Its tracks upon the same terms which
may be granted by the corporation TO the
most favored customer and the Washing
ton and Cumberland Railroad Company was
required to transport freight and passen-
gers received from or destined to the West
ern Maryland Railroad Company at the
same rates pro rata as those charged by IT
upon its own road. so that the freest ex-
change OF transportation, both Of freight
and passengers. between the companies
shall always be maintained at uniform and
equal rates pro rata upon the roads OF both
companies. The law further stipulated that
the Washington and Cumberland Railroad
Company shall at no time be owned or
controlled by any railroad company owning
or operating competing parallel or nearly
parallel road, nor shall 1t be lawful for
any such railroad company to purchase ac-
qu1re or hold any Of the stock Of said
Washington and Cumberland Railroad
Company, and any acquisition by anv snch
company of any part of said stock shall be
absolutely void" ~