The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-05-09
FREDERICK SASSCER, ,,
CHARLTON SASSCER, "'S"es D.
BALTIMORE'S TRUNK LINE.

Mayor Hayes yesterday (Wednes-
day signed the ordinance which sells
to tho Fuller syndicate the Western
Mary land Railroad. 1t was, as tie
Mayor declared. an important act in
the history OF Baltimorc-one that
gives promise OF a new era in the city s
trade and greater development as an
important center Of the railroad traffic
of the country. says the Baltimore
american. If the promises made by
the purchasers, who represent the con-
trolling interests in the West Virginia
Central, Wheeling and Lake Erie and
Wabash systems, are kept to the letter
and we have every assurance that
this will be donc-many millions OF
dollars will he expended in changing
the Western Maryland from local
road to an important link in a great
transcontinental system Of which Balti-
more will be the most important termi-
nal. 1t will take time to perfect such
change, but the people of this city
will be patient, and, trusting implicitly
in the new owners of the road, will
await with confidence the completion
of the task they have undertaken.
That other cities realize the impor-
lance OF this deal is proven by the CON-
mems made upon it by prominent CAPT
talists and leading newspapers. The
best of these appeared in the editorial
columns of the Philadelphia Times of
yesterday. After reviewing the rea-
sons for the sale to the Fuller syndicate,
the editorial went on to say: "The value
of such development to Baltimore is
incalculable. Since the Baltimore and
Ohio passed from local control that city
has felt itself at disadvantage in the
competition between the scaboard cities.
Whether rightly or not, Baltimore has
believed that tie influence of the Penn
s,vlvania Railroad Disseminated in
favor OF Philadelphia. At the same time
the Gould system "a ggregating some ten
thousand miles Of railroad, has been
seeking scaboard connections, which
would make it a complete competitor
with the Pennsy lvania and Vanderbilt
systems and those under the Morgan
control, which have partitioned the gen
eral business among them to the exclu-
sion of his persistent rival. The con-
troll of the Western Maryland is *
pected to give to the Gould system tie
needed link in its Chain and to bring a
portion of its traffic to Baltimore, while
at the same time developing the nearer
trade of that port with the bituminous
coal fields. In these days it is never
safe to count too confidently upon per-
sistent competition, but the ordinance
seems to have provided effectively for
the actual completion of the terminal
system proposed, and if it should sub
sequently come under the general 'har-
mony of interests Baltimore will be at
least in better position to command
her share in the distribution of trade. y
So, in the opinion of reliable au-
thority in a competing city, Baltimore
will be by this deal Put in line with
those ports which are struggling for
the country's trade. Such an outlook
is gratifying to every citizen of this
community, and puts the future trade
and commerce Of Baltimore in a
brighter light than they have been for
some time.