Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-23
CANAL INTEREST SOLD
State Of Maryland Passes
Title in G. and O.
BOUGHT BY WABASH
ACTION OF BOARD OF PUBLIC
WORKS AT ANNAPOLIS.
Interest of Washington Business Men
in the Transfer-Expressiou
of Opinion.

According TO dispatch from Annapolis
| the State of Maryland has disposed of its
| interests in the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
to Mr. Fairfax S. Landstreet. vice president
| of the Western Maryland railroad 1t is
understood that this purchase is In the
| interests of the Wabash railroad which
! has for some time past been trying to se.
| cure a route into the city of Washington.
| The dispatch continues:
| The action of the board was not unani-
| nous. Gov. WarfieId and Controller At
| kinson from the start have been OF the
| opinion that 1t was to be the best interests
of the majority of the people of the state
| to dispose of the states holdings. Treasurer
| Vandiver was on all occasions equally de-
| termined in his stand to prevent the sale
| at this time, IL possible. After all argu.
ments had been made. Gov. Warfield In an
| executive session of the board put the ques.
| tion, All In favor OF accepting Mr. Fair
| fax S. Landstreet's bid-it being the high.
| est-will say aye Gov. Warfield and State
| Controller Atkinson voted aye and Treas
| urer Vandiver cast a dissenting vote
| Prior to this action. however, Mr. VAN
| diver offered a resolution setting forth that
! in the judgment of the board it is deemed
| best for the interest of the state that the
| offers now pending for the purchase of
| the states interest in the Chesapeake and
| Ohio Canal Company be not accepted until
| the entire transaction shall be submitted
at the meeting of the next general assembly
| for its consideration and action.
This was voted down by the governor
| and Controller Atkinson.
Will Continue as Waterway.
| LAS a result of the transaction the state
| parts with the waterway in which she
| invested originally about s5,oC0GO0, which
| sum, with accumulated interest, has
| grown with the lapse of years. 1t now eX-
| ceeds $20O00OO0. Governor Warfield and
| DIR. Atkinson, by whose votes the sale was
| made. believe that it is better for the states s
| interests to accept sl55,00O rather than to
| receive nothing. which would eventually be
| the case because of interest Accommodations.
Mr.. Landstreet is reported to have an
| nounced positively that the Western Mary
| land Railroad Company will not interfere
| with the operation of the canal water
way, and that the railroad company will
| not undertake to operate the canal. There
| is no prospect that its use as a waterway
| Will be discontinued.
Mr.. Landstreet and Mr.. B. A Richmond,
counsel for the Western Maryland railroad.
ooth stated the object for which the canal
| property was desired by the interest they
| represented. Both of these gentlemen, with
| out reservation, stated to the members of
| the board that they only desired such parts
or the canal as was necessary for the erec-
| tion of the road which was now being con.
| structed between Hancock and Cumberland,
| and assured the board that even IL they
| had the corpus rendered them they certain.
| ly never would build a railroad upon it." I.
| The board was only in session fifteen
| minutes and quickly reached conclusion
| to dispose of the property.
Gov. Warfield's Views :
Gov. Warfeld in an interview In the
Baltimore Sun today. is quoted as saying:
II believe the people of Maryland are not
willing to invest any more money in this
| canal property. If / could have assurances
| that there would be responsible bidders for
this property, should 1t be offered at pub
| lie auction, who would pay more than has
| been heretofore rendered for It. I might
be willing to postpone the sale. But hav-
| ing no such assurance. l am in favor of
| now selling the states interest to the high
| est bidder.
After wide advertisement and general
publicity given through leading newspapers
| We have received but two proposals, both
of which are practically by the same inter-
ests, which, either directly or indirectly,
| were represented by bidders at the previous
| offerings.
"The highest bidder now represents a
| railroad system that is constructing COM
peting line from the west into Baltimore
city, so that the acceptance of Mr.. Land
| streets bid will promote just what the
| people of Baltimore and of Maryland have
| wanted and needed-a competing railroad
from the coal fields and the great west to
| Baltimore city.
1.-The final disposition Of the states in.
| terest In the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
| should be hailed by the people as the solu-
| ton of problem that has cost the taxpay-
ers of the state many millions of dollars.
| Strange as Il may seem, there have been
no substantial public protests at this time
against the sale of the states interest ip
| the canal
'Time alone will prove whether we have
| acted wisely in this matter. / have eXer-
| cised my best judgment and am content to
| abide the verdict of the future as TO the
| wisdom of my action.
Creates General Discussion.
The acceptance by the board of public
| works of Maryland of the offer of the
| Wabash railroad to buy the states interest
| In the Chesapeake and Ohio canal is of I'M
portance here, and was the subject today
of good deal of discussion In local busi-
ness circles. This result has been anticipated
TO some extent for several months but the
| announcement aroused afresh the talk
about the matter The action of the state
| authorities is regarded as a decisive step
| toward a change in the use of the canal,
and the belief seems to be general that IL
means the transformation OF the waterway
into a railway in the near future. Exactly
| how that will be done Is or course not
| known here nor is the extent TO which the
| canal will disappear at all certain in the
minds of some of those who have given
this subject considerable attention.
| 1t is the belief of some that the purpose
! of the Wabash railroad VIII De served
| without disturbing that portion of the canal
that lies within the District, as the section
| reaching perhaps far north as Cabin
John Bridge will continue to be used not.
| however as a canal but as a means OF
| bringing water for power purpose 10 the
mills and other manufacturing concerns
along the water front in Georgetown.
| In the event that ii is within the plans
| of the railroad company to have a line
| down into Georgetown 1t is claimed there
is abundance of room along the tow path
to lay a double track In the entire section
living within the District. so that the water
| course need not be disturbed and the rail.
road company can remain In the enjoyment
| Of the revenue that comes from selling
| water power not only to the present cons
| sumers but also to new plants that will
in all likelihood be attracted to that locale
ity under new conditions.
According to this theory OF the purposes
of the new owners and OF the future OF
the District portion of the waterway, the
line of canal from Cumberland down to
| within a short distance OF the District