Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-06-10
THE w., f. 4 G. SHOULD NOW
GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.


With the W.. F. & G. Ry. Co. re-
organized, and new president at its
head and other alignments made,
there is no reason why the w., F. u
G. should not proceed to make good
as a railroad, even though it is only
seventeen miles long at present. Ev-
eryone knows the slipshod manner IN
which it has had to hobble along dis
regarding the largest interests that
desired to put great amount OF
freight into Frederick, and then Won
dering why the revenue should not
increase.
Mr.. George Martin has been select
ed the General Manager of the road.
He comes to the railroad with the
unqualified endorsement of the otfi-
Gals of the Western Maryland rail-
road as competent railroad man,
and we believe that the railroad COM
pany has been very fortunate in Sc
curing the services of Mr.. Martin.
He has had ample experience and
training. We know he did not seek
this position and it was only after
much persuasion that he was induc-
ed to accept the Office of General
Manager.
Mr.. H. r. Pratt, the chief engi-
neer, together with Thomas G. Smi-
ley, general Freight Agent, and W.
A. Cox, assistant general freight
agent, paid a visit to Frederick on
Wednesday last and went over the
situation of a, terminal in that town,
and Mr.. Pratt is now engaged in max
ing a terminal layout for the road.
The Office will be taken from the
corner of Market and Fourth streets
to the terminal property. where it
will be combined with the freight Of
flee and freight shed.
The company is now proceeding to
carry out the instructions given by
the Western Maryland officials year
ago when the company was advised
as to just what had to be provided
before they could hope to obtain the
through freight from Baltimore to
Frederick. Instead of carrying out
this scheme they deliberately put up
little chicken coop in the middle Of
their lot, which would not hold car
load of bulk freight, and expected
then the Western Maryland railroad
company to consider that as proper
facilities. They have persistcntly
refused to take up the freight situa-
ton for the reasons above mentioned,
and the w., F. a. &. Ry. should
have been receiving large amount
of freight from the Western Mary
land railroad year ago, whereas it
is simply just one year behind time.
This only goes on to show the char
acter of management that predomi-
mated. This is only one of the many
things that had been done by the old
regime. 1t is to be hoped and ex-
pected that the new management will
profit by the mistakes of the old.
Mr.. A. c. Mcbride, who has been
the General Manager and chief man,
deserves a great amount of credit for
what he has accomplished and under
the conditions that he had to work.
He has weedcd out good many bad
places; he has a grim determination
to accomplish what he sets out to do,
and since he has had absolute sway,
matters have progressed in a very sat-
isfactory manner. No one has work
ed harder than he; he has mastered
everything that he has undertaken to
do Notwithstanding the fact that from
some quarters he has received little
encouragement and ofttimes much
criticism. The officials of the Freight
Department of the Western Maryland
railroad compliment Mr.. Mcbride
very highly by saying that, with a
small amount of railroad training,
Inc would develop into first class,
all around railroad man, and we con-
slider that this is paying Mr.. Mcbride
very high compliment, as, when he
came with the railroad, he absolutely
knew nothing whatever of the intri-
cacies or anything about its business,
but he is man OF more than ordina-
~ intelligence and has made fewer
mistakes than most men would have
made in that same position.
We understand the railroad has
contracted for 10000 tons of stone
ballast to be put on at once, which
viii make the road from Frederick to