The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-12-02
Our Oldest Railr Dad
tF1NHNcIAL RMER1eA).

The mineral adjective which be-
gins the title, .;eighty-ninth annual
report of the pr esident, and direc-
tors to the stockholders Of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company. for
the year ended. June 80, 1915. seems.
commonplace enough, but to the
student Of railroad history it is elo-
quent Of the. whole period of rail-
road activities in. this country. For
the first steps in the construction
Of the Baltimore and Ohio marked
the real beginning Of railway build
ing In the United States. The COM
pany was chartered in 1927, in, Mary
land and Virginia, and actual con-
struction was begun July 4. 1921
significant date indeed. and parti-
cularly SO In this case because 1t was
Charles Carroll, last surviving signer
Of the Declaration Of Independence
who laid the first rail. President
Hadley. Of Yale, aptly emphasized
the romance of that scene when he
wrote, in 1855:
One mans life formed the
connecting link between the
political revolution Of the last
century and the Industrial re-
volutien Of the present.
In decade less than a century
after this birth OF the railroad in
this country we Of today enjoy the
comforts and conveniences represent
ed by more. than two hundred and
fifty miles OF railroad lines. spread
Ing network over forty-eight states
N q leo a
the dangers; and annoyances OF dis
lance conquered but the vital prob
lens Of feeding, clothing. housing
and distributing an Increasing popu-
lation are solved.
In this marvellous economy the
Baltimore and Ohio has place of
important rank. : 1t is not the largest
railroad system in the country, but
Its 1880 miles Of owned, proprie-
tary, leased and controlled lines COM
prise an organization closely identi-
fed with the welfare OF millions Of
people in nearly a. dozen states.
Roughly and briefly described, the
system extends from Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Washington west
ward to Chicago and st. Louis. To
anyone who has the slightest famil-
iarity with the geography Of the
United States. the strategic import
ance-both for the company and the
public, of course, since the interests
OF each are 50 closely indentifie
OF system thus chiefly articulated
is readily apparent, With It's main
line and branches it connects huge
mining and. manufacturing sectiona
with seaports, with large inland
cities. with the Great Lakes and With
the chief commercial and distribut-
ing centers S.of; the middle. West.
Great activities and great communi-
ties owe their existence and their
prosperity to this system which, on
the railroad map, assumes the. like
ness OF a hand the wrist at the
Atlantic seaboard, the fingertips. ON
Chicago and st. Louis hand
which groups and ,co-ofdinates, and
secures for the common sweal sthe
thousand and one human activities
within its touch. This IL, the system
which had Ats beginnings consider
ably less than q century ago, at which
time notsa mile Of railroad had been
laid In this country.
Like many railroad enterprises In
this country Of quick territorial and
commercial xpandon, the Baltimore
and Ohio has had its sviclssitudes,
some involuntary. some self-imposed.
Because. OF the character. of some. OF
the Commercial activities which II
links up with the markets. its prob
lens have been, IN some aspects,
more EeriotlH than thoxe which have