Evening star., 1939-10-01
Fifty Years Ago
In The Stur
The Chesapeake g. Ohio Canal termi-
mating at Georgetown was out of COM

The Chesapeake g. Ohio Canal termi-
mating at Georgetown was out of COM
AL, mission so years ago by
'>oo"oo'',e"' reason Of damages and
OF SonoI its abandonment as a
opposed CONNER al waterway
was proposed. The Star of September
25, 1889, said editorially:
The Chesapeake e. Ohio Canal will
not stay buried. The injury which its
discontinuance as waterway has ac-
complished is felt so keenly in Western
Maryland that there is no cessation of
efforts to secure its reconstruction. A
delegation representing all the counties
through which the canal passes urged
yesterday upon the State Board Of Public
Works the lease of the canal to private
parties in order that it might be rebuilt
and managed on strict business princi-
piles. The attempt to secure funds for
rendering the canal navigable by sale
of bonds has failed, and there seems to
be no way in which the waterway can
be put in operation except in the manner
proposed and there is yet doubt whether
this project is feasible. The Governor
and treasurer of Maryland at yesterdays S
conference indicated that if men able to
repair the canal and run it properly
should present themselves they would
appoint a president and directors to
carry out the views of the money back
ers and would favor legislai ion making a
long lease Of the canal, i that should be
desired. The representatives of the
Maryland counties are firm in the belief
that if the repaired canal may be man.
aged on business principles by men in
terested in its business success and not
in its use for political purposes. 1t can
be profitably operated. Theii spokesman
said:
1--WE believe that this Is the time for
new methods OF management we BE-.
lieve that an analysis of the figures in
the reports Of the preside 10 the stock
holders will convince C.. Ssful inquirers
that the saving that can b. made In SAL
aries. in lock and dock expenses, In
wharfage and by the application Of strict
business rules to the building up Of local
as well as through freiehts will increase
revenues as expenditures will decrease
and the canal can be maintained. We
believe that a company Of responsible
gentlemen can be found who would be
willing to lease 1t and by the application
Of business methods assure its mainte-
nance for the purposes Of the commerce
and traffic of the section of the State
ifC av{e eto
'The District sincerely hopes that this
last effort to revive the waterway may
be successful. The permanent abandon
ment of the canal involves a blow at
the local interests as well as those OF
Western Maryland and no satisfactory
substitute for it as transporting agent
is anywhere in sight"
New York City was planning worlds
fair so years ago and Central Park vas
centroI Pork The us Star q, Of e September asa
Proposal 2e, 1859, says:
Protested "The talk of planting
worlds fair buildings in Central Park
has called forth storm Of protest from
the people of New York. The park Is
the city's only big breathing place and
to use 1t for a fair site Is to destroy it
for a public pleasure ground. The fine
old trees, Of which such care has been
taken for years, must be cut down; the
lawns which have grown so handsome q
turf after a quarter century of nursing
must be spoiled. Every workingman in
the big city feels personal interest in
the park as the one bit of out-of doors
enjoyment he gets in a week is taken
there. The millionaire who is expected
to swell the fair fund buttons up his
pockets the instant there is any talk
about hurting the park, for that is where
he takes his afternoon drive and where
his sons and daughters have their daily
gallop on horseback. New York cannot
afford to sacrifice its breathing spaces
to any. temporary qualification of local
pride. The tendency in all large cities
to encroach upon the parks with piles Of
brick and mortar is 50 strong that the
slightest yielding In such . case il Q
very dangerous precedent"