RAILCAR GOLD Chapter 17 . . Production . . Part 6
RAILCAR GOLD is a historically accurate multi-generational fictional tale of hidden treasure, primarily set in York County, Pennsylvania during the latter half of the Nineteenth Century. This is Part 6 of Chapter 17 . . . Production. A new part will be posted every Thursday. Recent chapters stand alone, starting here; however new readers may want to start at the beginning.
CHAPTER 17 . . . PRODUCTION . . . Part 6
The Baltimore Sun’s July 31st article about the proposed consolidation of the Baltimore & Delta Railway with the Maryland Central Railroad was reprinted in the August 3rd, 1882 issue of the York Daily:
The Delta-Central Consolidation.
The proposition to consolidate the Baltimore and Delta Railroad with the Maryland Central, a corporation chartered in 1867, is actively canvassed by the friends of the narrow-gauge road. One of the Baltimore and Delta directors says that while he is not over sanguine about anything, he felt satisfied of the merging of the Baltimore and Delta into the Maryland Central, under its name and charter, would carry with it the right to have $600,000 of its bonds indorsed by the city. He referred to the matters connected with the granting of the Maryland Central charter in 1867, and the authority given the city by the Legislature to indorse six per cent bonds for $600,000, when $500,000 should be expended on construction. The city council approved of the act and a vote of the people authorizing the endorsement.
It is claimed that the charter has been kept alive, and the proposition to consolidate was only entertained seriously after several prominent lawyers had examined into and advised the scheme. The director said the charter of the Maryland Central is very broad in its grants, and will be valuable for the franchises secured, outside of the city’s endorsement. An endorsement of the 6 per cent bonds would seem like an anomaly at this date, when the city’s 5 per cents are far above par. The Baltimore and Delta is doing a fine business over the completed portion of the road.
Even though the northern destination continued to be Delta in southern York County, Pennsylvania, it appeared inevitable that the new name of the Baltimore and Delta Railroad was destined to be the Maryland Central Railroad; to access the latter’s wider grants. This did not sit well with the people in Delta, as editorialized in the August 10, 1883 issue of the Delta Herald:
As no benefit has been derived from the adoption of the name “Maryland Central,” would it not be more appropriate to assume the original name, “Baltimore and Delta”?
On August 28, 1882, David E. Small joined with other stockholders of the Baltimore and Delta Narrow Gauge Railway in voting for the merger with the Maryland Central Railroad; upon assurances that all the Directors of the Baltimore and Delta Railway would be reelected. The York Daily announced details of the consolidation in their September 4th, 1882 issue:
Railroad Consolidation.
The Baltimore & Delta and the Maryland Central Railroad companies have consolidated under the latter name, the stockholders of the Baltimore and Delta ratifying the agreement of a vote of 4,531 shares against 7 shares. The old Baltimore & Delta Board of Directors were reelected, with the addition of Mr. William Gilmor. They elected W. H. Waters, president; Wm. Gilmor, vice president; Thomas Armstrong, treasurer; S. G. Boyd, secretary, and Charles W. Hatter, auditor. S. G. Boyd was appointed general superintendent.
The new company is to issue 16,000 shares of its full paid up capital stock. Each Delta stockholder is entitled to share for share in this stock, those not having paid up in full being entitled to the exchange as soon as they have made up the balance. The Maryland Central is to receive 2,000 shares of this issue to pay up its debts to date. The rest is to be held in the Treasury.
David E. Small was convinced that the merger would accelerate the completion of what he liked to call a “showcase narrow gauge railway.”
Go to Chapter 18, Part 1
