Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-09
THE CITY RAILROAD.

and others to construct HORSEPOWER railroad
through PENNSYLVANIA avenue and other public
thoroughfares of the City of Washington, although
numerousy signed by the principal business men Of
these several localities has length aroused spiri,
Of active, if not bitter opposition in certain quar-
tiers; and accordingly a conference.-the, earnestly
demonstrating against the construction of such rail
way, is being circulated among the people for their
signatures. One of those precious documents has
| fallen into the hands of the undersigned and he
begs corner of your paper to offer a running com
m ,ntary upon 1t.
This remonstrance as naturally to Re expected
tikes direct Is it'll the original memorial on every
position assumed therein In regard 10 the a,lyan
tages, physical, social, and commercial, with which
the proposed improvement is fraught; but it will
puzzle Philadelphia lawyer to extract from TIE
sepseless verbiage which alone characterzes that
notable production any thing in the shape of an ar
gument to sustain the Tesdsire platform Which it
has erected for the accommodation of it's signers
Whilst, on the one hand, it is contended by the me.
norialists. and proved by the experience of the
Hntry, that cheap and cOmmodious lines of inter.
COMMUNICATION 1atwsep distant points of city in
variable tend to the development Of It's resources
and the consequent acceleratiOn of its growth the
remopstrance, on the other hand, contents itself
with simple negaton Of the fact thus asserted and
proved, by going of, half cooked, with round and
unsupported assertion that the proposed railroad is
not only uncaed for by the public or private wants
! OF the community, but that it would be actually
hurtful t. the tkue interests of the city, and most
| injurious 3" tia convenience and beauty Of the
ated thereon In what way, however, these direful
results are to be produced it does not appear from
| any thing which the remonstrancs contains The
public it is true told that the seeds OF ruin and
desoation lie concealed beneath the surface of this
disastrous project: but, THREE THOUSAND of the
solid and substantial citizens of these several
have already menforialISed Confess for antho ty t.
prosecute this identical enterprise is reasona BILE
10 conclude that the opponents Of the city railroad
are altogether mistaken in their apprehension of the
ff1ghtful results which 10 flow from It, 4 hese
memorialists, l4any # 9hQE4 are psrsonaiy known
to the writer, arc large on the line
Ihe proposed alirOad are generally Of sbrewu-
ness and pretty clever business habits, and one
would naturally suppose that they are fully com De-
tent to investigate the true bearings Of this mea
sure upon their Interests wifhout tue aid of an
Amicus or guardian to dictate to and act for them
Their interests strictly identified with the inte
rests OF the city. and, as they have already spoken
out on this subject, Congress will scarcely turn a
deaf ear To t.ers Pstllien, pniess something more
imposing than the mere mixed assertion of the re-
m nstrance shall appear hereafter to convince them
thatte proposed measure will operate nuriously TO
tAe1Rterests Of the city.
As 1t regards the predi ted injury to the convent
ence ana beauty OF the principal tborougbfare which
Il to be produced by this railroad project 1t is Alto
gether imaginary, and rests alone in the breasts of
the concoctors of this counter memorial One would
re Ally suppose from the phraseoogy of the dozen
ment, ana the appalling spparitions Of deformity
and disfguration which seem to fit across the fan.
ces OF these old foeS. that structure of huge
and horrlfying proportions about to be intro
duced into the limits Of our city. And when cur
citizens told that this snBaea structure is to con-
sst OF a grooved iron rail, sank. into the earth
on IA exact ieUe with TIE surTace IF the stone pope
| ment-not a hairs breadth above it-and lust sucb
as Is used In New York and other cities of the Union
10 the great and acknowledged convenience of the
people, they will be amazed and incensed if not too
much amused, at the ridiculous bugaboo " hich has
been conjured up to Brighten them from their pr,-
prety. 1t is manifest to my mind that such road
ncada mt In s,,ta~
est degree with the convenience of the present sr.
engagements OF the avenue: and it regards the an
pretended deleterous effect which it ia to have
upon its beauty, it is sheer nonsense to talk about
IT. since 1t is apparent, from the mode of construc-
ton OF the railway, it will scarcely be visible with
out TIE aid of microscope, the equally efficient
help which may be derived from the promptin9s of
connosseur in matters of TASTE whose percen;;ono
are as keen aud vivid those of the author of This
notable remembrance
But, then the demonstrators say that will divide
the avenue into two streets and therefore greatly
Interrupt, if it does not suspend free and easv
municaton between the opposite sides of the street
and side walks. Here, again, the author falls into
his habit of naked assertion, and offers no proof
whatever to sustain the position which he assumes
IN the absence OF such proof 1t is sufficient for the
friends OF this great improvement to say that he ia
mistaken: for, rs the proposed road is exactly on
level with the pavement, there be no interrur.
tlon Whatever TO the freedom and facility of COM.
munlcaton as 1t exists at present Carriages hacks
and omnibuses will pass the rails as easily as
they now do over the ground, and foot passengers
would not be in danger Of even stumping their toes
In consequence of any obstruction occasoned by the
road 1t is evident that there is nothing in the OBJ
lection which has been thus started to our railway
and the whole remonstrance may therefore be re.
garded as an utter and arrant humbug Asitreates
interference with the original plane and designs
of the founders and engineers Of the CITY, there
evidently nothing in it. The avenue was designed
for purposes of travel and it is conceded on all
hands that railroads furnish the cheapest and most
expeditions, we'll as the most pleasant facilities
fr travel, the construction of railway through
the avenue would seem to be the best suited of all
others to carry into effect the views of the founders
OF the city. If such facilities nd have existed in
their day and generatioB would not be under the
necessity Of mooting the propriety Of building the
proposed road now. The age in which we live is
fast age, and We cannot afford notc-oaus to wal,
for the wagon" Those old fashioned vehicles arc
far too slowoo rough and too inconvenient for those
ideas OF comfort convenience and dispatch 10 which
the progressive spirit of the times has given birth
therefore hope that the memoralists will press
their work onward to its contamination with in.
creased vigor and not permit themselves to b.
thrown from thu track by the growing aud cantious
spirit Of those old fogies in cur midst whose pu5 i
syirt can never be aroused into action unless thew
rate advantage TO themselves The work which is
begun Is good word, and cannot fail if success full,
to rebound to the interests Of the city and to the con
venience OF the people. New York had to encounter
the same obstacles in the construction Of her city
railways, and such been Che manifest aaya nt.o.
arising from them that they could not be induced to
give them up and return again tn those DAYS Of old
fogyism from which we are now trying to escape
understand, in conclusion, and | state it upon
authority, that the parties who propose to build the
city railroad will give bonG and security, in the
event of their projects faiiing to subserve the mr.
poses contemplated to take up the rails and out the
avenue in the same condition they found it before
the enterprise WAS undertaken. PROGRESS.