Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-12
THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT THE METRO
POLITAE RAILROAD BILL


THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT THE METRO
POLITAN RAILROAD BILL.
Is the incubus that has heretofore weighed
down all efforts at important improvements for
the benefit the District ne yer to be lifedl Are
we to 60 on forever doing nothing, and permit.
ting nobody to do anything for usl The CITY
might now be reaping the benefit OF a system
OF street railways of her own fostering, con-
tributing to her handsome annual sum for
city park, as in Baltimore, or to renoyate ner
exhausted finances. The boon was within our
reach, and almost gained. but was defeated in
one branch OF the City Councils through the
mischievous influence OF parties who hoped !,
get the franchise tor their own benefit. The
result was that nothing was done, and the
franchise fell into the hands of strangers
Our iRnominious failure to do anything with
our franchises for railroads to the Poin, OF
Rocks and to Point Lookout is a matter
OF unpleasant recollection. The project
to put ourselves in water commuu,ca.
ton with New York, was "pooh pooh d.
and wet. bianketed nearly TO death. Barely
half the requisite subscri ptIons for the en-
terprise were raised by the energetic com.
mittee, who worked unavailingly until foot
sore and heart-sore," AS one of them said.
in despair. Some Of these subscriptiops
were afterwards cancelled by faint. hearted
ones, and but for the success OF the committee
in raising money quite outside of city su bscrip-
tons, the experiment would have Iallen
through hopelessly.
The announcement that the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company were prepared to
commence operations with q large force
upon the construction of the Meuopoli-
tan Railroad from THIS city to the Point O,
Rocks has been received in this community
with the liveliest salts faction and it did really
seem that at last this city was about to
enter upon the long hoped for career of
business prosperity. The construction of
this road would not only cause the
employment OF large force of workmep
In this immediate vicinity, and the disburse.
ment Of large sum Of money in our midst
but Its permanent Dement'S must be incalcu
liable, putting US in i'm mediate communication
with the richest portions Of Virginia. MARY.
land, and Pennsylvania; and, with other con.
nections, shortening the route to the great
West more than 100 miles. This prospect
opening up to US At q time OF unparalleled
business depression, was hailed with more
universal satisfaction than anything here
within our knowledge for years. Nothing was
wanting but the requisite legislation from the
City Councils giving the road the right of
way, and this seemed to be so purely a matter
OF form that We presume there was not enc
person out OF Thousand in Washing ton that
did not feel absolute impotence that measure
so vital to the prosperity OF the city should be
delayed one instant longer than was necessary
for the requisite forms OF legislation to be gone
through with. But 1t was not to be- The
squattipg incubus was not so easily dislodSed
Just at the moment when hope is at the high
est and everybody praying for the happy hour
when the first spadeful Of earth shall be
v,sto hAA to- b..
work, our ears are saluted, as were those of
our forefathers In the most heroic period Of
the revolution. by the dissonant .ry Of ..beeG',
'seef"' shouted through the camp BY the
inevitable speculator thrusting his own selfsh
interests in the way Of the public good Buy
my lots or III defeat the bill ~ Just such
spectators we have here, bawling their beef
through the columns of the InteLligenser, and
one of whom was bobbing around SO indefat-
isabiy, up stairs and down stairs, at the City
Hall on Monday night last, lobbying against
the Metropolitan Railroad bill, and cans
fng marked copies of the Inte,ligencer con.
tanning his communication to be placed
upon the desk OF every member
Of the two Boards Of the City Councils Other
spectators Of the same ilk are endeavorinR to
force the removal Of the railroad depot to the
ooundaries OF the city, so to effect q sale at q
tion and yet others who own cheap lots upon
the streets along the line OF the proposed ROAD,
nope to make good thing by causing the bill
10 provide for the payment to them Of 4
swinging sum for visionary damages from the
cars running In front Of their property 1t is
urged In the interest Of this nest of spec ators
mat 'our city interests will absolutely req uire
that the railroad depots shall be removed fur.
ther back from the center Of the CITY, Nov,
we hold that 1t Is always for the interests of
city that Its railroad stations shouid he as near
Its center as possible. Philadelphia attem pted
10 break close railroad come lions throu sh
ner boundaries, and thrust the stations ON the
outskirts, an error that she speedily rued aud
now tnat city lie endeavoring to repair the evil
al enormous cost To drive the railroad sta.
ton out to the boundary of the CITY =. 40
have heretofore said, is for the benefit NJ No.
oooy but mack. drivers, and spectators IN an.
ouroan lots. Every business man who has
pound oil freight bI ought by raiIrc ad has rea-
con 70 curse the stupidity that, by forcing the
road TO stop at the boundary, compels him to
pay dollar or half dollar additional c.r,.ve
upon every cart.load Of freight taken from the
depot 1t Is not the railroad COMPANY that ..
injured BY this senseless folly of forcing thu
dropping OF passengers and freight on tbe
outskirts, instead of bringing them to ths heart
Oh the CITY. II 10 Less expense to the companv
to dump freight there than TO bring it to the
center Of the city; there is vastly less time
consumed less labor required, and there N
lees wear and tear OF rail and rsliing stock.
We think ii would be for the interest =, IN.
city that the right to como to the present demo,
should be granted even longer than proposal
by the bill before the City Councils, il not in
perpetuity. Then the business of the citv
would accommodate itself to the road and IN.
station. Permanent warehouses would be
erected along the tracks, with switches lead.
ing into them' rs In Baltimore and other &C.
i've business cities. The company would then
feel justified In expanding large sums OF money
in the erection OF spacious depot build,no.
such as we trust Will be needed for the trans.
action OF the business brought to the CITY nv
the construc ton of this ROAD. Ii the company il
10 be PEELED TO p NIL up stakes at any m oment
we cannot expect them to build anything bat