Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-11-04
The washtngtoa and Georgetown
Railroad Company and the
Ayenue Pavement.

Avenue Pavement.
n has been understood that the railroad COM
Vany we're disposed to 90 their part of the
good work Of paving the avenue with thorough
ness and uniformity, but If they ever had such
purpose II would appear that they have recon
s.dered it, and now not only decline to pave
their portion with wood, but virtually refuse to
pave 1t at all. They design, II seems, to
retain the present cobblestone arrangement,
and certainly nobody will honor this nuisance
with the name Of " pave ment" The company
make great mistake in taking this course.
v her tle avenue is smoothly paved with wood
On Its sides, their central strip, with its rough
Cobbiestone denominations, will be such an In
cOnSruity-such trap for mud, filth and dust
such an Inconvenience to those crossing the
street, either on foot or in carrisges-that the
company will be loaded down with q weight OF
public Odium they can hardly afford to carry.
The company, 1t seems, maintain that they can
retain the present cobblestone under the pro-
visions OF the law authorizing the paving Of the
Avenue. As We have said, 1t will be wretched
Policy, in any event, for them to keep up the
cObb.estOne nuisance all along the middle of
Pennsylvania avenue; but We hold that they
cannot do IL under the planest construction of
the law Ii is an insult to Congress, to Begin
with. to assert that. in passing . law appointing
commission ito select and determine the best
kind of pavement TO be used in paving Penn
sylyania avenue, and to have said thoroughfare
paved Herewith from the northwest gate of the
Capitol grounds to the crossing of Fifteenth
street" that body intended to allow the railroad
company TO maintain q strip of the wretched
cobbiestOne nuisance the bin was intended to
abate, twenty two feet wide, along the middle
OF the street through its entire length!
But let us see what is the wording of the pro-
visions under which the company expect to es-
cape from paving their portion ofthe street.
In section it is enacted that the commission
shall I" select and determine the best kind Of
pavement to be used in paving Pennsylvania
avenue, and 20 have said thoroughfare paved
Herewith from the northwest gate OF the Cap
itOl grounds to the crossing OF Fifteenth street
west"
in sectiorS2 il is required th at the paving shall
he done ." II. the best and most sabstantia
manner
In section 3 it is enacted:
''Thst the cost of laying dorm said pdrsmenf
shall be borne and paid for in the fol-
washingto and Georgetown Railroad Com
pany fer that portion Of the work lying be-
tween the tracks of their road and for distance
said railroad company shall have the right to
construct that portion of the pavement which
II IL required to pay for under ne direction Of s1id
sEsll not construct that portion OF said work
With the same material, except between the
tails and between the tracks, and in satisfac-
toIy manner. and AZ rapidly a. the residue of
said VOL X shall be constructed, then the same
shall be constructed under the direction OF said
commissioners in the same manner as the other
ICrtiCn Of said work. The said railroad COM
psny shah have the right to select the material
with which the pavement between the rails and
between the ira ks shall be made: Provtded,
That the said pave me Mt on said tracks shall be
made 70 The Subtraction Of tie eonmissioner,v
II will Re seen that the act OF Congress all the
way through, ccntemplates an entirely new
pavement, on the part of the railroad COMPANY
veil as the other parties affected. Itdemand,
tat 1.-The paving shall be done in the best and
most substantial manner and without unneces-
saIy delay that "the cost of laying dorm said
Tare"eHt shall be borne and paid for in the fol-
lowing proportions and manner: BY the Wash
ingtOn and Georgetown Railroad" Sc, SC.
The COMPANY are authorized to select the
material with which "the pavement mot the
Cobble) between the rails and between the
tracks shall be made; proride1 that the said
pavement" mot the existing cobble) shall be
"maGe to the satisfaction of the Commissioner
Now, We do nOtsuppose il is within the bounds
OF possibility that the commissioners appointed
TO have Pennsylvania avenue paved Gin the bes.
and most substantial manner" will accept the
present cobblestone sbomnation as a " satisrac-
tory Pavement. Upon them rests the response
a
good, satisfactory neU pavement, and it will
be grave responsibility if they permit the
railroad company to baff'e the whole at.
tempt TO really pave the avenue BY sepa-
rating the two sides OF the street with
twenty-five feet of cobble with its ruts and
ridges, mud, dust and filth. The company NAV
select and lay the pavement on their tracks. but
subject to the approval Of the Commissioners
and the commissioners will be derelict in their
Isirsst duty TO the public if they do not require
Tie company TO lay pavement in every respect
3 good as that laid on the rest OF the Avenue.
We call urOn Mayor Emery, as the especis,
representative OF the citizens OF WASHINGTON
urCn the commission, to see that the railroad
company perform their share in Carving ont
his Improvement. We have no ill-will To the
railroad ard are aware that il will be a pretty
heavy expense 70 the company to pave their
tracks IrcI erly; but they will be only sharing
Tie heavy BIZ: deDs incurred by all the property
interests CIon the avenue. Citizens are heavily
taxed fer ills improvement of a great public
ttoICul hfare, merely because they happen 70
own property on il, and II would be stranpeifs
wealthy corporation having 80 valuable a fran
elise a. the railroad company hold on the ave-
nue., should be permitted 10 go scott free
We call upon the commissioners and partie-
UlaIly on Mayor Emery to see that the railroad
company Il not permitted TO perpetuate the
ObblCStone nuisance.
The hafora h. u-,;,o.