Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-12-23
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE AND VIRGINIA ADVERTISER.
ICOMMUNICATED.

The action or rather non action of the City
Council last week, on the question of granting
the right of way to the Alexandria and Fred
ericksburg Railway. through the city, seems
to have given additional interest ia the subject
to the people of Fairfax. 1t is said that the
Company have now decided on taking the
"West Eod" route, and the citizens of that
suburb are already rejoicing over tic prospect
of having a dcpot located there, and tnclr
property RAPIDLY increasing in value, ropuIa-
ton pouring in, and a city sDrlngIDG up which
in time may look down on the fossil remains
of old Alexandria, Such ju5iIaDt feelings are
not entirely Confined To the citizens OF West
Eod, but haze already possessed tho scattering
population around SprinpticId station on the
o., n. g. NJ. r. r., who profess to have intor'
nation, that they will also have depot where
passengers and freight coming by the Penn,
sylvania Central anu destined tor the South
west will be transferred tc the Orange road.
They also expect to see their native wilderness
bIossomins as the rose, and wealth and pros
perity Astounding, but not being used to city
life, they will only allow moderate sized vii
lagc to be built, and ii, as they tear, the VI!
lagc may increase TO undue proportions, they
intend putting it under the control Of tho CRY
Council of Alexandria as the surest way to ar
rest it's rapid progress, relying on the we'll
known hostility Of the llOp. members to taverns,
and the IMPOSITION of Il lax on al roads cnteI-
ing, or public conveyances passing through the
village, to secure the desired result.
As resident OF Fairfax, and Interested IN
ANYTHING that may add TO the prosperity OF ITS
citizens, | sincerely hose they may realize all
they anticipate, but it will always be matter
of surprise with us, why, Alexandra, usua ~
so Jealous 10 guarding h.r IN crest, should now
refuse such advantages as are certain 10 be DC
rived to some extent, from al railroads. Some
passengers aud some IirnI"cr must reach
Alexandria By every road entering the cI'y, no
! matter what point it may come Iiou, Or 90 TO-
AID the large expenditure OF money ny lh2
| laborcrs and Others employed on the road,
would alone, more than compensate i0r am
injury to property by the road passing throu"h
| the city. If, as some say, the Ercdcrcks burg
| road is opposed to the Orange road, and the
| City Council must protect the Ofangc interest,
| how can that object be secured by d:l7Ing the
other outside he city to West Ead, when II
| can be run from that rolnt 10 the Northern
| limits of the city, and by nc rrcscn: me 70
| the Long Bridge precisely the same "a II II
passed over Henry street? This rou'r docs
| not secure better connection to the Orange
road than it nog has, and in the event OF the
purchase OI INC w dSultS'uu iohi ~ W.
erck Company. the Orange road might
be deprived of its connection with Washington
entirely. Had the use OF Henry street been
granted to the Fredericksburg road, through
passengers and freight by the Pennsylvania
Central would have been transferred to he
Orange road at the depot for all points South
west, tut by the adoption o! the Western route
by the Fredericksburg road, such passengers
and freight will probably be transferred, II at
all, TT Springfield, miles from the city. and
with the fare at So per mile, the Orange road
will lose forty cents on each passenger trans
ierred. and corresponding amount ia irelsh':
Thus the object the friends OF the Orange road
had in view Is not on'y defeated, but the ad-
vantages which might have been derived from
the other road, in some measure LOST TO the
city. 1t the present track on Henry street be
permitted to remain, aGOlber track could do
but little further injury, il proper conditions"
were imposed, in regard to drainage and pay
lPg bit il the prese9tt !Eask Is to B. Tem9yss2'
tor, the Orange road will be compelled to coz
struct road outside til: city to secure through
travel, and Alexandria hereafter only pointed
out to travellers, while they give it the go by,
as the Fredericksburg load probably has
Not being citizen Ct Alexandria, | have
neither the right nor the desire to NEEDLE
with the affairs of the city, but have gi"cu,
only, such views as have been expressed b.
many in FAIRFAX.
Fairfax county, Dec. PSI, 1870.