Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-15

Aqueduct Toll Bridge ExtOrtiOn TO be
NO Longer Leealized.
The House committee on the District OF
Columbia had under consideration or
Thursday the memorial, signed by several
thousand of the most prominent citizens
OF Washington Georgetown and Alexandria
county, against the heavy tolls charged on the
Aqueduct bridge. A large delegation of the
friends to this popular move were present
among whom Was Hon. Caleb Gushing, who was
first heard on behalf OF the memorialists. He
said he had not come to make a speech ON the
subject, but desired to protest against the Pro-
prietors of this bridge being allowed any longer
to collect the high rates Of toll now being
charged, which he considered unreasOnably
the roadway s over the aqueduct. ''N AZ MAN
General r. ID. Mussey was then heard also I'm
favor of the memorialists. He produced com
munication from the United States Treasury
department certifying that certificates of stock
OF the Alexandria canal company to the amount
OF $50 900 were transferred to the government
in 1887 in accordance with an act OF Congress OF
March Sd, 1887, granting the said canal company
a loan OF $500 600; the provisions of which were
that Alexandria city should transfer to the GOV
eminent all the stock she held. He further showed
what an enormous yield, considering the small
investment in cost of constructing this roadway,
the present proprietors were receiving, amount
ing each year to
MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED PER CENT. PROFITS;
and many other facts proving that this toll
bridge company have already received several
times their investment. He submitted a bill re-
ducing the rates Of toll to one-third the present
rates, and said that the bridge company would
then receive a handsome and large profit OH
their original investment and a chase nrnvid
ing for Communication.
the North Arlington estate and vineyards then
addressed the committee. The Alexandria
branch OF the G. q o: canal, he said was fin
loaned the company 400, 600 with which To build
the splendid stone piers upon which this rom
pany have built their aqueduct and roadway
and which are the finest bridge piers i'm thi,
country. The company transferred stock ot
said canal to the government, which loan now
together with the interest, amount to nearly
one and half million dolisrs for which 81 =
canal COMPANY or it's Successors shoplj Lean nd
maintain a free roadway over their aonednct
which cost but a small additional outlav AMI
consists ofmerely planking it over and adding a
small trestle bridge AT each end over the ca nal
the same as is now i'm rise. and for which small
outlav fine nresent Iessees are nov oolIact;na ,h
most extortionate rates OF toll from aIi who have
occasion In cross il The cost of maLina IN,
roadway over the aoueduct was but SIs. Ooo To-
wards which Georgetown Contributed as a Oil,
the sum Of 800, leaving bat xi3 500 as the cost
of the roadvav tn tho lessnas Will" ~, tho;
own Statements they boast of having collected
during the four wears since they oneneJ II ~
travel the sum of
while their whole canal has maid tbe,n dur;ng
the same time but about one-halT as much II
cOuld ne clearly shown that the bridge comnany
did NOT exnect when thcv annlied RI Conprass
for the rigbt IN constrnst said ro.dw.ws Nc, or
their aoneSnct that thev would he ner,So;tted
TO demand sucR enormons rates of toll nc thev
annlied for in, Tho hill tbey nresenteJ 70 go
eress' embracing the riuht tn estabI;sb n toll
brdpe &c. buf .rnert,G Lat Conors 80 ,co,H c.,,
n dorm about one-half as thev declared ~ nos
the custom to ask i'm such cases double the
amount exnected tn he allowed n was nearthe
close of the session. July - 1SGs. when the hill
was nsssed and uutort,;uatsiy No one anno.rad
before the district of Colmm cnmm;ttee on
behalf of the neonle interested m oI,;ect 70 ,Ea
biDb rates of foll asked far AMI The con,mi.tae
he3ng unaware NJ the shove Tacts in tha haSt'
legisIatiOn. so near the end of tbe Session H.
hi1j nasSe3 w;ti,ou+ rednc;nn ar cn,,;no - ~.
the highest rates of toll The 3sSSaas III g.,
suranee Tn ash for Tbeu nc well - co.. .uo 90 "a
were astonished that the cntt;n - 49, % ~,
done. and as n consequence thes. IeSsaes have
from ther ;n~sstment oT SIs toS rnaS;.a lave
these extort;onate r.tes ~ 81, dmr; I'm IN
last four Years from s-o m 70 80 eoa
time TO time purchased and since mainta;ned
free the other hr;d%a artar;,n ~ R;nt;. =.
Columbia. and Which were an nr;g;naIIr to,
bridges. this seems an unjust discrimination
~ .Sa 'me tSUpie LesinS near tnls Drluge;
at nresent he,;evina that ;,s ~" naes ~ .o,
viii orc Lar, S;scnn.ss ~ a. JUS.
~, ,his ,0ng u,soo"unue " SNOW any partanty
isiJae al sIr uy im" t;E .nls alsS Iree
The S.nitsi crea Gnt az SS; ,n Aung 70
DIV speeuiators have thus reai;zeSS annn.s &c
cs!;,Pt" ,,nr r., n"so t. ~. .SanAeu annual re-
baIe in al, caSn a., rosa te - .e', tney
universal custom of Conn., - ranaLi
nor aunn,,, tla I'm !. ;.f
naor thatr hr;d.o r.. I asii PIDpIo osiu!s
for each crnss7na Th;s hns ~, VI onaa sng
hnrdensonoo ,,,nSs ,La s o aS zen w SmSLy
bnn.lreds of NOR !. hnrerP 'Op,.; uspeo.aS .ne
mers Who have haan ohi;,esS -, ,a, a; SI u TAI
tr;hn." ~ 10; vo.n ooa.seu 70 pay his neaVy
mos AZ this 10 III ~. ot. y, .uil aaiy earn
the nationai ceme,err ~ ryn,,n, Iv aI "
audi of stranaers on;y az ii;ss;' .ne nous
are often heard 10 a~nysss S s,,s; shat pace
United states oovernment sho,Id piIns INA. ono
tortion as ia cb5rged IN cross th; nhoa SUN n;, SA
On the Ia of fbs arnuaI iscana.;Hn cSo'
tor, I'm Ws, Vr ILL @ y. s ~. W aIon AT .AIhng
S"ar tSn ,,rn, On tnose peautIu nils, 1t mas
biohest rata to S u rnt ~ 70 exact tine
TI.. co,,'o VI 'V nlom tne ,noMsahus VINO cross
dano,ot;n na,e ooas.eu that on the last
srona a tI' nay inat tney tnus unJustly collected
wI;,a the, peUpe over SIX hundred dollars,
g. nooas LIZ! ~ ~. nave Deen expected on such
free or at laas, t !" she,r bridge open
toll And no ~ .f nave se,ss Only nominal
20 oins" ~ .uese oVer-leu SPECTATORS threaten
heiooa t t ~, pIiuge; louInin OF winch justly
noU ~. " .nS so Yer, saio government
dom. " as W. VIVA. .ney expected it would have
u otns a. MS VIZ: cut oown these enormous
49, III ~, .on Dat tue people are now doing
aaa;,t shoua nave aone at hrst; protesting
~ aSI'a Th ne Ion.ihuahSe Oh sucn nigh rate OF
Si. "noic PoPuiduoh Vi tue Dlstrict OF