National Republican., 1880-03-16
A VEXATIOUS PROBLEM.
A War Against the Railroads in
South Washington.
What Was Said at Meeting Last Night
Judge Smell Denounced-New Fuel Added
to the Flnmes by Plan to Tunnel
Maryland Avenue--The Citizens
Determined to Resist
Strong Language.
The citizens Protective Association.

strong Language
The citizens Protective Association.
A meeting of the Citizens and Property
Holders Protective Association, of South
Washington, was held Mt st. Dominics church
| last evening, Mr.. J. Harrison johnson in tho
chair and Mr.. w. b. Brown secretary. Tho
| chair announced that the meeting had been
| called for tho purpose Of discussing tho injury
and injustice of running steam railroad tracks
| through the improved sections of tho city, the
| violation of the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad
Company of their charter by occupying Mary
| land and Virginia avenues as common freight
depots and the Improvement of tho public
| reservations In South Washington.
DIR. Culver said that the Senate District
Committee had now under consideration the
| question of railroad tracks in the Streets and
would give the citizens of South Washington
q hearing Oh the subject toward the latter
| part of the week.
Mr. Wright detailed conversation be.
tween himself and Commissioner Dent in
which the latter said that if satisfactory cvi.
dence WAS a1duccd that the railroad company
was violating any law or ordinance it would
be prosecuted. District Attorney Riddle was
also favorably disposed toward the people of
South Washington, and If satisfactory in
formation could be sworn out he would attend
| to the legal part of tho matter DIR. Allen
favored fighting the railroad company in
earnest. 1t would not do to fine them and let
| the matter rest there but mako them move
| their tracks.
Mr.. Bamberger gave history of his fight
| against the railroad company in 1873 He
| went to Assistant Dstrict.A ttorncy Miller
aud laid his complaint before hini, but he re-.
| fused o prosecute. 1t was tho same way when
he went to w. A. Cook, the District Attorney.
| He then stated his grievances to Judge Fisher,
who looked over the law and told him that
| tho railroad company had no right TO obstruct
| tho streets, and could be prosecuted. Acting
upon information received from this source,
| he filed an information in the Police court, but
six weeks elapsed before the question came
up, owing to the postpouemcnts granted Mr..
Stanton, attorney for the company. Finally
| the case was heard, and Judge Smell, evading
direct decision, ruled that it was Il mere mat
| ter of regulation, aud that the Board of Pub.
| lie Works could remedy the ovil complained
OF. Mr.. i. i. Du Barry, at that time in
| charge of the railroad at this end, acted upon
the hint given by Judge Smell, aud before any
one could get ahead Of him. secured q permit
from the board allowing the company 10 con-
| tiuue the nuisance. Mr. Wright said that the
reason the company had not been prose-
cutcd, was because of the ftvortism here
toforo shown it by the District officials.
Judge Smell gave a compromised decision
instead of saying outright whether the
railroad company was guilty or not 1t would
not do for judge to cOuntenance any half
| way measure, and Judge Smells conduct on
| this occasion was ofsuch character as to make
him a good subject for impeachment Things
had changed, however, Since 1873. Mr.. Rid
die not Mr.. Cook was District Attorney, and
the present Commissioners of the District had
not compromised themselves with the railroad
company. Still it would not do for Mr. Rid.
| die to go into court without u good in forma-
| tion, and it behoovcd all interested to 20 to
his Office and furnish all the evidence they
could. 1t would not be hard to find good wit.
nessos, and now all that was necessary was To
get the attorney and Commissioners interested
In conclusion he suggested that the committee
of twenty-five take the initiatory steps. Wait
| upon the District Commissioners and District
Attorney aud agree upon Il plan of prosecution
DR.. Allen said that South Washingo ou's in
terests demanded II representative on the Fire
Board and as two vacancies now existed he
moved that the meeting request the District
Commissioners not to ignore the claims o
South Washington in making appointments tC
fill the vacancies. This motion was unani
mousy agreed to.
The meeting after this interruption settled
back to consideration of the railroad dues
tion, during which Dr. Culver said that if thu
law did nothing in the matter they shOulC
take the law in their own hands and tear vi
tho tracks. He suggested this, not as a ques
ton Of law, but of right, and when the tim
came he would help to do the work.
Mr.. Wright was opposed to this kind @
work, and said law was the only recourse.
they tore up the tracks the railroad compan
could sue and recover damages from the Dis
trct.
Mr.. Cullinane said there had been too mucl
law talked Of Wait and see what Congress
} would do in the matter OF moving the track
ard not be in such hurry. 1t would be tim
enough next June If Congress gave them IL
relief, to go to law. Meanwhile nothin
: should be done to jeOpardize tho chances q
the passage of the bill now before Congress
relative to the union depot and removal
, the trucks. Talking at Congress would do n
good. That body was combined and the mem
bers in Il number of instances were owners @
the road they were asked to fight
DIR. Culver said he agreed with the las
speaker. The Commissioners would have th
power to select a site for the depot after Con
gress passed the bill, and they would see tina
South WashiuHOn's interests were locke
after. However, it they were denied thei
rights, then tear up the tracks. Mr.. Shcpher
when he wanted the Baltimore & Ohio rail
road track removed from Maryland avenue
set force Of men to work, and in q night th
nuisance was abated. He had never bee
prosecuted for this act, nor would the peopl
! Of South Washington be prosecuted if the
acted in tho same way.
Mr.. Culliuano stated that in conyersatio
with Mnlor IWlnlng the other day, he ha
been told that tunneing Maryland aud yirgini
I avenues would probably he resorted TO il
. order 10 remove the tracks from the street
1 aud keep the obnoxious cars out of sight. Tht
, assertion brought Dir. Allen to his feet and b
, proceeded to ventiate himself thoroughly o
tho subject III said this plan would be wors
, than tie other. They got rid of wet canal un
now it was proposed to give them a dry one
, aud the only communication between Mort
aud South Washington would be by bridges
, II such plan was carried out, then the peopl
would be justified in burning bridges, teariu
up tracks and blowing up any building ereCteC
! The speaker lashcd himself into a perfect fury
and proceeded to abuse the railroad compan
for its arbitrary exercise of little power ii
was stopped by Mr.. Fletcher who said tn
v idea ofa tunnel was prepOsterous, and no con
p, puuy would attempt such thing in dirCC
' violation OF the rights Of the citizens, 1t wa
stated that the chair had held Il conversation
u with Major Twuing on this subject, and
= was asked to tell what he knew about tn
IT matter Mr.. Johnson said that Major Twinin