National Republican., 1883-10-09
TIE AVENUE OF OTHER DAYS.
How 1t Looked When jefferson Spurred His
Old Horse Along 1t to tho Capitol.
The Early Appropriations Made by Con-
gress for Its Improvement
Tho Efforts to Establish the First Street Car Line and
The Opposition II Met
Tho Charter of the w. and G. Lino-start-
ing the First Chr.

little more than commons or pasture land.
One of the first appropriations made by
congress for the federal city was in April "a
1900, when $4,000 was set apart for laying
sidewalks upon Pennsylvania avenue and
elsewhere for the convenience of travellers
between the two ends of the city. This sum
was to be reimbursed from the sale of lots be-
longing to the government. This was fol-
lowed in March 3, 1907, by another appropria-
tion of $4,000 for opening the great avenue
and adjacent streets, which were then simply
dirt roadways.
In May 25 1882, an appropriation of $4,000
was made for paving with cobble stone Penn
sylvania avenue, from the capitol to the exe-
cutivo department. u carriageway fortyfiye
feet in width. In Feb. 10, 1888, there was a
further appropriation of S69,630 for paving
another portion of tho avenue with Mac
ADAM" and for guttering. March 3, 1916,
$3S,000 was appropriated to pave the carriage
way from the capitol to the congressional
cemetery. March 3, 1SA7, and March 3, 1S49
$4,000 for completing the paving between
the capitol and executive mansion. Aug. 81,
1852, an appropriation of $4,000 for grading
and paving Pennsylvania avenue from Seven
teenth street to Rock creek, and March g.
1853, to Aug. A, 1854. further sums amounting
to S23,700. Aug. 12, 1913, the gap between
Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets was pro-
vided for by an appropriation of $1,000.
The avenue of that day differed so mater
tally from the present street that one becomes
quite interested in studying the old plan re-
corded with the city surveyor. 1t shows an
area in front of each house, then generous
side walk reefed in by guttering, lined up
and down by trees, with here and there
pump; then forty-five foot carriage way, then
cutters, with rows of trees, then another car
riage way, cutters, trees, and sidewalk again.
Thus congress labored, in season and out of
..I,. ls,,.r
over years. to make the great avenue what IL
should be. We read of numberless appro-
priations for repaving, repairing, and digging
up and removing grass, weeds, and mud, In
after days, when the mayor and city council
held sway, whole regiments of darkey and
Irish laborers could be seen, knife in hand,
roofing up the grass which grew between the
cobble stones Generally this happened
about election time, and the laborers
were employed, as the Erening Star
used to assert, "by the day" As the
city grew in size and importance
lines Of omnibuses were started successively
by Naior, Pitnam, and Nanderwerken, run
ming first rom Georgetown to Browns (now
Metropolitan hotel, and afterward from High
street to the navy yard. .Vanderwerken
finally bought Off all competitors and became
the monopolst of travel. Meanwhile, the
city began to grow and move, slowly it is
true, like some old Dutch dowager, but
surely. Some of the inhabitants rubbed their
eyes and began to think they we're behind
the times.
In 1884, while Nicholas Callan was presi-
dent of the city council, applications began
TO Le made by rival interests for charters for
street railway cars. The entire federal grave
yard was excited. Men and women with
bated breath asked each other whether such
an innovation could be permitted. AT once
an angry dispute arose with reference to the
ownership of the streets and whether con-
gress or the municipal authorities were
vested with the control of them. Deep inter-
est and excitement prevailed. The council
chamber was crowded with auditors as the
discussion went OH rs to whether there should
be cars no cars. Legislators were ap-
proac he'd in the streets and at their homes
by rival interests. Finally the New York
applicants for q charter invited the common
council to visit New York and sec street cars
in operation.
committee was appointed. with Dr.Aaron
Miller, of the navy yard, as chairman, which
went to New York, and after being wined
and feasted, but not properly seen to" in
private, returned to the city, and, not daring
TO defy public sentiment, made an adverse
report, saying that tho proposed line would
destroy business, frighten horses, spoil the
street, be difficult of access &C., &c. So the
"busses" kept rolling and the street car pro-
jectors left disgusted.
In 1862 the fight for q franchise was re-
q
successful issue. "rhe 'busses must CO."
May II, 1S62, liberal charter was granted
to Eliab Kingman, Franklin Tenney, j. j.
Coombs Sayles J. Bowen Charles II. Upton,
Henry Addison, Hallet Kilbourn, and their
associates, under the style of tho Washing.
ton and Georgetown Railroad company"
This result was due largely to the efforts of
few men such rs Cooke, Fahncstock, and
Others, who helped raise n large proportion of
the financial means for carrying on the enter
prise outside the city.
The charter will be found at length chap.
73, pp 3cS, revised statutes, May II, 1862.
Some of the main points are as follows:
Section l. That the aforesaid parties "are hereby
created body corr crate, under the name of the
Washington and Georgetown Railroad company,
with authority 10 construct and lay down double.
track railway, with the necessary switches and
,uuouts, in The cities OF Washington aud George:
town, in the District OF Columbia, through and
a,ong the following avenues and streets: Com
mcnCing Bridge street, ut the intersection with
High street, or at such point on Bridge street east
thereof in the city OF Georgetown as may be desig-
nNted hereafter by the corporate uu hurities there
Of aloug said Bridge street 10 its intersection with
tue street running 10 tue tubular bridge over Rock
creek TO Pennsylvania avenue in the city OF Wash
ingOn along said avenue 10 Fifteenth street west,
along suid Street south to said avenue along
said avenue TO the foot OF he capitol grounds,
thence around the southern boundary of the Capi-
tol grounds, and along their southern boundary
sylvHnia avenue 10 Eighth street east or Garrison
street, and along said street south to the navy
eastern front of the capitol, from the southern 10
the northern gate and thence by street 10 the
depot Of the Baltimore and Ohio railway and
thence from said depot through First street west
To PennSylvania avenue, so ns 10 inteIseet with
said main roud also double or single track
branch railway, commencing at Boundary
street northwest anu running down Sew.
cnth street west to Pennsylvania avenue and
~ the Potomac; also railway commencing NJ
boundary street and running down Fourteenth
street west and New York avenue to Pcupny wanda
avenue 10 q point of intersection with snid melt
toned railway, with the right To use public car
therefor rate OF fare not exceeding cents pas
senger for any distance between the termini o
either Of said muin railways or between the ter,
mini of either of sad branch railways; provided
that the use and maintenance of said road shat
De subject 10 the municipal regulations OF tn(
cities OF Washington and Georgetown respectively
Within their several corporate limitsi and that
whenever the capitol" grounds shall be EN-
l.lg d, then the said routes shall be made to con
ilra thereto.
Sec. ii. That such roads shall be deemed real
estate aud hey, together with other real property
uni he personal property of said body corporate
Suull be- liable to other real estate aud per
spGai properly in the cities aforesaid, except as
lC v,uOlor provided,
see. II. That the said railway shall be laid In
the center of tie avenues and streets, as near as
Muy he, without Interference with or passing over
lc waite mains or gas pipes, in the most approved
iuauavr adapted To rtrect railways, with rails OF
thG.m ~ approved pattern, to be determined by
tie ,r'rr, tH Of the interior, laid upon an even
~ GO WITH the paYemcnts OF the Streets and tho
space hulwrcU the tracks shall not be less than
four or more than six feet and the carriages shall
LA llsg