National Republican., 1883-10-11

quarter miles, and the tOurteentn Bbreet line
from Pennsylvania avenue TO the boundary,
ono mile and n half, making in all about ton
miles of double track road. This is mostly
laid with the simple tram rail of about two
thirds tho weight Of that used in Boston and
New York city, where heavier rails are re-
quired. The company has in most of its
later work adopted the T rail, which no doubt
renders travelling much easier, though 1t IS
open to objection on some grounds. Track
laying and repairing for the last few years
has averaged about $500 per annum.
The Washington and Georgetown Railroad
company runs from $50 to 175 cars of various
kinds and descriptions, although not more
than two-thirds that number run regularly.
Upon Pennsylvania avenue there are sixty
cars. of which twenty are small I" bobtal')
and fourteen open cars. In cool weather these
latter are replaced by close cars, while the
others go into winter quarters. Cars run at
intervals of one and half minutes between
Eighteenth street and the Capitol and ut
longer intervals for through cars. Each car
from Georgetown to the navy yard makes
seven round trips each set of horses
averaging two daily round trips.
The small cars were put on the
line to offset the "herdics" and "chariots,"
and run only between Eighteenth street and
the capitol with moderate passenger fare Of
3 cents These small cars, although salts
factory in all respects, would seem TO strain
the third section of tho charter, which re-
quires carriages of six feet width. From First
street, two cars run to the Baltimore and
Ohio depot. The average time of conductors
and drivers ia about sixteen hours and one
half per day, aud they arc relieved once in
each eight or ten days by extra mon. The
pay is ~ per diem, less the amount deducted
when relieved from duty. Upon the Seventh
street branch there are twenty large cars kept
regularly running, of which IN summer ten
are open. Each of these makes two round
trips per diem, of which pair of horses ac-
composites three. This line is one of the
most important branches of the road. Pass
ing through a thickly settled portion of the
city, it furnishes transportation to mechanics
aud laborers, and is the great thoroughfare to
the wharf Ten extra cars are kept for use as
occasion requires.
The Fourteenth street line until within
few days numbered eighteen one horse cars,
which made eighteen round trips daily, each
horse accomplishing about five round trips.
Twenty -four cars is the number adapted by
the last schedule. This branch was started
with single track, having numberless
switches, but the growth of the street and en-
tire section necessitated double track shortly
after part of which is II rail. The estab-
lishment of streets such as "Corcoran,"
Pierce" riggs" and others, the subse-
quent building of immense blocks of houses
upon sites formerly used as cemeteries, and
the development of the suburban property
outside the Boundary shows the value of a
well conducted street railway. 1t is proposed
to extend this branch to Mount Pleasant,
which will prove very advantageous to the
little village.
The stables and car houses are among the
finest in the country, if indeed they have any
superiors. There are in all six stables, of
which two are merely nominal affairs. The
Ia at it,,-
mense, we'll ventilated brick building, cover
ing large area of ground and providing ac-
commodatiOn for about 600 or 700 horses.
Each one of the large cars upon the avenue
requires seven horses per diem, besides which
a number are kept in reserve and upon the
sick list. The Seventh street stable is like
wise a large brick building erected in the best
manner and capable of holding about 200
horses. This is situated near the wharf.
There are two stables at the Fourteenth street
on Boundary, and the other
completed on w street in close prox-
unity. These will accommodate about 100
horses each. The navy yard stable 10 smaller
and contains about fifty horses, while that
near the Baltimore and Ohio depot is a small
affair.
1t is gratifying to notice tho caro- and kind
treatment bestowed upon the horses owned
by this great corporation. Every effort is
made to increase the comfort and we'll being
of the ten or twelve hundred animals owned
by the company. The steady travel, year in
and year out, over the cobble stones, is very
disastrous to horse flesh, and the average car
horse does not last longer than from three to
five years, after which period he is sold for
about one-half or one.third his former value.
Good animals range in prices from $125 to
$3.50, and experienced men are constantly on
the lookout for them. For the past four years
the animal average for purchase horses has
been Sl5,05s.75.
When the days work is done, the horse is
thoroughly groomed, refreshed, and fed, and
his stall is spread with clean. fresh straw,
bought expressly for the purpose. The mat
ter of proper bedding is considered of supreme
Importance by those in charge of the stables
The straw bill of the Washington and George
town last year was $1,000.
Every animal has three square" daily
meals, consisting each time Of four pounds of
meal, four of chopped hay, and one and half
of bran. The food material is selected and
prepared with the utmost care. This explains
the fine condition, winter and summer, of the
company's teams.
The company has three fine car houses built
in tho most approved manner of solid brick
work, with concrete flooring. Into one of
these each car is driven at tho completion of
q trip. The car building at Georgetown is o
model in its way, and possesses accommoda-
tion for o large number OF cars. The car
houses at the Fourteenth and Seventh stree Is
termni, though not so large, are equally per-
feet Perhaps tho most interesting of all the
enterprises inaugurated by Henry Hurt at
the Georgetown headquarters are the immense
buildings containing the various departments
of manufacture and work connected with the
corporation of which he is chief Here are the
car works where they build their own cars,
in its own way, and from the best material
An ordinary car is built in comparatively
short time. Two men can place one upon the
track in about two or three weeks, and the
job will be n good one. This construction in
wolves the combination of different parts of
patents which have lapsed by limitation.
Some portions of the car, however, have to be
purchased from the patentees. The different
species of wood used in car building are oak,
poplar walnut, ash, and bass. 1t costs about
800 to complete the large sized close cars,
$500 for the "bobtails" and about $3.50 for
the open cars. Necessarily there considerable
wear and tear upon the various carriages,
and they are kept in repair by constant at
tention, being painted every two years and
vanished every year.
There is also u saddlery department, in
which all the harness is mad o and repaired
aud four blacksmith shops in various sections
of the city, where nine smiths are kept busy
shoeing the army of horses. IL cost 50, 504 "a
for horseshoeing in 1882.
The feed is ground by steam power, which
turns out about 5000 bushels per month. The
corn is lifted by an elevator from tho cana
boats, which floats alongside the great granary
and is carried into two large bins. There Il
n large storehouse where tho hay, already
| chopped, is compressed and packed int
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