The Evening critic., 1884-05-08
THE RAILROAD NUISANCE
That Affects the People OF South
washington.


Washington.
hlargely-attended and enthusiastic mass
meeting OF citizens was held last evening at
the intersection OF Ninth streot and virginia
avenue southwcstto renew the earnest protest
against tho wrongs and hardships which the
residents OF South Washington sufror at the
hands OF the railroads.
temporary platform had been erected and
decorated with fags ana brass band was In
attendance. The meeting organized with DR..
culver as chairman vice.presidonts: O. u.
Church, Professor Il. NJ. Gallaudet, j, II. john
son, Il. A. Bacon, William q. Dodge, Henry NJ.
Knight, DR.. j. i. Morgan, NJ. NJ. ROhror, y. s.
Baker, John Grinder, William II. Smith, Nor.
ris Murphy, John Webster, A. II. Barker John
i. Cox; secretaries: DR.. Charles Allen, w. b.
Browne, DR.. Schafirt; committee on resolu.
tlons; Dr. Charles Allen, $. $. Baker, NJ. NJ.
Rohrer Revs W. II. Chapman, y. U. Meador,
W. L. Bittinger, II, q, Call.
Tho following resolutions were then Intro.
duced and adopted by reclamation;
The Resolutions.
whereas the Congress of the United States,
tho law.making power Of tho District OF Co.
lumbio, having from time TO tlmo In the exer-
else OF that power under tho Constitution,
which gives to Congress the "excluslve legls-
latlon In nll cases whatsoever over such Dis.
trict,' etc., given TO private steam railroad
corr )rations, In violation OF property owners
rights, the privilege OF occupying some Of tho
principal streets and avenues OF tho city OF
Washington with their tracks and It's prlncl.
car sheds, 10 tho almost ontlre exclusion OF
these streets and avenues, for the purposes
which they were originally intended, marrlng
the beauty and contour OF the city; destroying
one Of It's public parke, and dopreclatlng prl'
vato property along the limo OF these railroads
within the city 10 the extent OF many millions
of dollare, thus lesscning the revenues To tho
city treasury aud rendering tho burdens OF
taxation on other and more favored portions
Of theclty onerous and therefore unjust be 1t,
R,{ciIea, Flrst-That We the people and tax.
payers OF Washington city, In mnss-moetlng
assembled, do most earnestly protest ngainot
the permanent continuance OF the Baltimore
Ohio and Baltimore & Potomac railroad cor
poratons within their present locations In the
chg, and that we hereby earnestly appeal to-
Congresa TO pass the Morrill Senate bill No.
1888, with such minor notifications rs In
their wisdom they may deem best, and which
locates tho several roads entering tho city on
the squares OF ground between and l. streets
south and the Maynard tunnel, and seventh
street southwest, and thence along Water
street TO tho Long Brl1ge,tho whole TO be built
upon an elevated or viaduct road between tho
said tunnel and the Long Bridge, In ordor to
secure the free and unObstructed use OF the
streets iunning north and south and termi.
mating at the ronr fronts.
ReS6icd, Secondhand in the Judgment OF
this meeting, composed OF the business mon OF
river trade and commerce OF tho city and the
navigation Of the Potomac River, it's suicidal
10 this trade and commerce, and which, II de.
stroyed, viii greatly enhance the price OF
many OF tho prime neceesRries or life IN this
market TO In any way obstruot tho FREQ pas
sage 10 and from the river by tho location OF
railroad tracks on the surface or grade, OF tho
streets anywhere between the mall aud the
river.
R6SoirCd, Thlrd-That wo roa1lrm tho reso-
lutions adopted at the mass-mGotlng held on
the 2Sth ultmo, and hereby respectfully po-
tlton Congress TO relieve us Of tho well.nlgh
intOlerablo nuisance now created by these
railroads, and ono that must be increasing
with the business OF the roads already In ex-
istonce, which can so easily be abated without
injury TO public or private interests or to tho
roads themselves.
RtSolred, Fourth-That We will never, as We
cannot in Justice TO tho trust conlded to us, re.
lax our opposition to tho present status or that
now proposed by tho District Commissioners,
ana that we will, as wo arc In duty bound, OPP
pose 10 tho last the destruction OF our prop
erty and the menace ofour lives and health,
ana Will leave nothing undone that is Within
our power within the pale of the law to obtain
redress OF the grievance OF which we here com.
plain.
MessIs. L. D. Wright @. s. Bundy, John st.
O. S. Moore delivered forclble addresses, re.
viewing the drawbacks which South Washing
ton suffers from the obstruction OF streets and
avenues, &c, the manifest indisposition on the
part Of the authorities 10 grant relief, and the
urgent necessity for decisive and energetic ac.
tlon on the part OF the people themselves.
Cries OF "Tear up the tracks, &c, were
made several times by persons IN tho crowd,
| but good order was preserved, and tho I'M
mense crowd OF people listened atentiyely to
n