National Republican., 1884-05-12
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE RAILROADS WARNED.

10 the EtG0r.
Following are some suggestions for the
benefit Of our mngnates Of the Baltimore and
Potomac and Baltimore and Ohio railroads
In the light of accelerating progress in arts,
industry, wealth, and population in twenty
y ears your present facilities for doing busi-
ness in Washington will be wholly inappro-
priato and inadequate.
The streets, avenues, and alleys wero
granted for use as such, and for the benefit Of
contiguous property and the whole public Is
it not questionable whether congress can
divert tho land to other purposes2 Can it
disregard the trust and use of the grant, and
permit them to be occupied by your structures
to the exclusion of the travelling public, or
the material lossening of its privileges
May not some one raise tho question of
nonusure or misusure, and got an adiudica-
tion of tho supreme court which will drive
you from the public thoroughfares and
parks?
At best you are mere tenants at sufforance,
wholly dependent upon tho will of congress.
Are you not alarmed by the growing hostil-
ity of tho publio2 How long will il be
| before congress will be obliged by the omnip-
otence Of public opinion to move you out Of
there2
DO you forget the notes Of warning given
you when you first proposed stealing your
way through avenues and streets to tho
| puDllC RrOunuS aU SlNtn BtreetI
| The iar-seeing statesman of Vermont told
you that tho termination Of your occupancy
| would only be question of time. And that
time is near at hand--much nearer than you
probably realize. Not much longer will the
popular indignation and wrath be restrained
unless some assurances arc given that you arc
| getting ready to 10. Arc you so blinded by
interests and rivalry that you cannot SEQ
this2
You must got out of the streets and ave-
nues and public parks.
You do not dare tho attempt of putting
structures on the public highways of the
country, but buy your own roadway. Why
should you not do the same in this city ?
You do so in other cities, why not in Wash
ington2
Why resort TO all tho tricks of the tramp
to steal your way through, when you pay
millions of dollars In all tho other great
cities to secure proper grounds and right OF
way?
You will want in tho near future a
thousand times more room than you have
now You never will see the time when you
can secure what you want so cheaply as now.
Pool you interests and act fairly and for the
best good of all.
The Baltimore and Ohio has track down
the east bank of the Anacostia crossing the
Baltimore and Potomac near Bennings sta
tion. Suppose all their tracks come in on
that route, keeping on tho south of tho Bal
timore and Potomac track and parallel
Herewith, and making its own tunnel at
navy yard bridge SO as not to disturb its
neighbor. From the west ends of the tunnels
suppose you purchase all betweon and X, oil
X and l. streets up to tho old canal-now
filled in-thence along tho canal up to and
across South Capitol street to square 6i2 on
Virginia avenue, then tho squares along said
avenue ON the south to and including square
5Si, and thence all between and Il streets
southwest, to the vicinitybof the Long bridge
(Of course this route could be varied). The
station building could be placed on the
squares on Virginia avenue, and other build
ings and structures demanded by the busi.
ness of the roads on the other squares and
lots along the line.
At an average Of so cents per square foot
it would in the end prove good Investment
even to sell any surplus not required for your
own purposes. Much of it could probably
be bought for and 10 cents per square foot
Single corporations havo paid for thei
footing in other cities much more than the
whole would cost, and having your own road
and buildings on your own lands, and plenty
of room, you would be independent for al
time. SUGGEsTER.