National Republican., 1884-11-29
THE MAN ON THE AVENUE.
Small Talk About the Men and Measures that
'propIe like to Think or

will make another attempt this winter to oh.
tain from congress permission to tunnel under
Capitol hill and run their tracks to point |
south OF Pennsylvania avenue, and between |
Four.and.a-half and Sixth streets, where |
they want to build a handsome pNssen.
ger depot. An old representative from |
II western state was talking on this sub.
iect at Wizards last night with some friends,
"The B. aud o. should be permitted to move
their depot as near the heart of the city as
possible" he said. "a do not believe in sur
rendering the streets of Washington to the
railroads, but railroads are public
necessity and public convenience, and
Il few people may have to put up with
discOmforts and perhaps loss that the
public may be better served. Certain
residents Of South Washington arc terribly cut
up about the 'encroachments' of the Pennsyl-
vania company, and demand that the tracks
be taken up and the depot moved south of the
reservation They have no case. Doubtless
they would be better suited If this could bo
done, but the public would suffer, and private
interests must give way under such circum
stances. do not exactly like the thought of
another railroad coming across the reservation,
but when / think of the benefits that will ac
crue am willing to put aside my prejudiccs
Everybody travels these days, and when peo
pie start on journey they do not want to be
obliged to go clear out 10 the boundary to reach
a railroad train, Yet that is about what the
complaining citizens along the line of the Penn
sylvania road demand. They are disturbed
by the noise and smoke and dirt. Now, am
quite ready to admit that noise and smoke
and dirt are unpleasant, but how are we to
avoid them? II man wants perfect repose
he should build him house in cemetery or
across the river In Alexandria, or else go to
Baltimore. The advantages of having the
passenger dcpQts brought close together are
patent, and but Tor the fight made against the
Baltimore and Ohio by the Pennsylvania
people and the irreconcilables of South Wash
ington congress would have made the con
solda,ion long ago. They have defeated leg
islation on the subject so far, but they
cannot obstruct the way always ] am
down on the Baltimore and Ohio, think II
is a niggardly, grabbing corporation, but that is
no reason why should insist on compelling
people who have to travel over the road to walk
or ride to the Eastern branch to find depot
/ am in favor of letting the Baltimore and Ohio
bore tunnel through the hill, and think per-
mission should be given the company to 80
ahead and begin the work without delay"
-
The experience OF IT, d. Cogswell of San
Francisco, with our local authorities really
constitutes queer case Of official ingratitudc
and neglect. lie was in this city a few days
ago, and, in speaking of the matter, said, in
substance "My proposition to erect public
drinking fountain at my own expense was
accepted by joint resolution OF congress July
6, 1882, and since its erection the district
commissioners have given me formal letter
of acknowledgment and thanks, dated July .,
| 1881. paid for the fountain, and had no
selfish purpose to serve. Tho joint resolution
of congress specifically authorized the com
missioners to provide lanterns to light the
fountain, and also the necessary refrigcrating
apparatus ] gave similar fountains TO other
cities, all of which readily paid for their erec-
tion and maintenance. But, despite ithe au-
| thoriZatiOn Of congress referred to, l have
paid for the erection of the fountain here
fully 81, ,500 This Is exclusive Of the donation
of the fountain. l Had supposed the city of
Washington as ablo TO set up fountain as some
twenty other cities that have accepted similar
fountains and set them UP. After the fountain
here was erected 1t showed some defects, fail
ing to carry of it's surplus water through dc
fective plumbing. To remedy this would cost
a mere bagatelle compared to the 81 800 had
expended voluntarily to set it up.
my only business here for the past three
weeks has been TO remove the obstacles to its
daily use, and meet the commissioners in full
board and obtain their written permission for
one of washnglon's public-spirited citizens
On. A. McGowen) to remedy at his own ex-
pense the defects spoken of by adding two
bronze basins, and, II necessary, TO cover the
platforms of granite with neat aBa substan-
tial brass grating, &C., all to be in keeping
with the beauty and substantial character of
this fountain which is as durable as your
capitol and designed to be substantial bene-
fit to your citizens.
"My really unseilsh purpose has been as
persed by a suggestion that the fountain is dc.
signed to advertise n refrigerator which II
contains and for which l hold letters patent.
have patented the refrigerator in question,
but it was simply to escape paying royalty to
sharks who wanted to bleed me. don't want
to make any monev out of it. Anybody can
use 1t who wants to. l have no object in view
in putting up these fountains except to spend
some of my money In giving cup of cold
water to the thirsty citizens of thesgreat cities
Other places have recognized the real spirit oi
my offer and met me half way, but here
meet ungenerous suspicion that wounds me-"
From all which it really appears that the
benevolent doctor has been somewhat hardly
used in the capital city.
Among the movers In the democratic scheme
to steal a seat in the Illinois Legislature, ant
thereby compass the election of a democratic
United States senator in the place of Gen
Logan, none arc more active than JOSEPH
Chesterfield Mackin, local celebrity, and al
expert in all sorts of ballot box trickery ant
machine work. Joseph is for reform fo
revenue only. A story is told of hin
which will illustrate his extraordinar.
handiness in his particular line In an alder
manic election two or three years ago 18th,
5 gang" wanted Old Wickersham reelected
Wickersham was eminently respectable, but tn
gamblers were all for him for some mysteriou
! reason, and Mackln represented the car'
sh0rps on the primary election board Op
0 posed to the gamblers friend was Billy Fit2
} gerald, notorious rounder and tough citizei
generally When 1t came to balloting for tn
J nomination, the friends of Fitzgerald ralle'
{ In force and gave him 1900 or 1900 votes
Only an occasional ballot went into tn
box for Wickersham and 1t looked like
walkoyer for the rounder. When the poll
9 closed Mackin took the box into back room
7 and after waiting half an hour or such
l matter, he appeared at the window, and 1
, his peculiar and exasperating drawl addresse
l the crowd in waiting in the following laI
guage, every word being dragged out lar
Q guidly, as though 1t was the last effort of a
= exhausted man;
y "GENTLEMEN: AS one ofthe judges appointe
o to honestly count the ballots cast at this pr
mary, beg leave to state that we have con
plcted our labors, and find that the faithfl
9 servant of the people. Doctor with great Oh
u phasis on the doctor Swayne Wickershau
y has received ,l42 votes and Billy Fitzgeral
u 2i5. Don't forget the number Billy. ,Tw
;, hundred and iorty-hve was the number of hi
= doggery). Photographs Of the honest judge
a can be had in the back room. Tata, Bill
i Remember the number"
And he was gone. In about couple
weeks he rcappeared, "Billy" having bee
), placated. With such men in charge Of ball