Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-24
THE PRIvArE wArcHmAN.
His Life Made Unhappy by signal
Boxes and District MESSENGER.

4
Boxes and District Messenger.
TEE LAMENT OF wATcHxAN WHO LONGS FOR THE
GOOD OLD TMES-TH1 SPECIALS AND THEIR
DuT1Es-rwo FREsuMrTTous SPECIALS" WHO
WE'RE OVERCOME By THEIR UNIFORM
'well, said down town private watchman to
STAR reporter the other night or rather the other
morning, as 1t was after the hour of midnight 81
| am still ct It."
"Still at what?" inquired the reporter.
watching the moon and stars he replied
''fou see, he continued, 1--WE have to stay awake
| all night now, not only to watch burglars, but to
watch alarm clocks, signal boxes etc., which were
| not thought of a few years ago."
"You don't complain because You have some
thing to watch, do your" inquired the reporter.
swell, no. not exactly; but would rather have
something to watch for, as used to have"
what was that?" asked the reporter
"BurglarS,n he whispered; ssbut don't say any,
thing: In years gone by I used to have It easier
O'Clock, when the clerks had all gone home. Ali
had to 90 was to secure the building fix the nres
an ana s 60 10 ped Occasionally would be awakened
noise prove 10 have been made by burglar"
NOT so HAPPY NOW.
"Well, 1t Is different now, continued the watch
man; II report for duty shortly after shutdown,
close the building, keep the fires going turn in the
signal clock two or three times an hour ring in the
District messenger box to let them know am on
Oh guard, and do half q dozen other things. II 1
miss nus. the messenger call | soon hear terrible
boy, who notifies me Of my neglect and wants an
excuse The next morning make another excuse
spend all day, or nearly all daV sleeping, and
never ind time to do any work at home. Under
the OLD workings could have an extra job In the
day time, thereby making double salary, or about
as much as the average clerk"
"HoW do you manage to pass away your time at
n1ght?" inquired the reporter.
81 Ind 1t pretty hard sometimes said the
Waterman, although being compelled to turn In
he electric clocks placed In different parts OF the
building, four times an hour, keeps me pretty
| busy. My dog Is always here, and frequently
pass of an hour playing with him and talking TO
10 Keep cool very few visitors come. During the
winter months things are different. New &C
qaaintances are made, and visits from them are
frequent. Fires must be kept up. and visitors
find it very convenient On cold nights to spend an
hour or two around the stove discussing the news
OF the day. The policeman on the beat also finds
it convenient to stop in. He cannot stay long, for
rear the night inspector is On his track. He
warns himself In few minutes and then leaves
70 look AFTER his superior Officers well viO-
lators OF the law, for he knows they are looking
after him. While the wind is whistling around
the corners and the snow Is drifting to such an
tent that walking is rendered almost impossible,
the wOrkmen and newsbOys find around this stove
comfortable place OF shelter. The time from when
rune early morning newsbOy leaves until the anitOr
or clerk arrives to relieve me seems to pass as
days instead OF minutes or hours. Then my days
work Is over"
SfhClALS' AND THEIR DUTIES.
Another class OF night watchmen are those who
are paid by the citizens to lookout for certain prop
erty. For instance, he patrols ssbeat' of four
squares and receives from the occupants or owner
Ol each mouse small amount of money each
week. Inc pay from each house varies from 25
cents 10 81 per week, thus making the salary Of
the Waterman in some instances as high as 800 a
month and more. He has his signals to turn in at
regular intervals and ii his beat covers much ter
rtory he has to walk pretty lively to reach his sig
n nals IN til time During e., the night if he is vgant
probably more than hundred times during the
night. In some cases the Waterman overesti-
regular police business. Usually he gets worsted
II he attempts to make an arrest and it has hap
pened that In one case the special was confined
wanted to Interfere with the regular police bust
ness, which did not need his attention.
OvERZEALOus SPECIALS"
A few weeks ago two colored specials" want
ing to make good records, started out one Sunday
and visited all sections OF the city, as they said
.sTo see that good order prevailed" They visited
the southern section Of the city, near the old
There On the commons they found some colored
school children engaged in friendly game.
what are you doing there?" asked one OF the spe-
Gals, wearing brass buttons and exhibiting his
the little Fellows. "well, Tse perliceman," said
Them andea hs h to place
scream, and attracted the attention of their par
entS some distance away. Their mothers FASTENED
lowed, during which pistols, blackjacks and other
weapons were drawn and used. The specials took
their little victims to the lookup: The next day
Judge Smell heard the case on both sides, acuuit-
ted the little 'fnnOcentS" and convicted the watch
men OF an assault. One Of them soon found his
way BACK 10 private life and the other is still at
the same business
There are about one hundred special policemen
VINO nave received their commissions from the Dis
trict government, besides a large number OF prt-
vate watchmen who are employed to protect prop
erty, but who have received no such commissions.
Steam Railroads Within the Public
Streets and Avenues.
VESTED RIGHTS, ETC., ETC.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
Senator Vest, in the course of the debate in the
Senate last week on this subject suggested that it
was obvious that nothing would be done until
some measure is reported from the District CON-
mittee, and referred TO resolution he had offered
at the last session, which raises the question OF
'.vested rights which these railroad corporations
claim in the use OF the streets and avenues oil the
city Of Washington, and the legal right OF Con-
gress to legisate on the subject and disturb these
Several years ago had occasion to look into
this question Of "vested rights" OF these railroad
corporations within the District OF Columbia, in
answer to claim set up by MI. Steel of North
Carolina, on the floor of the House OF Representa-
tives, wherein he claimed that these roads had
"vested rights which ought not to be and could
not be disturbed without the government incur
ring Liabilities In damages to these roads In large
sums OF money for purchase OF ground for depot
purposes and improvements maze thereon along
the lines of streets and avenues now occupied by
these corporations"
The legislation, both of Congress and of the
municipal authorities Of the District OF Columbia
in the past, In reference to the franchises rights
and privileges held by the b. and o. road, the b.
and p road and those roads which the latter has
absorbed within the limits OF the District OF Co
lumbia and the city OF Washington, show conclu-
Svely that neither of these companies has received
any concessions which Congress may not resume
at It's pleasure, and without mourning any pecun-
larry liability whatever. In each OF the acts grant
tor
city limits and to occupy the streets and avenues
they expressly reserve the right to <'alter, amend
or repeal the act altogether" as in the discretion
OF Congress, it may seem best.
With such reservation contained in the charter,