Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-12
THE RAILROAD PROBLEM.
What Property-Owners In the North
east Want to Accomplish.

What Property-Owners in the North
east Want to Accomplish.
NOW SAID TO BE UNITED IN An EFFORT 10 sI-
CURE RRLrEF-rHEY WILL not INSIST on AMI
PARTICULAR PLAINTIFF SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
IMPROVEMENTS OF THE n. AND o. DEPOT.
A citizen interested in northeast property,
speaking of the action Of Citizens association
No. Monday night in deciding to petition
Congress for some action to relieve that Sec
ton Of the disadvantages it suffers on account
OF the Baltimore and Ohio railroad tracks, said
to STAR reporter: 1.-The action Of this meet
ing is in the line of good sense. and the petit
ton there adopted viii receive the signatures
OF ninc-tenths OF every person in any way in
terested in that section. The entire and ex-
elusive control of the subject is in the hands of
Congress. One of the most effective argu-
ments made by those who have been opposed
to any settlement has been that the people of
the northeast could not agree upon any plan.
and that they would much prefer to
have the railroads remain as they are
to having them take any one of a dozen
streets. This impression has been indus
triously circulated by the attorneys and other
paid representatives of the Pennsylvania
system, which has greatly profted by the do
nothing policy of Congress- The members of
the present Congress have been made familiar
with the great grievances under which the
eastern and southern sections have been for
years and are still laboring from the nuisance
OF surface steam railroad tracks, and believe
that large majority would. if the opportunity
were given, vote for any settlement the proper
committees might report favorably upon.
There are number of persons prominent in
the eastern section who have on all occasions
ventilated In If 4
Element that has been offered, but the objec-
tons OF these persons 60 so far as their indi-
vidual property interests relate, and no farther,
and any sensible member of Congress in vot-
ing upon this will justly weigh these various
objections and give them their full value. To
many the roundabout route for the
Baltimore and Ohio has many objections such
as the additional time required to make the
circuit, while to many others the sole objec-
ton to any tunnel whatsoever is that it may
possibly come within fifty feet of their prop
erty, but that it would be all right-a perfect
blessing-if it we're to 60 down some other
fellows street. And it would be very amusing
if some Of these philanthropic DIRECTORS were
to be put upon the witness stand and have the
real grounds of their opposition to this or that
method OF settlement developed.
THE POINT NOW RAISED,
"But the tunnel or roundabout settlement"
he continued, sis not the subject the people of
northeast Washington are now discussing, and
am one of those who think that the Baltimore
and Ohio people are wise enough to have come
to the conclusion to drop the subject, at least
for the present. The people and public of
Washington need to have the Baltimore and
Ohio system given the opportunity to compete
in South Washington on equal terms with the
Pennsylvania system more than the Baltimore
and Ohio people needs the additional traffic.
The Washington public hailed the advent of
the Pennsylvania system as a great deliver
ance from the arrogance and extortions of the
Baltimore and Ohio; but like the frogs in the
fable the people will find that the Pennsylva-
mia company can and will play stork as we'll as
any other corporation if given the opportunity.
1t Is to the interest of Washington city as
whole that both railroads should enter South
Washington on equal terms, with equal and
abundant track facilities, so that the enormous
crowds that have occasionally in the past come
here and will more frequently in the future
in this way the great objection of thousands
upon thousands of those who would otherwise
come here be removed.
AsUGGEsTED PLAN FOR RELIEF
Gas to the Baltimore and Ohio railroad" the
citizen went on, ''the people of the northeast
think they see in the request for a permit to
improve the station at New Jersey avenue and
c street small ray of daylight, an indication
that the managers are beginning to settle upon
some definite policy for the future. They
would make a mistake were they to vacate this
depot. 1t is much more central and convenient
for many people than a station in South Wash
ington would be. If in connection with this i'm
provement this company would ask permission
for system of overhead tracks coming down LIST
street from the Boundary the Joy of the people
of the northeast and by right every one inter-
ested in the welfare and improvement of Wash
ington would be complete. At the Boundary
another I hal no. m
planned, and quick access to this can be had
over the new electric railway.
COMING INTO THE CITY.
"From this boundary station clerk in any of
the uptown departments can reach his desk
more quickly than from the one near the CAP
itol, and twenty minutes sooner than if by
tunnel or roundabout he were to get off at any
proposed station in South Washington. The
Baltimore and Ohio company could at small
expense divert the tracks of the main stem
near Ivy City and connect with this system of
double tracks overhead, and as result the
main stem tracks in East Washington, which
have always been and always will be an in
famous disgrace to any city and to any rail-
road corporation, can al be removed and these
streets opened to use and improvement either
of which is now absolutely impossible, The
appreciation in value of the ground owned by
the Baltimore and Ohio that would be put upon
the market would go far to pay for the whole
of this expense. Whenever such an overhead
system of tracks is publicly decided upon
ground in the northeast. now offered freely at
Is cents a foot, will be worth so, and all others
in the same proportion. At once street-car
lines could be planned for that section, now i'm
possible; sewer and street improvements car
ried on, and the millennium begun. From the
foot of the capitol (eye-sores to every strangely
will be removed the great lumber yards and
-four and other warehouses, the owners of
which have all these years been patiently wait
ing to purchase sites from which they will not
be removed, and upon which they can build such
buildings and make such other improvements
as their business demands. This they cannot
do so long as the matter remains open as at
present.
Masonic Elections.
Federal Lodge, No. 1, +. A. A. NJ, last even
ing elected officers for the ensuing year as