Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-24
they are unnecessarily incumoered or occupied in
the trans iction OF ilroad business
The Chairman.-Yrs


The Chairman.-IrS
REGARD TO THE UNION pEror.
Mr.. Rober SIN regard 70 the FIRST question. as
TO the Establishment OF a union station, speakinx
! for the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, think
! can safely say that they do not believe that II
would be either 10 the benert OF the public or to
their own interest to have a union station with an
other competing line Their present station Is
| hardly adequate for the transaction OF their own
business. and any union station that could be sug.
gested Tor bringing together the lines that reach
this point from the North and West worid require
more track room AM greater facilities OF approach
10 the Depot Than we now possess or thai the pres
ent streets would admit Of our tracks leading 10
the present station. outside OF 9th street. are gen.
erliiy Tour In number. These are absolutely nee
eSary " do the bu mess ard the business In fact
Is not properly transacted even on the four In all
OF our great clues we have four tracks 10 reach the
50 tons, and In New York we are now providing
for slx; 20 that 10 endeayeor to accommodate any
adhtloDal business on the present four tracks
would seem TO be out OF the question. II would
only result 10 confusion and a want OF proper ac-
commodation 10 the public. The tracks that ar.
nov iald are sometimes occupied In a manner not
strictly "a accordance with the law buL this con-
dtlon oil things has been forced upon US Dy the Pc
Guitar position In which we md ourselves In this
city.
The Chairman.-wm you describe that def
nitely1
Mr.. Roberts-we have purchased at large ex-
pense private property. for the purpose OF hand
ling tue business OF the company and that OF the
public, and getting OF the public highways, and
tnen have been uttetly prevented from using the
The Chalrman.-where is that private property
located?
Mr.. Roberts.-At the end OF the Long Bridge
square 253. IL was purchased several years siuce
LOT the purpose OF relieing the streets near that
point OF cars standing to be loaded or unloaded
we nave up 20 TINS time been prohibited from lay
Ing any tracks into the lot.
Mr.. Spooner.-That Is the ground that the
supreme Court OF the United States In their deci-
son SAID that you had no power TO lay tracks TO
reach?
Mr. Roberts-Yes, sir; they say we have no
power 10 lay track across the street TO reach IT,
and the same law we presumed would govern In
other cases. There Is no way, therefore, In which
we can do business IN the city OF Washington ex
cept upon the public street. OF course there Is
no Use In acquIri g private property Ii we cannot
extend our tracks across the streets 10 reach IL.
The Chairman.-WOuld that be sufficient for the
accommodation OF all OF your freight business as it
Is now carried on?
MT. RoDerts-No SIR not the fourth OF it. There
Is no single block that we know Of. except such as
are owned by the Government, that Is sufficiently
large to transact our business
The Chairnan.-You now have a freight station
on square 1856, observe by this mape
Mr.. Rooerts--Yes, sir; this block (3S6 we inh r.
TIED largely from the Alexandria and Washington
Railroad, think. That is, we found them tn occu-
patton OF portion OF 10, and nnaiy secured the
ownership OF the who,e on IL We have TO do a
large portion OF the business that comes from the
South.
Again. a large amount of coal was brought here
from the North for use In the city. We had no
place In which 10 handle that business unless IL
was on the street, and We therefore purchased the
south part OF square 267. We then purchased 233,
with tue expectation OF getting across the street
and occupying that also. But the courts decided
we had no authority 10 lay any track across the
street TO reach 1t, and that the Commissioners
could give US no such permission. There Is now a
private track running down 1871 street when, l
Tns runs TO coal-yard, and Is used 10 supply the
ciIy with coal.
the Ciairman.-That track there, as under.
stand it, Is Laid down without authority of law?
Mr.. Roberts.-I imagine that IL Is As the COM
pany Is now situated In this city there does not
IN Dsa N nerrn do
transact portion OF their business on the public
highway or eISe 20 outside or the limits the city.
IL would be much more economical and more con-
venient for the company to do So but would that
answer the purposes o. the city tue public at
large? III we undertook to make a delivery OF
IRE yht on the other std OF the Eastern Branch |
do not think that proposition Won be listener TO
Tor moment Nobody would Want to go out there
with their carts in o, der to get coal The company
would be very glad TO do its freight business out
side OF tue city limits. as the ground Is cheaper
and there are no streets TO cross Every thing
could be had at a very much less expense. But
that would not answer the pubic. The reason we
seek our present locations Is for the purpose or
bringing the traific as near 10 its poiut OF con-
sumption As possible. II we are restricted Simply
10 the running or our trains through the city, we
can probably DO that on four tracks, but II we are
prohibited, as we understand we are to-day, from
acquiring any ivate property outside OF those
four tracks except by purchase, then we are at
the mercy OF the holders OF the property. And II
aIJer having purchased IL at prices, we
are not permitted To lay any tracks TO reach that
private property, IL Is hardly necessary for the to
say that there Is no practical way OF doing the
business. We purchased piece or ground at the
corner OF 9Th street and Virginia avenue. where
We put up roundhouse and endeavored To do some
httle business there. We acquired that property
Tor the purpose OF getting as close 10 Passenger
station a. possible with our motive power, so as
10 AVOID running IT through the streets any more
than absolutely necessary. We were very soon
driven out 6y the publc on the ground that IL
was public NUS ince. We had TO go elsewhere
for our roundhouse.
Mr.. Roberts added that they were driven out by
Suits "a law