Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-21
The Demands of the Railroads.

To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
10 the ordinary wayfarer who has seen our
great government set upon and belabored bv
one railroad company and its work on the
Eastern Branch bridge destroyed as fast as the
United States engineer in charge could erect
1t, there is little surprise that another railroad.
rival line, should write such a letter as that
recently received by the Commissioners of this
District. This modest eplstle suggests that the
grades OF certain Washin gton streets be changed
to keep pace with the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
roads idea Of what is best for its own purposes.
This chartered and overgrown Knox express
company, so to speak, for all common carriers
are put servants OF the people, must turn the
grandest city Of the grandest country in the
world upside down to satisfy Its greed because
forSooth the city grades do not suit it or its
pohcy. This Is the same company which
recently declined to receive freight for Wash
lngton because 1t hopes 10 starve the Washing
ton business men into submission to its illegal
demands. What would be fair way for these
great corporations, who abuse the privileges
already allowed them by sulking and refusing
TO deliver freights, to proceed in order to ac-
qulre terminal facilities in Washington? Would
1t not be by application on their part to Con-
gress to be allowed to condemn certain squares
most suitable to their purpose, and by asking that
they may enter such squares by tunnel or above
grade? Would any OF the citizens object to
this! Not at all. In proof of this we need
only cite the case of the Richmond and Dam
vile company, which corporation has recently,
by bill passed without the smallest objection
by any citizen, procured all the freight faclli-
ties they require-has and does now have the
full use and enjoyment of nearly three squares
or ground near the south end OF the Long
bridge. Why do not the Pennsylvania company
and the Baltimore and Ohio thus proce ed?
The answer comes to every man who knows
AWNING n rail -,
ton. 1t Is because these two great corpora
tons are today occupying the public
streets and the public reservations of
Washington free of charge, the one
being situated within stones throw almost of
the United States Capitol building to the north.
IND the other occupying the mall Ga United
States reservation and granted as such by the
original proprietary and some million of feet
OF the public streets on the south thereof and
they are afraid that if they should go directly
TO Congress anything granted by that body
would be given only conditionally upon the
railroad quitting the mall and the public
streets Here, then, we have the spectacle of
these two great companies, the servants of the
people and of the business men, sulking and
refusing to do that for which they were Gre
ated, because they intend to brow-beat those
who are their masters into going to Congress
for them and in their behalf, and inducing that
pody TO pass an act recognizing the railroads
right to the streets and avenues which have
been occupied as freight yards for years under
the sly pretence of exercising right of way
over such streets and avenues, which base
right OF way is all that has ever been granted.
This position az taken by the railroad COM
panles can only be expressed in the following
words: "We are too mean to do what every
business man is compelled to do, viz buy land
for ourselves, but prefer to have the public
land for nothing. We are too smart to ask
Congress to give Us this right for if we do in
SO doing We call attention to this fact and NAV
have to get off the streets and mall We had
better continue to break the law, as our presi-
dents admit we have done, and are doing. and
continue to run over and kill people upon our
business men from the river front-the only
place where our rivals Cthe boats) can land
until these business men find themselves in
such plight that they will be glad to have all
our above crimes legalized by business-man's
appeal to Congress in that behalf" II.