Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-22

Special Agent Key Tells How to Make
the G. and .. Canal Profitable.

''Why don't the managers of canals, and es-
pecially the managers of the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal (for we are all interested in that,
run their waterways upon the same general
plan as that which governs the railroad system?'
That was the conundrum which Agent Key
Of the Humane society fred at STAR reporter
today, and then, without waiting for a reply,
the agent went on to answer it himself. 'Who-
ever heard, said he, "of a railroad company
building road through fine agricultural,
lumber and mineral country; furnishing an
office for its president and treasurer; engaging
clerks and book keepers, and then sitting down
to wait for Farmer Smith. Miller Jones or
Mrs. Harris and her daughters to put on second
hand rolling stock to be drawn by old, worm
out, spawned mules? Yet this is just what has
been done by the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
company. The canal boats are owned by men
and women who are too poor to buy good
mules, or too cruel to keep them good and, as
consequence, the average speed of a travelling
boat was less than miles an hour. Then
when a freshet comes and washes away a few
thousand dollars worth of canal bank the off,
GERS and directors say oh, the canal doesn't
pay; it's losing money all the time
Any intelligent man who will give the
matter little thought can see that
the miserable old plan has caused them more
financial distress than al the floods put to-
gether. have yet to see a man or a company
successful In any business where they derived
motor power from old, poor, spawned horses
or mules. Such animals are not only the slow
est and poorest, but they are the most expen-
sive motor. 1t costs just as much to feed them
when the boats are idle when the boats are
running. If this company can only repair the
canal, and will then put on its own boats and
run them by an electric cable (if nothing better
can be found,) and have the canal managed by
live, intelligent men. capital will seek an in
vestment in its stock instead Of, as now,
hiding every time it sees a canal man. The
electric motor would be cheap. for the company
has water power enough and to spare.
TO FURNISH COLD AIR.
"Now there is another thing the canal COM
pany could do that would be profitable" he
went on. lone Of the principal things here
tofore accomplished by the canal was the
supplying OF this city with cheap fuel so that
the poorest could afford to have little fire
at which to warm themselves in winter time
The field can be enlarged very materially.
Why cannot the company furnish cold air in
summer time? The electric fan is no longer
an experiment, but its motive power must be
furnished more cheaply than at present or
only those people who are in comfortable
circumstances can afford to have one The
homes of the poor are in most instances COM
Portable when the thermometer goes below
freezing, but how are they when the mer-
curry Is up In the nlneties? Those fortunate
oneS VINO nave means can go TO the noun
tains or seashore to be benefited by the cool,
refreshing breezes, but the poverty-stricken
in our city have no such relief. The
electricity generated by steam engine is so
costly that the poor man cannot indulge in the
luxury of fan, and if he wants light after sun
down he must use the oxygen destroying and
heating gas or oil lamp. The canal company
has ample water power and it ought to use it.
II it WILL then every house in the District of
Columbia would be the more comfortable. My
advice Gf the canal company will listen to it) is
to call together two or three of the best practi-
cal electricians in the company and ask some
sound capitalists to consult with them as to the
feasibility of this scheme. II they do this; if
they furnish us with cheaper fuel and motive
power. cheaper and better light, and cooler air
in summer time, predict that when the Three
Americas exposition is held here in 1892 the
business OF the company will be paying a hand
some dividend on SO goo OOOn