Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-15
MR.. TOwNSHEND'S RELIEF BILL
Hailed With Unanimous Applause.

To the Editor of THE EVENING star:
think it safe to say that il the residents Of
Capitol Hill were called upoa for q vote of
thanks to the Hon. R. W. Towushend, Of ILL.,
nois, for introducing the bill in the House of
representatives., which he did Q day or two
ago. to compel the city railroads to consider,
under penalties, the comfort and convenience
of the people who are compelled to patronize
such roads, the vote would be unanimous.
The managers Of these roads resemble very
much their own horses. namely, they only 60
well when under whip and spur few years
they provided what might be called quite a re-
spectacle service between Georgetown and the
Navy Yard, and though the cars ran usually
full, il was seldom that one was obliged to ride
from the departments to points east of the cap
itol without having a seat for at least part of
the way. But when the whip and spur was
withdrawn by the adjournment of Congress,
without action on bills before it regarding the
city railroads. the seeming desire to accommo-
date the public disappeared. 1t was but a
short time, however, before the people living
on the 14th street branch of the line applied
the whip and spur in the shape of concentrated
public opinion, to compel the disuse Of the
bob-tail car service on that route and the sub
stitution of two-horse cars with conductors,
which effort on the part of the people was sue
y
people were concerned But how did the COM
pany accomplish this result? 1 will tell you
HOW THEY DID IT.
They did it on the principle employed by the
Irish soldier, who, when he found his blanket
too short to cover both feet and shoulders,
pieced it out by cutting a section from the
upper end Of the blanket and sewing 1t on to
the lower end; so the Washington and George
town railroad company, to make up two-horse
car line ON 14th street to satisfy the people
there, imposed upon the people living at the
extremes of the main line of the Navy-Yard
and Georgetown service, Withdrawing every
other car therefrom. 1t is true they extended
the 14th-street line to the capitol grounds and
give transfers from there to the Navy-Yard
but every one knows the inconvenience of a
change of cars unless absolutely necessary,
which condition does not exist in this case, and
the result is that. during what are called de-
partment hours in the afternoon, the through
Navy-Yard cars are crowded to their fullest
capacity, as many or more standing up than
sitting done, while the 14th-street cars, run
nlng intermediate, are frequently empty or
nearly so, while the few people who do take
them, expecting to take the transfer at the top
Of the hill, are
FREQUENTLY OBLIGED TO WALK HOME,
for the reason that the Navy-Yard car follow
ing is so full that not even a foothold can be
had upon the steps or platform of it, and ex-
cept in the mornings when Congress is in ses-
sion the 14th street cars might just as well stop
at It'll street and the Avenue to continue on
to Capitol Hill. as it is well-known fact, and
one the Washington and Georgetown railroad
company ought to know better than any one
else, that at least three-quarters of the people
taking the cars at eth street and beyond east of
that point go east of New Jersey avenue south
east to reach their destination or houses It is
true that Congress has left but few days in
which it can act in this matter but outside the
appropriation bills there Is no business of
greater public interest before it, and private
interests can well yield the preference to Mr.
Townshend's bill. Respectfully,
CAPITOL HILL.