The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-27
FACILITIES NEEDED.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT TWO RAIL.
ROAD STATIONS.
Demand by the Public For Better Ac-
com'nodation nj the Richmond and Dan
Vile and at the Depot Of the Chesa-
poake and Ohio.


and Danyilc Railroad one Of the largest
corporations ever organized, sees fit to call
depot? mot merely ask that visit
be paid that place just before train
leaves"
The picture will be a frame house with
"a platform in front. covered with. filthy
negroes. who prevent people from passing
i'm and ont Of the ticket office, and who sit
on the steps Of the doors. The inside, i'm the
gcntlcmeu's waning room, the chairs ayaila-
bic. think, are four in number, and they
covered with grease The ladies' room is a
little better, and shows a mark OF dccency
unknown 10 other portions of the building,
but the seats are generally occupied by coli
Orod women.
"The other day rs n gentleman got OF the
West Point train / afterwards learned he
had come from Philadelphia to invest in
Richmond real estate and SAW the condi-
ton of affairs. ne asked me. Has this bar
rack been brought here from Andersonyillc,
ga, or did Henry stanley bring IT from
Africa {.
..If "A crusade is TO be made for the we'll
fare of Richmond we must start nj the be-
ginning and work dntil such cyc-sorcs as
the Danyillc depot have given way 10 place
where gentlemen and ladies can stop 10
wait for their trains, and where the people
coming from the North and south may Doe
immediately impressed with the progressive
condition of our city. The first impression,
regardless Of the good 10 will do people who
ll,e the depot every day, is great thing for
"a stranger entering city
FULL DESCRIPTION.
The depot is a one-story shed, the south
oru pant of which is used for some Of the
offices of the company and bagga@p-ro0m.
The train dispatcher. superintendent. and
other officials have offices in the building.
The northern portion 10 used for travel
ling public rs waiting rooms. ON your
approach from Virginia street you hret
reach the pOrtcr's room. filled with trash.
rubbish. and cleaning utensils. The next
room. a stuny little thing above the size Of
"A LAWYERS Office, is designated as
" eeutlcmcn's" room. Along one side Of
tine wall are arranged four single
Pullman chairs greasy and worn
from constant use. I'm a niche Icy
closed and darkencd window sets the
rather unprcpOsscssing water cooler. and a
Hat iron dipper bangles al IFS side. attached
hy "A stout iron chain. The water. in keep
rI, with the cooler and dipper, is generally
warm, and IL j. often the case that on the
warmest days no wafer at all can be had.
I'm the same niche, 10y the cooler. stand
several broom~. "a step ladder, and coil Of
rope. The travelling public are not notified
what to do with these latter articles, consc-
qucnty the average person takes NJ for
granted that the uten>il, are put by the
cooler for ornament.
The ceiling presents an appearance as
though q cyclone had struck II. The pas
tcrug has fallen of the greater part Of 10.
What might have once been wall paper
now hangs i'm tattcred remnants. Behind
the door. "a barrel. coal scuttlcs, dirt and
trash add further ad0rnmcnt 20 the room.
The stove sits i'm a large thrcc-inch box.
and reminds one fOrcibly of the village gro
Gerry store stove. I'm this box and under the
stove are LAYERS of peanut shells and banl-
ma pcel-. and the stove is steadily wasting
away for the want of little polish.
The three windows are unwa~hcd, and
act with little effort the duty Of awnings.
BIS the side of the ticket window is "a part
Of poster giving rates about the lljth
anniversary Of Meckcnburg, held at Char
l9ttr May I'D, 2l and -.
ON the south side of the "gcutlemen's
room" "a view Of the city Of Richmond, sur
rounded bN business cards of many firms
not now in existence. hangs framed upon
the blackencd wall. The picture was print
cd in 1876, and it has hung in that room
ever since That time.
RELATED TIME TABLES.
At various points about the room have
been tackled long ago time tables. All of
them have gone out of effect. especially the
one giving rates 90 the Worlds Fair i'm New
Orleans iu lNNJ.
Besides the four Pullman chairs You can
Use fyou wish 10 ST down. a large bench
which stands Just below the rather incorrect
view of Richmond. Half of the seat of this
bench has doubtless been used for klnding
wood. but then the other half can be used
f0rplaccs ON which % sit. To compute this
more lucidly, the four Pullman chairs viii
hold four people. They would hold more, but
the arms prevent them from being occupied
boy more tnau one. The bench VIII contain
about three. and if there are more passen-
gers they can go ont among the car tracks
and sit ON a freight car until the train
starts.
TIE LADIES ROOM.
There are few houses in Richmond that
have anything but "a propoSses,iue look from
the outside. bat once inside, person for
gets the gloom and darkness without. The
same smile can Doe applied % the ladies'
room. I'm this room the Danyille Company
really appear generous To- their patrons. y
large. ~olled drugget covers half the iloor:
but ~ 10 il better than no druggel, every
body is satisfied. The single Pullman chair
also has "a place in this room, and theirNcl-
ycty surfaces shine with brighter WStre
they are newer. The ceiling and Walus-
c0ttlng are hard pine finished, and make The
room To some degree attractive. Rocking
chairs can also Doe used i'm tins room, and
fully fifteen passengers can Doe seated al
once.
The room set apart for the ladies, how
ever is not the coolest place in Richmond
by any means. The sun pours through the
dirt--tained windows. and as the windows
are slight bit cleaner than those IN the
"eeutlcmen's room they do not do very
good service as awnings. The latter article
would be- a great comfort 10 many travel
stained and belated travellers.
NEED OF PAINT.
The front Of the depot needs paint very
badly. and the leaks i'm the roof let down
little drops with the regularity OF pendu-
mm. There il no asphalt platform where
one may walk up and down while the train
waits: no lunch-r0om 10 purchase cup of
coffee or sandwich; no tobacco stand To
buy "a cigar or cigarette; no grass plot 10
please the eve; no trailing vines about the
windows; no cards of information as TO
time of trains and connections. The only
sight that ereet5 the travellers eye Is long
shed. dirty. dusty, and smeared with grease.
and an old gas-lamp that has long since
passed from the age of usefulness.
An OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
Mr.. W. b. Rider, division superintendent
of tine Richmond and Danyille Railroad
Company. was asked by "a reporter yester-
day if the Danyille company were taking
any steps relative 10 the building OF new
depot. ~
lie REPLIED substantially a. follows: II
such steps were taken would certainly be
notified. as the erection of new depot mere
would Dc under my supervision. have Tor
some time past been hoping that such notl-
dcation would come, but as yet nothing has
bccl done 10y the authorities in Washing
ton. do not know but that such an order
will come this year. as the summer Is not
TOO far advanced, and really do not know
whether the work will be commenced next
year or not.
4 binding like enc that is needed would
cost from fifty 10 scyenty-tiVe thousand dol
lars. The Danyille Company would have
the whole expense alone, because the rail-
roads coming into the city can not well use
the Danyille depot. We are in similar pre-
dicament, inasmuch as our road cannot gel
TO the other dcpots.
The power really as 10 whether the depot
shall be- erected lies with the president Of
the road. Plans have time and time again
loan auhmiftpd 10 him. and estimates ol