Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-06
MT. PLEASANTsS RAILROAD.
The Citizens Committee Talk With Mr.
Hurt and the Commissioner


The Citizens Committee Talk with Mr.
Hurt and the Commissioner.
m. HURT. SAYS TIE oonPAxr PURPOSES TO LAY
cABLk Road OUT THAT wAY AZ SOON As
PossIBLR-THE COMMISSIONERS ASKED TO IN
DoRsx NE PENDING BILL.
The committee from the Mount Pleasant
citizens, who want the Washington and George
| town Rrailroad Company to furnish them with
| better accommodations for travel in that
| neighborhood, called on the District Commis-
sioners at noon today 10 confer with
| them on the subject and 10 ask
| them for their advice upon the legislation
proposed In the House bill No. ll4O7. Messrs.
Andrew A LipscomD, Chaplin Brown, W. b
| Matthews, W. E. Brown and DR.. A. b jameson
OF the COMMITTEES were On hand promptly on
| time.
Nh HURT MAKES a STATEMENT.
Mr.. Hurt, president Of the railway company,
happened TO be in the hallway Of the building
at the time and was invited into the board
| answer TO some questions be stated
that the letter Of complaint from
| the Mount Pleasant citizens had been
sent to him and he had promised to lay 1t be-
| aoio Tue ulfectOte AZ tnelr next meeting. Iney
nave not met a. yet and he thought this action
on the part Of the committee was somewhat
premature. He said he did not think the
traffc on 18th street extended was heavy enough
to warrant running all the cars out to Mt
Pleasant. The company was willing and ready
to do all possible to accommodate the people,
but such matter wouid necessarily take time
and 1t could not be done in q day.
THE THREE-oENT FARE
When questioned By Mr.. Lipscomb Mr.. Hurt
said that the extra charge of three cents was
the result OF an agreement made with the peo-
pie OF Mount Pleasant at the time the road was
extended In response to their request He said
| that the company objected to the passage of the
| bill because of the short space Of time allowed
ior the improvement OF the road. and because
| OF the fact that it compels the company to run
all their cars out to Mt Pleasant whether the
traffic demands it or not
de said that in course of time the company
intended to send all their cars out to Mount
Pleasant, whether 1t is remunerative or not for
| It was thought a traffic could be built up suffi-
GENTLY large to make it so. He said that they
intended to expend s25OO,OOO in
| completing the Pennsylvania avenue and 14th
| street lines and the people ought not to expect
everything all at once. 1t was unreasonable
| Tor them to expect the company to lay q road
| for quarter Of q mile which must be torn up
again as soon as cable road is laid down.
Mr.. Lipscomb said that inasmuch as the
/
| this summer, he thought il would be proper to
lay the tracks now and thus avoid tearing up
| the street again when the cable is substituted
TO DO IT As SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Mr.. Hurt said that though they had two
years allowed to finish the work they did not
intend to use it all and would begin the work
as soon as possible. II all the materials were
| at hand it would not take thirty DAYS to Law the
track at that end. He objected to laying
a temporary track as the company wanted to do
everything in good and permanent style. The
company are anxious to have q cable road, but
| there was not rail over the hill that would
| answer in a cable line.
| MIR: Lipscomb asked why the company could
not show little enterprise in this matter and
| try to build up this populous suburb.
1t has taken twenty-six years to get two cars
running out over that hill. and he thought the
whole affair was an outrage perpetrated on
tax-paying community by a company that has
a valuable franchise, which il does not seem to
| appreciate.
| Mr.. Hurt responded that he did not think
that an average travel Of three passengers for
each half trip was sufficiently large to warrant
| an addition to the number Of cars running out
to Mount Pleasant.
| WHAT HE CAN TELL THEM
! swell, but We represent q constituency"
said Mr.. Lipscomb, ''that expects a definite
answer. Mr.. Hurt. What shall we tell themS"
| Tell them that the matter will be laid be-
| fore the directors at their next meeting"
| That's good deal like the man who said
| come back next week and he would say when
to come again" was Mr. Lipscomb's brief re.
| Spouse.
MIR. Hurt said he was willing TO- begin work
tomorrow If he bad the engineer and the
| necessary materials at hand
| Don't you know that il you would extend
that road out to Piney Branch and remit the
| extra three cents" said MIR. Lipscomb, you
| would have your cars packed on Sundays and
In summer time with picnickers and regular
| travelers?'
| 81 agree with you entirely, SIR" said Mr..
Hurt. I'VE will have to do all that inside of
two years, and if it were possible we would do
it in two days.
| THE COMMISSIONERS ASKED TO APPROVE IT.
| This seemed to end the matter for the pres
ent, and the committee rose to go, with the
request that the Commissioners make a favor
able report on the, bill now before
| the House, which compels the railroad
company to lay q double track all the
| way out to Mount Pleasant within thirty DAYS
of the passage of the bill, to run all its cars out
| over this extension and to AemIt the extra
| three cents fare.
MIR. Douglass responded that the matter
would probably be referred to Col. Robert, the
| Engineer Commissioner. for his decision. and
he promsed,that it should receive due consider
alton at their hands before any definite action
| was taken.
Il