Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-04
THE PEOPLE AXE INDIGNANT.
Plain Talk From Washingtonians About
Reservation Grabbing.

Plain Talk From washinxtonians About
Reservation Grabbing.
Petitions continue to pour into THr SRA,
once earnestly protesting against the gr.spins
EFFORTS OF the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
70 retain their illegal possession of paris and
streets and urging The STAR to continue ii
good work in the interests Of justice 70 the city
and Its people. Many Of the signers supple
ment the petition with common-sense COM
ments on the situation. The following extracts
rom such letters show how the people regard
| the matter:
he DID ALL HE COULD.
A Washington lady writes from Berkeley
| Springs: 'We have felt keen interest in your
brave struggle against the Atkinson bill and
gladly sign the petition Not long before the
death OF Prot Henry I asked him why he
allowed that depot to be pnt on 9Th street. He
replied that he had done all he could 70 pre-
vent it."
PLAIN TALK FROM THE PULPIT
A prominent clergyman writes: 81 am just
In from the south and hail with delight your
Just and open plan 70 get the sentiment of the
Washington people on the railroad ontroversy
Inc few merchants who are advertising them
| selves as favoring the outrageous demands Of
the railroad company and thus injuring the
people OF South Washington will hereafter do
without the trade of large number Of our
people. Some Of them have already been
notified Ii Mudd lie again nominated for Con-
gress know an eloquent public speaker of
this city who has promised to go over in his dis
trict and tell how he wantonly slandered our
city. Congress should be told that our people
never will submit to any further concessions
to the road without relief Keep up your
good work"
CRUEL MONOPOLY
Says another letter: Enclosed find pro-
test against the passage of H. r. bill
No. 8,243. Although resident of the
northwest section OF town, am deeply
concerned in whatever affects the interests Of
the people in that part Of the city now suffer-
ing from the never-endiug encroachments of
the pennsylvania Railroad Company. Should
it suit the convenience Of this octopus, what
would prevent its extending its freight yards
to the Capitol or White House? The stand you
have taken against this cruel monopoly is in
dorsed by all who have the best interests Of
this city at heart. Selfish considerations will
always prompt those who think more of in
creasing their own sordid gains than of the
greatest good of the WHOLE hence some of the
names which appear in the Post opposed to
the removal OF the railroad station from 9Th
street."
SUGGESTION TO MoNoPOLIEs.
NJ. A. F. writes: Il am with you in your fight
Why can't the railroad come into the city on
the building lines on arches? 1t can be DONE
as have seen it In Liverpool. England, as
they come to the crossings they arch the street
over, leaving clear footpath and carriageway.
The arches are then rented store houses
and large revenue created for the railroad
SO that although the first outlay is heavy it all
comes back in time, but of course presidents Of
railroads have to make fifty or sixty million in
a life time, and the public be id"
THE RAILROAD COMPANY AS AN oBsTRUoTIoNIsT.
18th street man says: Continue the good
fight; but why not keep before the people Of
the District and Congress the great outrage
committed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, in defiance Of law and of the power Of
the government, in preventing the construction
OF the bridge over the Eastern branch at the
foot OF Pennsylvania avenue for more than
year and compelling Congress to appropriate
geo 600, in addition to the original cost Of the
bridge. for the sole benefit of the railroad COM
pany. grosser outrage was never committed
even by this soulless monopoly, and yet / have
not seen an allusion to it in all your publica-
tions. Keep that as well as the other usurpa-
lions OF the company before the people,"
THOSE GRADE CROSSINGS.
P. W. W. writes: II inclose petition cut
from paper, signed. 1 have been delayed
at the Massachusetts avenue crossing of
panys tracks SO many times that I al
most got used to 1t. Have seen dozens of
employees of the Government Printing Office
kept until after "time" by the apparently USE
less and malicious shifting Of trains, making up
OF freight trains, &c, with several narrow es-
capes. The railroad employees thoroughly en-
JOY all this, and take the keenest delight in
making pedestrians and vehicles wait even
1eering at them as they stand in
the hot sun or drenchIng rain. A friend
with doctor was kept waiting nearly half
hour last winter while his wife was danger
ously i'll. They might have "gons around" it
Is true, but expected every minute that the
tracks would be cleared.
''The railroads and their attorneys certainly
seem to be acting out William H. Vanderbilt's
idea as expressed IN his reported observation
as to the public"
FROM THE NORTHWEST.
The following explains itself: 1T affords me
pleasure to furnish you herewith the names
and addresses Of thirty-one bona de residents
of this city who have signed the petition in
opposition to the Atkinson bill You will OBJ
serve that nearly all of the signers reside in the
northwestern section of the city and / will
vouch for the assertion that each one is enthusi-
astic IN your fight against the octopus which
endangers and destroys the lives of citizens
and mars the beauty OF the national capital"
IGNORING THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.
Another citizen writes: Il would say with
reference to the second proposition that
L, as free-born American citizen (omit-
ting the rights of property owner).
deny the right of Congress to give to
any man or corporation the power of seizure
without the consent OF the owner. This will
apply to private property as well as public and
IN the latter case the people alone should have
the right to say as to whether their property,
even though it be public reservation
should be given free or otherwise for the use
Of a monopoly which cares for nothing except
gain, even at the expense OF life and the rights
OF others. This is as mild as l can put it."
OPPOSED TO Running THE PARKS.
~ am opposed to the railroad running one
OF the finest parks in our city," says another
letter, I" but am sadly afraid our petition will
come to naught
THEY HAVE Us BY THE THROAT.
NJ. E. F., who is sojourning at Kittery, Me-,
writes: II inclose petition signed. Hope you
will continue to help the citizens in their fight
with the railroads, but fear we are nearly DOW
erless, as the Pennsylvania company seem to
have Washington by tine throat"
TEN TO ONE.
Another writer says: II am confident
with active and prompt management the
signatures and address of ten good and
true men could be obtained against the
Pennsylvania railroad where one can be OBJ
tanned in favor Of the said monopoly, and
instead of one page of names the size Of the
Post il would require from six to ten pages of
now ready to sign this petition and composed
GO n ri of md