The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-23
ROANOKE. va, DECEMBER 2s, 1892
THE CLOSING MovEMENr.

THE TIMES is glad to see that it's
efforts to bring merchants together for
"a general holiday on Monday, December
.96, have met with success as we'll as
inspiring a general movement in that
direction throug hout Southwest Wir-
.ginia.
Americans work too many days in she
year. A few more holidays would be in
order. Outside of New Year, Fast Day
and Christina as, no holidays werebrought
to America to find permanent root.
Thanksgiving Day, now 80 generally
recognized, was the first to be born in
America. Washington's Birthday and
the Fourth of July speung from the
revolution. The late war gave Dec
Grafton Day. and in q number of States,
an Arbor Day has sprung into life.
1t would be we'll for driving America
to have several more hslidays. More
work would be done in the end for the
rest obtained. Two holidays in a,cen-
tury is about the rate of growth.
The Norfolk and Western In Washington.
From the Washington Star
After all that the city of Washington
has done for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company it is ingratitude in one of the
most reprehensble Of its eyer.ugly
forms for that corporation to exert its
great congressional influence to the end
that other railroad companies which are
desirious Of entering the city shall be
prevented FROM crossing the boundary
lire. From the day when the Pennsyl.
vaula's tracks were we coined into the
District Of Colum bia down even to the
present time few necessary facilities
have been denied the company, and
these few the company succeeded in &C.
curing anyhow without troubling itself
about tho rights it invaded or the con-
sequences that might follow.
Even the law was merely an obstacle
to be surmounted or nderm ined.
Broad avenues and hardly less valuable
streets have been acquired by methods
that'would never have been tolerated in
any other community, priceless parks
ere'crossed and recrossed Sy the rent
Tree Steel while over all, at grade, run
the trains which have been the uncon-
sciors executioners Of men and women
and children, who never committed any
creator crime than that OF eadeavoYinp
W u"e Inc BtreetS which the railroad
cialRs for its own And all these con-
ditiopo have been tolerated for wears.
Now another railroad company-tha
Norfolk and Western-wants to extend
Its limo into end within tho District, and
to this the Pennsylvania corporation
makes s1renuous objection.
Every business man In Washing Ton
wants tho Norfolk and Western to come
In, under proper restrictions as to the
method OF ITS entrance and the char.
acler OF lis terminals, every merchant
mas suffered for months from the unde.
niablo freight blockade and there is
loud and earnest appeal for the relief |
winch can only be given by compet.
1ng road. This is the timo for every |
man who is interested in the welfare Of |
Inc city to assert himself; to require OF |
those who are, in a sense, REPRESENTA-. |
tives OF the District that they shall NOT
misfepresent their voteless constituents: |
to insist that this is great center OF |
intelligent population and not a village:
10 ask for the admission under prop, |
conditions OF every railroad that wan, |
10 cone in; and to demand that no he cd |
be paid to the interested representa-. |
'tions OF corpora Ion that apparently
cares nothing for the conimunity on, of
which 30 much has been gotten for
nothing. HF go "