Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-01-24


bridge. That purchase was intended
to cut Alexandria off and was now pc
ing used as weapon against us; he
had been told that Senator Mcmillan.
of the Senate District Of Columbia com
mittee. would fight in the interest OF
the Pennsylvania road and against tne
Norfolk and Western, whose bill Tor
permission to build a bridge across the
Potomac was now before the Senate.
Mr.. Harlow explained how the LAND
company in which he was interested
had sold the land to the Pennsylvania
road. and Mr.. J. r. Cation also explain
ed the transaction, but said such sale
would not interfere with any other
railroad company getting into Wash
ington.
The resolutions offered by Mr.. An
derson and amended by Mr.. Birrell
was then adopted.
Mr.. Fred. Birrell then spoke of the
Mt. Vernon Electric Railway, of the
advantage it is to the city and country
through which it passed, and offered
the following:
Whereas, The Washington, Alexandria and
Mount Vernon Electric Railway Company
desires to have its franchise extended to en-
able it to continue its line of railway from It's
present terminus on Cameron street on the
east side of Fayettc street westwardiy
on Cameron street to Payne, south
Yardly on Payne street to King stree.
and westwardly on King street from the east
side of Columbus street to the corporation
line. and has applied TO Council for the eX-
tenton OF its franchise and for the privilege
of constructing its railway upon the streets
named.
And Whereas, The said company has in
vested large sums of money in this COM
munity, which has added much to It's pros
perity, and have thus become closely ldentl-
lied with this community as one of its leading
enterprises, and ought to be encouraged by
the granting of all reasonable requests There
fore
Be it Resolved, BY the citizens. property
holders and tax payers here assembled ha'
it is in the sense of this meeting that TINS I'M
portant enterprise 10 our city IN which Dotn Il
large amount of foreign and local capital has
been invested should be granted the reason
able request asked in their petition Tor an ex-
tension Of their franchise. and that this meet
ing urge upon the City Council that 1t grant
10 Lut NhS i'o"' ~ N
Use of the streets named in the preamble.
Resolved That it is also the sense Of this
meeting that any legislation by the City
Council which will in any way hinder the
said railway company in extending Its lines
upon the streets named in the preamble. or
which would in any way impair the large M
vestment they have made in this community
will BIO detrimental to the interests OF this
community and manitcstly unjust and unfair
to the gentlemen who have invested so large
ly in our midst, and have done SO much TO 2d-
vance the prosp ,rity in our city.
Resolved, That copy of these resolutions
be transmitted to the City Council and that
body urged TO consider the Importance OF
granting the requests of the said railway
company.
Mr.. DePutron, who at the last meet
ing opposed the introduction of such
matters into the proceedings Of these
meetings, advocated the passage of the
resolution. He said that the Mount
Vernon electric road had started to
carry out its purposes few days
since but had been stopped; another
company had come along and made an
offer for the use of the streets of the
city for 80 years so as to shut out the
Mount Vernon road, but the people
were not in favor of such move. Mr.
Dep. then eulogized the Mount Vernon
road. warned Council against taking
action against the company, and at
tackled Mr.. Spears proposal to buy the
streets of the city for 80 years to the
detrilnent Of the citizens and of other
roi1rood oomDoDies
Captains Mushbach and Bryant, who
had entered the hall while Mr.. Dep.
was speaking, denied the correctness of
his statements, and Capt. NJ. asked who
had brought the money to the city with
which TO build the Mount Vernon road,
and if it was right thata meeting called
for one purpose should be converted
into one with an entirely different OBJ
ject.
DIR. Fawcett asked Mr.. Dep. if one
electric railway had been of so much
service why another would not be of
that much more benefit.
After some exciting colloquies Mr..
DePutron said he was opposed to
foreign company coming here and grab
bing up the use Of the streets for 80
years.
Mr.. Fred. Birrell then spoke in favor
of the resolutions and urged that moth
ing be done against the Mount Vernon
road. He criticized the actions of
Council, said the members had made
mistakes in the past, notably in not Civ
ing the Pioneer Mills to the Deis Com
pany, and warned the members against
the mistake of passing Mr.. Spears bill,
which he said was intended to injurc
the Mount Vernon road.
The resolutions were then adopted.
Mr.. Harlow then said he had read
in the GAZETTE an editorial stating
that if the citizens had taken the same
interest in securing the passage through |
this city of the Norfolk & Western Rail
road that they had in securing the
better RUNNING of local trains they
might have been equally successful.
He saw the force of the statement and
moved the appointment a committee to
wait on the officers of the n. & w. r. r.
and show them what Alexandria could
offer as inducements for their road to
pass through this city.
1t being suggested that such matters
we're embraced in the resolutions al
ready adopted Mr.. H. withdrew his
motion.
Mr.. J. T. Sweeney thought that
Mr.. Harlow's suggestions came
90 late and that if adopted
would only show that Alexandria had
been asleep as the matter had been be-
ore the public for two years and a bill
o allow the n. & w. to build a bridge
across the Potomac had already passed
)ne house of Congress. He then spoke