Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-10
The Brightwood Railway Again.


Knowing by years of experience the alacrity
with which The STAR is ever ready to champion
tina rights of the people venture to address
you on one or two points which think are i'm
positions on the ''Iong suffering" To re-
hearse the trials of the people of Brightwood
on account of the lack of transportation facli-
ties would be something of an imposition on
your space. Besides. your readers have been
fully informed from time to time by the splen-
did accounts of The STAR of the efforts we have
made to secure proper facilities. Suffice it to
say that the Brightwood Railway Company was
Incorporated in 1888 to construct and operate a
railway from Florida avenue to the District line
on 9TH street extended or Brightwood avenue
In July. 1892, its charter amended to give
1t the right to Use the trolley system and extend
the line to Takoma Park, the road to be in OPP
Grafton under this system to Brightwood in six
months and to the District line and Takoma
Park in one year, forfeiture of its charter being
the penalty of noncompliance with the
amended charter or any part OF it. On account
of the extreme severity of the weather $50 the
company claims during the winter it was una
BILE to have the cars in operation for passengers
until March 3. This amended charter also pro-
vided that the cars should leave either end of
the line at least every fifteen minutes. begin
ming at am. the last cars to leave the termini
not earlier than II O'Clock midnight. Up to
date the company has not complied with its
nizing the difficulties in the way. have no COM
plant TO make in regard to the running sched-
ule thirty minutes We do. however. protest
against the last car leaving the city terminus at
IL o'clock pm. For obvious reasons this is en-
tirely too early to stop running street car sys-
tenn. and we insist upon the company having
the last car leave the city terminus in compli-
ance with its charter. We think it little enough
to have the company comply with its charter in
at least this one respect.
Another grievance we have is the refusal of
this company to sell tickets provided in its
charter. That it mas not had time to have them
printed is nonsense. as they have been actually
work. & on the road six months; besides, they
accept tickets Of other lines. and why can they
not resell them? If the people would only
stand together and agree not to pay fare until
this company sells tickets the matter would
soon be settled. People anticipating riding on
this road had better provide themselves with
the little pasteboards sold by other companies
before getting on the Brightwood cars.
Another cause for complaint is the dirty con-
dition of the cars. One would naturally think
that new cars would be kept clean, but the floors
are filthy, and if one should take a ride for the
purpose of seeing the beautiful country along
the road the object of his trip would be utterly
defeated, as the car windows are SO dirty, ap-
parently never having been washed, that it is
almost impossible to see through them.
All Of these things are small matters which
could be remedled by the company without
cost always desideratum), and let us hope
that it will take these suggestions in friendly
manner and carry them out promptly. SO that
the crowd that will patronize the road next
Sunday will be able to purchase tickets, if they
desire to. and see through the windows, to say
nothing of keeping the floor IN such a condition
that ladies will not soil their dresses upon en-
tering a car. NJ. j.
March s, 1898.