Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-16
A CORPORATIONS POWER.
Plea fer Quicker Transit From Falls
Church.

To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
raAs Shurch is six miles east of WASH
lhgton- Extend street south across tie
tNer ana In less than six miles the line
falis on Falls Church station. But to get
TO Washington the traveller has to go to
Alexandria Junction, distant from his START
ing point over six miles, and then take the
washington and Alexandra railroad TO the
CITY SIX or seven miles further. In fact it
Is nearly fourteen miles from Falls Church
10 w ashngton by rail. Not a few Of cur
people, knowing all this, drive across the
country 10 Georgetown, crossing the Ague-
duct bridge, and thence INTO the city.
hardly think that the public or Cen
gress are aware OF the tide Of travel that
already comes this way from that mart of
virginia L am told that the railroad oifi-
Gals state that the heaviest loaded trains
that come into the street depot come
over the W. y. and W. II. II. 4 myself
have seen III people waiting at Fails
Church station 10 take the train That ar
rlNes IN VI asnlngton at $50 am. Nearly
twenty towns, some of them of nearly
1000 inhabitants, lie along his road Falls
Church has over Lou, hern Ion as many,
and the whole country lying west OF WASH
ington far as the hills which rlColx
the Shenandoah valley is more or les
tributary TO this city. No sa.rsr country
lies adjacent TO the capital than this. No
more Intelligent people
All this stream of travel Comes over Iopa
bridge. Congress condemns IL paoDIe COM
denim IL, military engineers condemn il,
naNSators condemn IL. 1t is. 50 SANS Tie
press, standing menace 10 the SAFETY Of
the people OF the lower sections of the city.
But II stands, ana will stand. Why SIM
ply because it is owned by a powerful cor
poration that has a vital interest in It's
standing: Maryland avenue is a sr.diron Of
rails, Virginia avenue aband.,ned to the
railway tracks, the mali parity monopo!iz-
cd by the same. A single IracA and a rick
ETY. bridge is the only outlet southwark Tor
lDa.raHas lnHaaH
road to Alexandra, with its dozens OF trains
day; the Chesapeake and Ohio, with its
massive oulnt OF coaches; the Richmond
and Danville system, with its forty-Odd
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the Washington, Ohio
and Western, the Manassas road; the
southern and southwestern travel over the
roads TO Richmond and beyond; ali these
and more pass, as have said, over a single
track road ON a rickety bridge. ana this the
only bridge between Harper's Ferry and
the ocean.
But-and this is what / started 10 say
the need of travelling facilities Is too APP
parent for argument. How shall we get
these? We ask Tor the privilege OF tuIld-
ing a road telectric) through The Arlington
reservation TO the bank Of the Potomac,
at point opposite New York avenue and
the further privilege of taking an unfre-
quented street to the back of the treasury
building. We will establish a ferry at the
crossing, and put passengers at the treas
ury inside Of half an hour, and az a cost Of
no subsidies. All We want S the privilege
of building.
The Pennsylvania company is on record
as saying that no road coming from Nir-
ginia shall cross at any point other than
the Long bridge. Georgetown people say
no crossing save at the Aqued act or above.
And SO, through the influence of these two
powers, we are compelled TO 20 the fourteen
miles TO get the six to Washington.
L confess 1 do not expect TO see the right
of way granted. The two Pennsylvssnia
Senators and the Washington and George
town railway will keep US out. They (at
least the first named nave kept out the
Baltimore and Ohio. the Norfolk and West
ern, and probably forced the Richmoni and
Danville to cross on their tracks, and how
can a little suburban town like Falls
Church expect to cope with 4 monopoly
that defies the city Commissioners. the Con-
gress, the board of engineers. the public
sentiment, and says no road can cross the
Potomac save on our track tsingle) over
the bridge that was donated TO US by the
Congress- "a.
Nearly eight years ago settled I'm Fans
Church, and was told that we would get
our improved transportation next year. 50
the eight years have pass d and no i'm
provement. / cannot see that this Will come
unless Congress can be made 10 see that
there are other interests in WASHINGTON
and vicinity besides those II the Pcnnsyl
vania railroad. JAMES q. HODGklN.