Evening star., 1894-03-10
RAILROADS AND SCHOOLS.
Mount Pleasant Stands in Need of Both
Say Citizens.
The Meeting Last Night-The Traction
POwell-ThankingS Some Friends.

The regular monthly meeting Of the Mt.
Pleasant Citizens Association was held in
the Congregational Church Of the village
last evening, and an unusually large num-
ber of the members were present. The
meeting was brief one, the most import
ant matters discussed being the question of
a suburban electric road from the village to
the heart Of the city. and the striking from
the District appropriation bill Of the item
providing for a new public school house in
the village. A committee was appointed to
draft a series of resolutions setting forth
the necessity for the proposed electric road,
to be submitted to the House District COM
mittee next Tuesday morning. Incidental
ly, the underground trolley system, as pro-
posed to be used by the contemplated Wash
1nston Traction Company. was unanimously
recommended as the most desirable motive
power on electric roads. The attention Of
the authorities was called to the fact that
because of unequal public school accommo-
dation the children Of Mt. Pleasant We're
two or three years behind those of other
sections of the District A resolution of
thanks was rendered those members of Con-
gress whose conduct there has shown them
to be. fair men and just to the people of the
District.
Traction Road.
After the minutes of the previous meet
hsiu pech it1u anu approved, fFeSl1ent
Somervile stated that the executive commit
tee OF the association, on the 22d of last
month, had recommended the granting OF a
charter to the Washington Traction Com
pany, which company proposed to run an
electric underground railway from the viii
iage to the heart of the city.
Inc action of the committee was approy-
ed after a brief discussion. I'm which Mr..
Chapin Brown cautioned the association TO
be sure that Mt. Pleasant would be the
starting point.
President Somerville said that last Sun
Gay Mr Wheeler, the manager of the pro-
posed road, spent the day at the Zoo He
was certain that there were not less than
52ooo visitors to the park that day, and
explained that that number alone would
pay Tor the running of the foad for all the
rest or the week. Mr. Somerville stated
lhat there was no doubt of the underground
system being the cheapest, safest and most
oaeSidctory system known on electric rail-
ways. ana hence the committees approval
or the Washington Traction Company's pro-
posed scheme was not so much a racom
mendation of that particular road as it was
OF the route and of the underground sys-
TEN. s'S-
committee of five. consisting of Nessrs
1napin Brown, +. l.. Campbell f w
woodruff. "A. H. Nixon and Chas l.. Rick
etts, We're appointed to draft a series of
assoiu.iohs' ass'' expressing the approval of the
association. to be laid before the House Dis
'rict committee Tuesday next
School Wanted.
President Somerville the, caI,.S5 ,h, =.
tention of the association to tho foo, ,ba.
'he item for new school house for tho
village had been stricken from the Dis
.iict appropriation bill, and urged that
tr1ei.ds OF the District ir the House he
seen today looking to its rein sertion ua
S"lu thiit last fall every arrangement had
pa, ~ mao Tor the renting of an aidi-
.iDSdI school room, the District Commits
oherS approving the plan, and there bod
DePh more than enough money ay.tlabla
LOT the purpose. One man, however had
Ieieated the matter by his inactinn and
ne thought ii time now that the name Of
that man should be known. He was nona
otner tran Superintendent Powell
After short discussion Mr.. Brown
stated that he would see that motion TO
relhsert the item for d new school house
would be made and il WAS further stata1
by President Somerville and others thar
the school children of Mt. Pleasant he
cause OF want OF proper accommoda tions
coulu oply attend school half a 'day each
day. and because of that half time tbcv
were two or three years behind other
school children in their studies. beside
thaI ne said that ~ childi en- of the vii
lase were compelled to go miles to the
downtown schools.
Thanking Friends.
On the motion of Mr. Nixon the thanks of-
the association We're rendered those rnar,-
bers of Congress who appreciated the needs
of the District people and who were fair
and patriotic enough to vote and act ON he
half of the District. He thought that many
opponents of District interests were so
through mere ignorance of the true state of
ahalrS here. and advised in all such mat
should be seen and advised in all such mat
tiers.
Mr.. Ricketts, called attention to the fact
that the people of Mt. Pleasant were charged
extra by telegraph and express companies,
bat without acting upon the matter the