Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-30

Line, speeding the traveller in the lap of
luxury to the southland; the FLORIDA
81 eciaP' on the Atlantic Coast Line. mag.
nifcent hotel on wheels; the "SouthwesterE
Vestibuled Limited on the Southern rail-
way, ore Of the largest trains of sleepers
and diners on the continent, and the
Washington and Chattanooga Limited,
on the Shenandoah Valley and Norfolk and
estern rank at the head of the lists of
famous trains of the country.
Advertised by the Roads.
1t has become the custom in late years
for the railways entering Washington to
advertise that fact as an attraction of the
road. The Southern railway. the Chesa-
peake and Ohio. the Baltimore and Ohio,
and the Pennsylvania, as well as the At
lantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air
Line, call particular attention to the ia Il
that their trains between New York and
the south and the south and west pass
through the national capital. They are
proud of 1t. boast CT it. and in this way
thousands of people are brought to visit
the city every year and leave their money.
The growth of Washington as a railw ~
point has been phenomenal Many railroad
men think that the establishment of the
great special trains. with their magnificent
equipments. has had something to do with
ceptering railway interests here. 1t has
certainly Increased travel this way. and
to that extent, at least. has added to the
railway Importance of the place. The i'm
provement in the roadbed. equipment and
management of the railroads running south
and west from Washington has been a
subject of wonder to northern people.
Any one who has Travelled much from
Washington in the past three years alone
must have been struck with the marvel
GUS improvements existing today. Let
them go east or west on the Baltimore and
Ohio or the Chesapeake and Ohio. south on
the Southern. the Atlantic Coast Line or
the SeabOard Air Line, east and west on
= De- ,t, h. t,v.
improvements III roadbed, trackage. auto
matte switches, block signal towers, where
once the old rickety telegraph offices stood,
handsome station buildings and the rolling
stock itself. N
Modern improvements.
The old fifteen minute dining rooms have
given away to dining cars, where one Is
served as at a hotel and takes his time.
and the sleepless nights in cramped coach
es are followed by comfortable ones In
good BEDS where the traveller turns in at
Washington and turns out 400 miles away.
the distance having been covered during
the night at a fifty-mile an hour gait.
Railroad men think that Washington will
ultimately become the headquarters Of
other roads now centering here, but hav-
ing their general Offices in other cities.
The Chesapeake and Ohio and the South
ern railway were quick to perceive the
advantage of establishing headquarters at
the national capital, and 1T is likely that
others will follow suit. The number of
trains running IN and out of this city is
increasing rapidly every year. Some Of
the increase. of course, is due to the
growth of suburban towns. A few years
age the Baltimore and Ohio brought three
car loads of passengers into the city every
morning on the Metropolitan branch. Now
1t brings twenty-five car loads. while there
has been a large increase on the Penn
sylvania and the line of the Southern rail-
way tapping neiehboring Virginia towns.
Much is due. however, to the ever-in-
creasins tide of travel setting into the
south. on business aud pleasure bent. The
railroads diverging from Washington to
the south are expanding great effort in
the direction of emigration. Washington
will be benefited by 1t, for this city will
take toll. in greater or less degree, from
every new settler along the lines of our
railroads.
So extensive has the travel to the south
via Washington become that two of tho
railway slnes have found it eXpedient to
make traffic arrangements with a steam
beat company. The Norfolk and Washing
ton steamers run or schedule time to Nor
felix, where they make connection with
the Seaboard Air Line and the Atlantic
Coast Line trains for points further south.
Passengers for the Chesapeake and Ohio
line also connect at Old Point Comfort by
these boats, and they form an important
link in Washingtons railway systems