Evening star., 1896-10-22
MIR. DOLAN is EMPHATIC.
He Discussed the lexington Road and
WnNhinsctOn in Il lrcexx Muuner.

He Discussed the lexington Road and
Washington i'm "a Breezy Manner.
Judging from a converse ton which q
Star reporter had last night with Mr..
Thomas Dolan of the Elkins -Widener syn
dicate, which Is supposed to have the cen
trolling voice in the affairs of the Ecking-
ton and Soldiers Home and Belt Line rail-
way companies of this city, at Mr. Dolan's
home near Philadelphia, 1t woul1 be fclly
to expect Mr.. Dolan and his associates to
take any steps toward eQuipping those
lines with rapid-transit power until Trey
get good and ready to do SO, and from the
way Mr.. Doan talked, it is doubtful if they
Will ever get ready.
At the beginning of the interview Mr.
Dolan was Informed by The Star reporter
that there had been meeting of the Mi
nority stockholders of the roads named,
who were dissatisfied with the manner in
which various matters are being managed.
Before the reporter could say more than
that, Mr.. Dolan exclaimed, Il don't believe
it:'
Don't believe WHAT" queried the re-
porter.
why, don't believe that there was any
meeting held in Washington of the minori-
ty stockholders. and any way, ] dom: give
whether there was or not. The
of - - =. and l don't care a -
what You publish or what you don't. Now
do you hear me?'
The reporter replied that he did; that he
was not deficient in his hearing powers,
and desired to ask Mr.. Dolan whether ii
was or was rot true that he lir. Dolan),
Mr.. Elkns and Mr.. Widener were still cen
nected with the lexington and Soldiers
Home and Belt railways of Washington.
What the - - do YOU want TO
know that for?" said Mr.. Dolan.
Because, Mr.. Dolan," the reporter an
wered, 'if you are, the people CT Wash
ington believe that sometime or other.
when you get good and ready to give them
rapid transit, they will get it"
Il don't believe - word you are
THE people of Washington do not believe
anything we say. and if 1 was to say that
we did intend to equip the TWO roads you
mentioned with rapid transit, they would
believe We had some ulterior object in
view. / had some stock in those roads for
about four years. but drew out about a
year ago..
Then do you authorize me-" asked the
reporter, Ito say in The Star that you are
no longer interested in the lexington and
Soldiers Home and Belt railways?''
Il don't authorize you to say anything ~
was the reply, "and l don't give = what
you publish. The papers and people of
Washington are of fools, and
If they hadn't abused us so much they
would have had rapid transit long ago."
Then the conversation proceeded like this:
We'll. how about the air motors, MIR.
Dolan?'
. the air motors"
But you were over in New York yester-
day, and with Mr. Elkins and Mr.. widener.
motors, did you not?''
How the = did you know that?" said
Mr.. Dolan.
We'll. was told SO by an acquaintance
well. yes; I was over in New York
yesterday, and investigated the workings
of an air motor"
will you tell ME what you thought Of
the machine?"
Not - thing
DO you contemplate trying the same
sort Of motor in Washington
Ihat motor has nothing to do with any
arrangements for rapid transit in WASH
ington. But 1 amt going to tell you a
thing about our trip or the air motor
AT this point Mr.. Dolan begun to repeat
much OF his previous conversation. and
The Star reporter said that he was much
obliged 10 him for the interview.
You haven't anything to be grateful
for" snapped Mr.. Dolan.
With this the interview ended, and the
reporter withdrew.
In connection with the remarks of MI
Do!an, made last night, 1t is proper to re-
call that the same reporter had an inter-
view with Mr.. Dolan on the subject of air
motors several weeks ago, and that at that
tifne MI. Dolan said he could not under
stand why the motors to operate the cars
OF the lexington and Soldiers Home and
Belt Line companies were not then I'm
washington; that a contract had been
made with the H. K. Porter Company of
Pittsburg for the placing of ten or twelve
compressed air motors, with their trail
ers, on the two roads by September 10 at
the latest; that the Porter company had
agreed to erect the COMPRISING plant and
operate the lines free of expense, SO far
as the motive power was concerned for six
months; that If by the end of that time
the results of the experiment were satisfac-
tory to the railroad company the Porter
company was to be paid a stipulated sum.
ara II pronounced unsatisfactory the equip
ment was to he taken away from the prop
erty OF the railroad company without any
charge whatever to the latter.