Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-09
CRAM
PERsIsTENT PRESIDENT PHILLIPS
Falls Church Railroad TroubIs. I'm th..
Mar Departmenl ToslnN

President Phillips OF the Washington
Alexandria and Falls Church Railway
Company. who was arrested yesterday for
seeking TO extend the tracks of that line
upon the Aqueduct bridge without pelmis-
sion "r authority, was at the War de-
partner; today. but did rot secure. an
ardience with Secretary Aiyer.
He did, however, $ g Chief CT rk Tweedale
and Judge Advocate General Lieper. His
purpose was TO secure copies of the records
OF me war Department relating TO the .x-
tension of his railroad to the Auuedu Il
bridge Tor use I'm the hearing of the case
IN the Police Court. He was promised the
use OF the originals when needed.
The last license issued was accom;ganied
by blue prints, she wing the exact lines
covered by the license. There IL nothing
In the records to show that permission was
given TO cross the Aqueduct bridge
Under date of December Is 1885,. Score
tary lamont graz ted "A revocabie license
TO the Washington, Arlington and Falls
Church Railway Company Ito extend SIS
track to the south end of the Aquedact
bridge. in Alexandria county. Va. on prop
CT engineering lines. from its present ter g.
minus near said bridge TO ana along IN"
east Size of the present sidewalk, on the
approach TO the bridge"
certain conditions are prescribed. one
of which is that in case of the revocation
of the license the company will remov. us
track and replace the east sidewalk with
out expense to the United States.
Secretary lamont. under date of January
>. 1897. grated the company a similar
license to lay a railway track, i'm addition
to the one heretofore authorized. on the
government reservation al the south ap-
preach to the Auueduct bridge. on cond-
ton that the company wider the Military
road for width of fifteen feet on the west
side; that the company also lay a suitable
plank walk on trestles with heavy string
ers from the bridge 20 the solid embank-
RAJ
on the west line of said walk.
Another condition was that the company
should make such traffic regulations and
time schedules would furnish reason
able conveniences for Fort Myer and Arl-
ington. Including the sale of single tickets
TO the garrison and employees and families
at the cemetery.
Secretary Alger has never acted i'm the
matter, although persistently urged to do
Sc by President Phillips. and the privileges
OF the road, SO far as the bridge il COM
corned, are limited by the licenses issued
by eX-Secret8ry Lamont.
President Phillips has tried time and
again to get the Secretary to issue an or
der to him cut of hand granting permission
to cross the bridge. and has assumed "A
somewhat aggressive attitude, but without
avail. When the Secretary went to Lake
Champlain, Phillips wrote asking per.,lis-
SIGN to go there to talk the case over with
him.
The Secretary replied that he would dis
cuss the matter when he returned to
Washington. The day of the Secretary's
return Phillips called and tried his old
tactics of bluffing and pleading. and was
told that the case was too important to be
taken up off-hand. and that the matter
would be fully inquired into at the Secre-
tary's opportunity.
With this statement fresh I'm his mind lie
tried to execute flank movement am.
showed his contempt for the War Depart
ment by trying to cross the bridge at night.
But this is not all. He secured a permit
to cross the Fort Myer reservation, along
specified route, and deliberately went
ahead and surveyed different route that
carried his line across the parade ground
His materials were confiscated, as were
the poles of a telephone line that was to
run alongside his tracks. He has shown
disposition throughout to bully the Sec
rotary and his officials into granting his
wishes.