Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-24
DON'T SWEAR, JUST WHISTLE.
Some of the Comforts of the Bright.
wood Railway Line.

wood Railway Line.
To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
Most people in Washington have been
to Georgetown and to Alexandria, but
compare tively few have risked a sail over
the billowy rails of the Brightwood rail-
way.
On beautiful spring morning the I'M
suspecting roster from daily toll determines
to have quiet day in the country, little
thinking (until he has been up that way
a few tines what the Brightwood railway
has in store for him. The car he hopes
to get leaves Florida avenue just as he
steps from 7th street car about seventy
five feet away, and by actual count ION
weekly trips) the conductor has kept his
peppers open to see if there were any pas
sengers from the downtown car, and has
waited the long period of nine seconds
just three times during the past seven
months. The car is a Misunderstanding af-
fair, and none but person of strong in
stinct would hesitate to get aboard AT
the side hangs a pretty little single, bear
ing the inscription, "rakoma Park" which,
being interpreted, means Forest Glen
The bell cord is twitched, the current is
turned on, the wheels grind musically up
the hill and we are off. People in good
health and not subject to seasickness stand
the trip very we'll. Did you ever feel that
motion? 1t is hard to describe and still
harder to forget. The forward motion is
motion.
the rocking gradually increases until the
maximum is reached when the car plunges
Violently forward and settles down to try
1t all over again. The path of that car
defies any mathematician to find its euua-
ton People who get sick at this stage Of
the game get very sick. and sometimes
have to alight for few minutes of relief,
to pay another fare an the next car
Another thing of interest is the f1at-footed
car, the peripheries of the wheels of which
some one began reducing to polygons Of
apparently small number of sides. The
joints of the car having been thoroughly
ioosened by the shoot the chute arrange
ment our f1at-footed friend makes the jim
gle as severe as you imagine. One
cannot guess whether the wheels are run
ming on the rails or the ties. Conversations
and digestion of breakfasts are out of the
question. The passengers dig their finger
nails into their palms and proceed to be
thankful for rapid transit to the suburban
towns.
AT Takoma junction bob-tailed car hap
pens along occasionally to gather up wait
ing martyrs and bounce them over to the
town. Until recently it required an athlete
to get on the car without dislocating hip
joint. We were about to present the COM
pany with a little wooden box to use for
step, but another party put something
there, which divides the ascent into two
nearly equal parts, and the hip joints are
saved.
On the return trip the ceremony of weigh
ing anchor and getting under way is full of
u,
tensely exciting. For the first thirty or
forty yards the road is very much down
grade. The motorman, standing on the
rear platform, let's the brake off, and, as
the car glides forward, he gallops through
the car. among the feet, to the forward
platform. where he grinds the brake with
great velocity Ito say nothing Of the corns)
The result of this game of chance hinges
on whether or not the motorman can get
in his work before the car reaches a switch
about half way down the slope. When he
fails, the car is derailed and the passengers
are delayed indefinitely. This is considered
sufficient initiation to the first degree in
1.-THE Brightwood Railway Martyrs Asso-
citation" Initiation to the second degree
consists in being shot down the whole slope
to the sharp curve at the bottom and
dumped over the embankment. Takoma
has several second-degree members. To
enter the third degree the candidate must
be very tired and hungry, have his mind
full of thoughts of the dinner that is wait
| ing and getting cold at home, then walk
| the entire length of the road Give miles, on
a snowy evening, when the cars are not
| running. few of Takoma's citizens are
| third-degree members.
The keynote to the whole situation is in
| difference.
At Brightwood citizen, very warm I'M
| der the collar, came aboard. His remarks
l lyou may guess what he said) would indi-