The times., 1899-05-17

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
CITIZENS If Uf IN IN Arms ARMS
Oppose the Construction of a
Railway Loop.
Arguments Made at a Hearing Be-
fore the Commissioners.
The Legal Phases of the Question
The Matter Taken Under
Adyiscment.

vigorous protest against the construction
of the proposed loop at Fourteenth and
| Kenyon Streets during the course OF a
public hearing before the Commissioners
late yesterday afternoon. Some time ago
the Commissioners conferred with the Of
| ficials Of the Capital Traction Company
with the view of having the parking of
cars at the head of Fourteenth Street aban-
\ doned and better terminal facilities adopt
| ed. The railway officials then applied for
permission TO construct a loop in the vicin-
ity of the Fourteenth Street car barn, but
on the east side of the street. This loop
would. according to the plans of the COM
pany. extend several hundred feet eastward
in Kenyon Street to proposed passenger
shed, pass through the latter TO Whitney
Avenue one block north, then extend
along Whitney Avenue to Fourteenth
Street again, making a complete circle.
The residents and property owners pro-
tested against the building Of the loop
and urged the Commissioners to refuse to
grant a permit to the traction company.
The legal phases OF the matter were re-
| ferred TO S. T. Thomas the Attorney
for the District. for an opinion. and he
ruled that the Commissioners had author
ity to authorize the proposed construction.
In the mean time a public hearing was
set for o'clock yesterday afternoon. The
announcement Of the hearing brought out
a large attendance of representative resi-
4 dents of Columbia Heights, and, with 4
single exception, all opposed the new loop
Leo Simmons. President of the Columbia
| Heights Citizens Association, was the first
| speaker. He thought the company was
without authority under the law to build
the loop. and expressed a hope that the
point would not be reached where the peo-
| pie of Columbia Heights would be driyen
| 10 take legal action to restrain the rail-
way company. He said that he could not
help thinking that Attorney Thomas had
made mistake in ruling that the company
had authority to build the loop. and that
! the Commissioners could grant a permit
for the purpose. He stated that the law
Of May II, 1862 applied only to George
| town and Washington and not TO the Dis
trict OF Columbia, nor Columbia Heights,
which was beyond the city limits.
Mr.. Simmons said the title 10 the land
occupied by streets in Columbia Heights
was vested in the abutting property own
ers and not in the District nor in the Fed
eral Government. He understood that At
torney Thomas had admitted this to be so,
and this being true he argued that neither
the Commissioners nor Congress had the
right TO authorize the laying of tracks on
the streets in the subdivision. The only
way in which tracks could be laid on Ken
yon Street, he said, would be by charter
right. and he added that the right of way
would have to be condemned and the abut-
ting property owners remunerated
Regarding the advisability OF the pro-
posed construction Mr.. Simmons said in
conclusion: 1T would be unjust and un-
necessary The company has car barn
on the west side of Fourteenth Street and
now the officials of the road propose to
erect another on the east side of the thor
oughfare. To do this would result in more
harm than good. II is inadyisable in view
of the proposed extension of the Four
teenth Street line beyond Whitney Avenue
in the direction Of Brightwood. ! under
stand that The traction company might
acquire enough land abutting its barn on
the west side of Fourteenth Street by con-
demnation process and build the loop
there, which would be preferable 10 the
proposed arrangement"
b. f. Brockett said he was not only op-
posed to the loop, but had approached
many residents Of Columbia Heights and
found that the opposition was strong in
all quarters. The head of Fourteenth
Street was, in his opinion, the key to the
traffic OF the northwestern suburbs Many
carriages and conveyances traversed Park
and Fourteenth Streets, and Whitney Ave-
nue. and Kenyon Street between Thir-
teenth and Fourteenth Streets was also
favorite drive and would be even more so
in the future.
Gen. A. d. Hazen. formerly Third AS
sistant Postmaster General, informed the
Commissioners that he owned valuable
piece OF ground at the southeast corner OF
Fourteenth and Kenyon Streets He main
tanned that this property would be greatly
injured by the proposed loop. He was i'm
mediately and directly interested in the
matter and desired TO enter a strong pro-
test against the granting of loop permit.
w. +. Mattingly, one OF the largest
land owners in Mount Pleasant and Colum-
bia Heights, favored the loop. He stated
that he had sold the Capital Traction Com
pany the thirty-foot tract over which the
cars would pass in going from Kenyon
Street to Whitney Avenue. ~ do not regard
the proposed loop as an obstruction he
stated. II have no objection to its being
built Street cars benefit rather than re-
tard the growth Of any section of the city.
and, in this instance, / think the tracks
which the company desire 10 build will
be a benefit. AS / understand the matter,
the company is desirous of accommodating
the public and considers the proposed i'm
pioNeInent an advantage to the people. The
head of Fourteenth Street will never be a
strictly residential section. On account of
its being an outlet and the constant move
ment OF people the Improvements will be
OF business character The fact that the
Capital Traction Company extended its
line out over the summit of the Four
teenth Street hill has made Columbia
Heights what il is today. Had the car
line not been extended there would not
have been one-tenth the improvements that
now exist.
II appeal 10 the Commissioners to take
broad view of the matter When the
Fourteenth Street line is extended there
will be no further use for the proposed
loop, and it will undoubtedly be abandoned.
1t is apparent that this extension must
be made. In view of the recent consolida-
ton OF local street car lines the only sal
yatlon for the Capital Traction Company
is to reach out into the suburbs and get
some OF the traffic, and the sooner the bet
ter. Washington is growing rapidly. Peo-
pie in the near suburbs are becoming part
OF the population of the city, and In the
near future, IL they desire TO enjoy the
benefits and advantages of the city. they
will be called upon TO submit TO the or
dinances and all the inconvenience Incl
dent to the growth OF city. If the peo-
pie attempt to throttle every attempt that
Is made for public Improvement the city
viii never grow. / am surprised at the
statement made here that the streets of
Columbia Heights, which have been i'm
proved by the District, too, belong only to
the abutting property owners, and that
rights way along them could only be
secured by condemnation. II this were
true there would be no street RAILWAYS