Evening star., 1899-07-01

Traction railway to Star reporter. 'and
they never appear to regreu it. Their cir
cumstances demand thai they should save
at every point. but saving does not appear
to be in their calculations. at least to the
extent of putting il into operation. They
feel that what they have invested in tickets
is 50 much unused and unusable capital.
and they do not Ike any such Investments.
Time and time again l have endeavored to
get coloTed people TO buy tickets, and thus
save FIVE cents on each thirty cents ex-
pended but it was just like pouring water
on a ducks back for my endeavorS made
no impression ] have known other conduc-
tors to make similar efforts. with the same
success. Colored people ride great
deal more Of late years than they did, but
while this has grown on them. it cannot
penetrate their minds that they could II
they desired get one extra ride in every six
by buying tickets. They seem TO go upoE
the plan that they never intend TO take
another ride. Now. | don't mean to be un-
derst0pd that there are no exceptions. for
there are. b1L the exceptions are very, very
rare among the blacks. The mulattoes are
much mole liable 10 buy tickets than the
fun blacks in the race. The nearer they
get in color to the whites the more the
characteristics of the whites prevail in
their makeup and habits Such a thing
laying by for the rainy day seldom enters
the mind of the coiored race and if ii does
lL never SeiS IHere Witn SuGn q force tlat
IT is carried into effect They live on the
theory that it is going 10 be continual dry
weather. that there will be no rainy days.
and that there is no necessity for them to
allow the street railway corpora tions to
have the temporary use of their money. for
which they issue tickets S evidence of in
debtedneSs- One of the lecturers on politi-
cal economy of the Columbian University,
who Is i close student of matters generally,
and Of all the phases of the question of
transportation. freight and passenger
t!aif1c. has ridden with me on at least fifty
trips early IN the morning. when most of
the coiored working people ride. and has
personally questioned them in regard to
the loss they sustained by failing to ride
on tickets, but he finally gave up the mat
ter as 4 bad job. arriving at the conclusion
that they would not buy tickets, and
that that Was all that there was in it |
raIrodGed in Baltimore before | came here
ami my observation was that the colored
people there were always cash riders re-
fusiHS to buy tickets
X
Notwithstanding the act of Congress at
its last session providing for the removal
of the fence incIosing the Botanical Gar
dens." said gentleman who was instru-
mental in having the legislation passed. to
a Star reporter. there Will be no removal
until further legislation on the subject for
the reason that though Congress ordered
its removal. it did not make any appro-
priation To carry it into effect, and public
works cannot be carried out unless the
money is in sight TO pay the bill. In other
words, those who have been active in en-
deavoring 10 remove this remnant of olden
times Will have to continue their efforts
for some time to come. Time was, as
many Of Us remember when the Capitol
grounds and the Older public parks were
inc!osed by what were known as grave
yard fences, and it took years to remove
them, but thev all had to go in the end.
The Botanica. Gardens have continued to
keep up their fences in spite of all the agi-
tatOn. This would not be bad If there
were more gates in them and if the gates
were kept open The movement against
the fences had its foundation in the move
ment which opened the art gallery on Sum
days and which did away with the keep
off-the-grass signs in the public parks as
far as children and nurses are concerned
No others. as far as l can discover, desire
that privilege or violate the command. In
years gone by the reason was urged
against the removal of the fences around
Lafayette and Franklin parks. the Capitol.
Smithsonian and Agricultural grounds,
that the cows. horses and goats of the city
would roam on them for their grazing To
remove that objection the city councils
were urged to pass ordinances prohibiting
animals from roaming at large, and yet II
took over twenty-five years TO get the
fences away. The Botanical Gardens have
steadily preserved their fence against all
innovations, and even now decline to open
their gates on Sunday In the end the fence
will have to go, but the end is some way
of. Notwithstanding the act of Congress.
As to the means, the old fence could be
sold for over five times the cost of remov-
ing it Indeed, the brick foundation on
which the iron railing fence is erected
would more than pay the cost of its entire
removal, but these things not cOnsid-
cred. and until their consideration is ex-
pressed in the words Of a statute will not
be"
K
There is no doubt that Gibraltar is. from
the nature Of its location. the strongest
fortified spot on earth" said recently re-
turned tourist to a Star reporter but the
English officers who are on duty there seem
impressed with the idea that there is some
weak spot about the place, and that some
American may discover IL They have some
very nonsensical rules and regulations gov
erning the fortifcation. and one of them is
that no American can be admitted to the
fortified places. though they are allowed
70 wander all around the outside as long as
they care to-
4 don't think the combined guns of the
rest of the world, all working together and
Tor twelve hours each day, Sundays and
public holidays included. for one year, could
seriously interfere with Gibraltar beyond
cutting off The mail communication. The
walls are solid rock a quarter of a mile
lhick. ard such a thing as doing any dam
age IN a military sense would be simple
H"usenss- Gibraltar could resist any at
tack. and the conditions there are such
that the attacking party would necessa-
rliS nave TO be exposed in making its
attack This exposure would have to be
within range Of the guns of the fort even
II they are nifty years out of date. Conse-
quentiy they would be nearly as effective
ss modern guns, for with all that is claimed
for modern warfare there probably never
viii be any fighting done when the oppos-
ing parties are out of sight of each other
While all this IS admitted by military men
Of all countries. It seems funny that there
should be anything OF a secret or hidden
character about Gibraltar that Americans
should not be allowed to inspect as freely
as the people OF other countries are Eng
land may be whipped some time in the his
tory of the world. but the defeat will not
take place at Gibraltar. l assure YOU
y
There are victories of peace no less re-
nOwned than those Of war" observed a
vell-knOwn printer to Star reporter. "and
IL seems TO me they should be spread on
every record and long be remembered In
the hurry and excitement of the days of
the opening of the Spanish-American vva