Evening star., 1900-10-09
south WashinGton and the Railroads.
To the Editor Of The Kyening Star:

The editorial in Saturdays issue OF The
Star relating to the blocking OF railroad
crossings in South Washington was timely
and right to the point. 1t echoed the SEN
timents of many citizens Of South Wash
ington who earnestly hope that The Star
will take this matter in hand and keep up
q stiff fight until the abominable nuisance
s lessened little or abated entirely. The
railroad companies seem to imagine that
they have q monopoly on South Washing
ton or certain parts OF 1t, and consequently
they do almost as they please. The con-
slant rolling Of heavy cars, the puff1ng or
steam and changing Of engine bells consti-
tute a bad enough nuisance, but 1T Is trifing
when compared with other like nuisances
too numerous to mention.
The citizen who lives on the wrong side
of the car tracks and is employed uptown
finds his life anything but sweet dream.
After hard days work at his place OF
business he Is kept awake at night by the
unearthly noises from ponderous locomo-
tive not far from his residence. After
very restless night he dozes off toward
morning, and in consequence awakens a
little late for work. Then 1t Is case or
hustle" He rushes from his house, and
the first thing he sees Is a long freight
train on the street crossing. From past ex-
periences he knows that the train Is likely
to be on the crossing for some time. and
realizing that he cannot afford to lose any
time he lodges beneath the gates at the
crossing and hastily climbs over the OBJ
Structtng cars. " nen SNOW anu ice aTe Oh
the ground, climbing over cars, moving or
otherwise, is not pleasant thing to do,
and as we well know, is exceedingly dam
gerous to life and limb. Yet this is done
repeatedly by people who don't care to be
late for work or who have an important
engagement to keep.
The parking of cars on tracks within the
city limits. except at places designated by
law Is prohibited in the District of Colum-
bia but this law is violated repeatedly. On
several occasions freight cars loaded with
manure and sometimes decaying vegeta BILE
matter have been parked on tracks in South
Washington FOR hours at time, and the
odors coming from them were not only ter
ribly disa greeable, but a dangerous disease
breeder as well.
Only q few days ago an engine drew sew
eral cars upon the crossing at 9th street
and Maryland avenue southwest where the
cars were left while the engine was de-
Long bridge. The cars remained on the
crossing several minutes and congested
traffic badly. This is the condition of af-
fairs in the vicinity of the railroad tracks
in South Washington at present, and some
thing ought to be done to remedy things at
once. The railroad company is a powerful
corpora ton but the laws of our city, il
properly executed, are more powerful.
Therefore, as was suggested in The Stars
editorial let citizens as well as policemen
look upon this obstruction nuisance as a
personal matter, and make an immediate
report whenever there is a violation of law.
If properly fined for every offense the rail-
road people will soon take the matter in
hand and remedy things to the satisfaction
of all concerned. T. A. BURNS.