The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-07
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
A Complaint Against the Railways
for Crowded Cars.
"A Passenger VfvidIy Describes the
Street Crossings of the Washing
ton Scrvice-Tbe Transfer System
A Statement Relative TO n Tax Sale

tan Railway Company In part, Mr.. Rey-
| nolds says:
Yesterday Sunday at 1880 p m, togeth-
er with my wife and children l was elected
from your car No 707 Georgetown only
at and North Capitol Streets. 1 do
not blame your conductor for / feel that
he is trying to serve the public and follow
orders and he was as courteous as could
be expected, but l think it an outrage
nevertheless.
I'VE were transferred from North Capt.
tol Street to East Washington at First
and G Streets. We waited for car for
fully an hour and in this time three
East Washington cars passed, each one
so full that there was not standing room
on the running board, so you see it was
impossible for us to get on. As there was
not another car in sight, / went to Z
Street and there boarded one of the long
yellow cars. The conductor refused to
take the transfers and stopped the car
and ordered us off We then walked the
rest of the way home, and got nearly to
Ninth Street before a C Street car over
took us.
Now, sir, l think it is shame that
line of cars should be run. day after day,
at such long intervals that every car is
crowded to overfowing. l have often seen
your cars wait for a long time appar-
emily for a load before starting on their
journey.
Your different lines are advertised to
be under one management The North
Capitol Street transfers are good on the
East Capitol Street cars if they happen
to be so punched If a person waits an
hour without being able to get car, and
then walks a block or two, and gets on
another branch of cars. he has to again
pay his fare. Ii he walks a block along
the proper line, and gets on car, he is
informed that he will have to go back to
the street indicated on the transfer in
order for it to be good. l think, in
few years more, if the improvements
keep on, one win be obliged to have his
signature, with witness, photograph,
age, residence and his family history at
tached to a transfer in order to make II
receivable on another branch OF the same
system of street cars. Indeed, II Is now
rapidly approaching that state OF aHalrs.
One now Needs Philadelphia lawyer with
a couple of guides TO tell what you are
doing or where the cars are going.
Washington has reputation In the
West of having an ideal street car syS-
tenn and l think the cars on East Capi-
tol Street approach 1t as nearly as posi-
BILE But, from my experience, the street
car lines in Chicago with the poorest ac-
commodations are no worse than the cars
which run on = Street. L have long ago
cut trying to use them except when II IS
unavoidable. i would much rather walk
If / am alone. And the conductors are
not, as a rule, as courteous as they are
on most of the other lines. One or them
one day very much annoyed young lady
visiting u.s. by insisting on converslng
with her on private matters, ASKING her
where she lived. and, among Other things,
where she bought her butter.
method of giving transfers. III person
happens to ride couple OF docks DeI0re
asking for a transfer, II Is refused for
example, shortly after the rule went into
effect one day / paid my fare and waited
for the conductor to go through the car
before asking for a transfer, as had been
the custom tand as some OF them DO yep.
When he returned I asked for transfer
and he refused it, calling my attention to
the rule that transfers were given only
at the time of paying fare, although ne
had not asked me If l wished transfer.
One evening last fall, when Congress first
met boarded a car at IL ana tourteenth
Streets, which had before been accus-
toned to going through to the barns on
East Capitol Street. The conductor asked
me If / wished a transfer and / said no.
The car stopped. however, at the Capitol,
and j then asked for transfer. and 1t
was refused. Another evening got on
a car plainly carded Capitol and Library
and took transfer to East Capitol Street.
The car took me out east Z street In
stead.
transfers One day last winter, when
there was so much snow, out OF four
rides l was on three breakdowns, before
l had gone a fourth of my journey. and
had to get off and walk
Ralston & Siddons, acting as attorneys
for j. Stanley Brown, recently requested
the sale of part of lot g. S. P. Browns
subdivision, on April 10. 1885, for water
main assessment be Cancelled. In the
statement submitted by the attorneys
appears the following:
I'm June, 1892, the heirs Of one John L.
Brown, including among their number ].
Stanley Brown, were the owners of the
following described portion of lot 20 in
S. p. Browns subdivision of part of
Pleasant Plains:
beg inning 96.05 feet from the south
west corner of lot 20. running thence east
"a feet on Sheridan Avenue to the part
sold to Bloss: thence north 175 feet to
Howard Avenue; thence westerly on
Howard AvfyIIe "a feet, and south lis
feet to the beginning.
1T VIZ AZ tat time assessed for pur-
poses ~ -aKation in the name of John L.
Brown aud as the east 81 feet of lot 20.
etc. III. Ter dGte of June 80. 1892, a notice
was issueu rom the special assessment
division, addressed to John l.. Brown,
of tax for a water main. laid
June 10. 1892. Service of this notice was
not made on the heirs at law of Mr.
Brown, but on BEDFORD w. Walker, agent
for Harriet Abbott, described in the re-
turn of service by the inspector as the
then present owner of the property. Mrs.
Abbott was not then, nor has she ever
been the owner of the property. Under
date of April 10, 1889, the property, being
still assessed in the name of John J..
Brown. was sold for this water main
tax, or a portion of II, to the aforesaid
Harriet Abbott, for 1860, but the adver-
tisement Of the sale enormously described
the property the east 40 feet of said
lot %. In due course tax sale certificate
was issued TO the purchaser, but no deed
has ever been called for by her or any
one else. so far as we know. Mrs Alb
bolt, who was nonresident, is now
dead, but we do not know who her heirs
at law or legal representatives If any,
are.
1T is obvious from the foregoing state
ment that the tax sale in question was
wholly invalid and could not be the
basis of any title whatsoever, and un-
questionably would be so declared by any
tribunal, but the amount in
VolVed is small, and il would be a hard
ship to compel the present owner, j.
Stanley Brown, to take some legal pro-
ceeding in the courts of the District to |
get rid OF this tax sale. if some other
means OF procuring relief, simpler and |
less expensive, can be found. Hence, we |
appeal TO you t. order "A cancellation of |
the tax sale upon your records, upon the
ground that the sale was both irregular |
and void. We are Informed that the
Commissioners have not infrequently |
TO tax purchasers the money re
ceived from them at tax sales, where the |
sales were admittedly rull and void. and
Wa "A Of