Evening star., 1901-02-27

Complaint About Operation of George
town and TenleytOWm Railroad.

town and TenleytOwn Railroad.
Messrs. Louis Hooper. John Sherman and
T. Gushing Daniel, forming a committee
representing the Cathedral Heights Citizen
Association, have addressed the following
letter to Chairman Babcock of the House
District committee:
1.-THE undersigned committee of the Cathe-
dral Heights Citizen Association would re-
spectfully call your attention to the grave
injustice done by the Washington Traction
and Electric Company to the citizens along
the line of the Georgetown and Tenleytown
electric railroad OF all the suburban lines
operated by this company this is the only
one that does not during at least a part of
the year run cars into the heart of the city,
In winter. when business Is very light, two
of these lines-to Cabin John and to Ches-
apeake Junction-run no through cars, but
instead give transfers which a second
transfer is allowed. The Georgetown and
Tenleytown railroad does not run cars into
the city nor are two transfers given to its
patorns. In other words, apassenger can ride
for one fare from the District line on the
Washington and Great Falls electric road
to the District line on the Brightwood road,
a distance Of thirteen miles; while, on the
other hand, two fares are required to go
from 32d and y to Columbia road and 10Th
street. distance of one and one-haIf miles.
That is to say, passenger can ride for one
fare from any point in the District on the
Washington and Great Falls electric rail-
way to any other point on any one of the
eleven roads operated by the Washington
Traction and Electric Company, while pas
sengers on the Georgetown and Tenleytown
electric road can only go to points on the
F street line.
Last spring switches connecting the
GEORGETOWN and Tenleytown electric line
to the F street line were constructed at 32d
and streets and for ten days the cars Of
the former road were run to 9th and F
streets. Largely owing to the fact that
there was at that time no system of sig
nails on the portion of the road outside of
the District that is single tracked. the serv-
ice was very irregular and many of the
patrons Of the road asked the officials to
discontinue the running of through cars.
The objection was not to the running of
through cars to the heart of the city, which
is almost universally desired. but rather
to the poor service that was given. At no
time has there been any reason why the
cars running over the portion of the road
that Is double tracked to the District line
should not have run through, and the equip
ment Of the single-tracked road beyond the
District line with a system Of electric sig
nails has made 1t possible to run the Rock
VILE cars into the city.
1.-The officers of the road have repeatedly
promised through cars, and much money
has been invested in land and buildings on
the strength Of these promises. When the
officers of the Washington Traction and
Electric Company appeared last spring be-
fore your honorable committee asking to
be allowed to consolidate the different roads
one of their chief arguments was that nv
SO doing they could run all suburban cars
directly into the heart Of the city
1.-The Chevy Chase cars, operated by the
Capital Traction Company, run on Com
necticut avenue extended about q mile east
of and parallel with the Georgetown and
Tenleytown road. These cars run during
the day to New York avenue and 18th
street and give universal transfers BY
actual count by one Of the members of this
committee there are within 500 feet on
either side of this line between its terminal
at Rock creek and the District line only
forty-two residences. Along the Georgetown
and Tenleytown road between its transfer
point-32d and p streets-and the District
| line there are 376 residences and other build
| ings. including Woodley Inn, the observa-
| tory, the Industrial Home, the Holyrood
| cemetery. four schools, two clubs and six
| churches. Surely the Georgetown and Ten
| leytown road can afford to run through cars
| If the Chevy Chase line can. This short