Evening star., 1901-10-08
Realizing The stars Dream.

The local railroad bills which became law
at the last session of Congress disclosed in
their wording the new community of inter-
est between the city's two roads. A con-
nection was provided between the Balti-
more and Ohio and the Baltimore and Po-
tOmac tracks, which gave to the former the
southern connection which the latter lad
so long successfully resisted. The Penn
sylvania system had at that time con-
siderable stock-holding in the Baltimore
and Ohio road and representation in it's
directorate. and the evidences were so
strong that the interests of the two cor
rporations had in the matter of local termi-
nails been merged and become identical that
The Star vigorously and repeatedly urged
that instead of providing two distinct ter
minals. each involving large public as well
as corporate expense. a union station
should be erected occupying as site some
other location than the mall. But the rail-
roads, cooperating and ineffectively op-
posed by local public sentiment, put through
Congress both terminal bills imposing upon
the nation and the capital in connection
with each road heavy contribution of land
and money, and surrendering a broad slice
of the mall for all time to railroad occupa-
tion.
Later the Pennsylvania railroad increased
its holdings in the Baltimore and Ohio and
finally admitted its control of the latter.
The Star made this admission the text cf
an appeal to the Pennsylvania railroad to
elect one of the two terminals provided, to
spare both itself and the public the ex-
pense of duplicate station, and to move
its union station south of the mall if the
Baltimore and Potomac site were chosen.
Meanwhile and afterward the park COM
missions plans for the treatment of the
capitaIs public reservations were develop
ing The commissions project contem-
plated as an essential mall freed from
railroad tracks The War Department and
especially the Office of chief of engineers
and that of the superintendent of public
buildings and grounds. which have con-
sistently and vigorously opposed railroad
encroachments upon the city's breathing
places. heartily co-operated with the park
commissions effort to recover the mall for
public use
OF course, the legislation which had been
secured by the railroad placed the settle
ment of the matter practically in its hands
1t could not be coerced; it might be con-
vinced as to its real interest, and rer-
suaded as to the course required by public
spirit and sound policy.
Such considerations brought about some
time ago, il is understood, a decision by
President Cassatt, voicing the view of the
corporation. that union station should be
built, and that it should be located upon
the Baltimore and Ohio site, rather than
upon or adjacent to that of the Baltimore
and Potomac This decision is based upon
the soundest business reasons, and the
wlsest grounds of a public-spirited and pop
ular policy, and is most creditable to Presi-
dent Cassatt and the Pennsylvania railroad
management
The people of Washington and their rep
resentatives, the District Commissioners
and the faithful War Department officials
who have for SO many years defended
Washington's parks, will hail with delight
this termination of the long struggle over
railroad terminals which abolishes grade
crossings, biesses the city with a mag
nifcent modern union station, and sweeps
the railroad tracks from the mall. the lat
ter becoming conspicuous and essential
feature in the commissions design Of the
capitals park development.
This result makes reality of an old dream
of The Star, and crystallizes into fact one
of its chronic "fads''