Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

the 9th and East Capitol street lines were
authorized, and in 1868 the Connecticut
avenue line was given legal life being later
absorbed by the Metropolitan. The George
town branch was provided for in 1872, I'M
der the name of the Union Railway Com
pany, which eventually merged into
the now important Metropolitan system
The Metropolitan system was for time
run on one-horse basis, but in a few
years travel on f street had increased I'M
til larger cars, drawn by two horses, were
required for it's accommodation. The 9th
street line was still later put two
horse basis
A Public Protest.
The third line to be incorporated and to
continue for a long time an independent
existence was the Columbia, chartered by
act of Congress May "a 1870. to run from
18th street and New York avenue north
west to 18th and H streets northeast. This
line was intended to open up for habita-
ton the large and sparsely settled north
eastern section of the city, as well as
to give access to the Columbia Institution
for the Deaf and Dumb better known as
Kendall Green. 1t was maintained on a
horse basis for more than fifteen
years. Then came one of the first revolts
of the District people against inadequate
transport. Passengers tired of being
packed into tiny cars drawn by over-taxed
horses, and of serving the company by de-
posting fares, making change and buying
tickets, refused longer to transact these
business affairs, and for a time H street,
in the northeastern section, a scene of
conflict. Test cases were about to be tried,
when the company surrendered.
The Star followed this controversy with
keen interest recognizing in it the posi-
blities of a sudden expansive movement.
The city had been steadily growing and
was straining in its restrictive equipment.
The civic seams We're starting The last
half of the eighties was marked by a de-
cided suburban movement In other cities
overhead electric lines had proved econom-
ically successful and were being constructed
in such numbers as to cause Washing
tonians to wish for a share in the general
Improvement. In the year 1888 no less
than four suburban electric lines were
planned and the companies incorporated by
Congress, the Brightwood the Rock Creek
the lexington and Soldiers Home and the
Tenleytown lines. The Anacostia and Belt
roads had been chartered in 1879, the latter
under its old name of Capitol, North o
and South Washington railway" These
We're wandering one-horse lines.
Opening of the Trolley Fight.
The boom of 1888 saw the opening of the
great fight to claim Washington as a troll
ley field. The Star fought from the first
1t labored in and out of season to persuade
the public that it were better to wait for
a safer method of propulsion, and one more
suited to the requirements of the national
city. The Star objections to the overhead
trolley, as stated at the outset of this arti-
cle were twofod-that it was dangerous
to life, in that it exposed a heavily charged
wire to contact, and that it involved the
erection OF obstructive and disfiguring poles
and wires in streets which had been plan
ned for the city's beauty as well as conven-
fence of travel. Had there been no eff
fective substitute for the overhead trolley
The Star could not have enforced its de-
mand that this city, at least be spared from
the invasion. But such a substitute was at