Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-09

at New Jersey avenue between C and D
streets became the terminal.
In the building of the Washington branch
there had been employed number OF
foreign laborers of rival clans, and conse-
quently riots took place, some OF them
necessitating the calling out Of the militia
companies in Baltimore. The military
promptly responded to the call and the
and the company. appreciating tileir serv-
ices, rendered the soldiers an excursion to
this city on September II, 1896.
The military fever had nearly died out at
that time in the District and there was but
one company to escort the visitors. This
was the Washington Light Infantry, or
ganized a short time previously, and their
uniforms were not finished. They, however.
urged the tailor to put his force on the
coats and by substituting white pantaloons,
were enabled to parade.
The Washington Sun notices the visit,
stating that the visitors came in four
trains of cars and were welcomed by
arrival on the hill overlooking the tracks:
that they disembarked, formed and
marched to the Capitol, where they were re-
viewed by Gen. Macomb, then the COM
handing general of the army. Later, to
the number of thousand, they partook of
collation. at Carusi's and in the evening
took cars for home without aught TO mar
the pleasure of the day.
The original route within the lines OF the
District is about followed today, but in the
city limits is about being abandoned. The
old termination in the depot fronting the
avenue at I'd street east was the west
bank of the Tiber, then an open stream,
and the depot building a narrow front
three-sto brick, surrounded by belfry.
from which an alarm was sounded ten
minutes in advonce of the departure or
each train. Here George Sweeny, Sam
Stettinus, T. H. Parsons and George Gill
BERT before the busy days of the war; dur
ing which George Koontz was agent. sold
the tickets and managed the freight as well
as passenger business. That they were
able to do so with a small number of as
sistants is easily explained.
But Two Trains Per Day.
There were but two trains per day, leav-
ing at o'clock in the morning and o'clock
in the afternoon for Baltimore, reaching
that city in two and a quarter hours, the
return trains leaving Baltimore at o'clock
in the morning and o'clock In the after
noon.
1t was hard for the old stage lines to die.
One line kept up the connection between
Washington and the terminus of the rail-
road as it was opened southwark, while an
other boldly made the trip between the two
cities, relying for patronage on old CUSTOM
ers, as it is said that some of the members
of Congress route to the capital prefer
red the rolling motion of the stage coach to
being jerked along by steam power at
gait of between fifteen and twenty miles
per hour.
duced its fare to 81 and did some business
for a few years, dropping out about 1870
Indeed the fare with baggage extra was
by many thought to be eXorbitant, and
there is remembered some cases in which
suits were worn over suits to save the extra
expense for baggage. That, however, was in
the infancy of railroads before the cost per
mile per passenger or hundredweight had
been determined.
IN the early fifties the main stem of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad had been ex-
tended westward, but there was yet the
twice day each way schedule for trains
in and out of our depot, and apparently
these easily met the wants of the travel
ing public except in Inauguration or holi-
day times. There were stage lines vet
running to Leonardtown and Charlotte
Hall, Port Tobacco, Marlborough, Rock
vile, Frederick and Leesburg, and on the
Potomac steamers were making hourly
trips back and forth to Alexandria; the
Osceola Capt. Mitchell, semi weekly TO
Norfolk, was the Columbia, Capt. Har-
per, to Baltimore, and other boats to
river landings, including the mail line
beats. Piney Point had become summer
resort, and other such places soon grew
with favor, among them Point Lookout
Their Colton's wharf, Blackstone Island
and Pye's landing.
About 1885 the Richmond and Freder-
icksburg railroad was being built dis
lance of nearly sixty miles, and when
completed a few years after 1t became
the railroad link in the Great Southern
mail route. before THIS period the steam
err Washington, Capt. Henry Walker, had
worked up business, having commenced
running between this city and Potomac
creek in 1920 At the latter point line of
hacks carried passengers to Fredericksburg
and connected with a stage line to Rich
mond, which after was extended to the
river. This railroad, as is we'll known was
afterward extended, becoming the R., F.
ern and before the war connected with
the Southern mail line acknowledgement,
Baltimore, Philadelphia, Mt. Vernon and
Powhatan, the line which first was tri-
weekly, having become one of both a night
and day trip, Including Sundays. This line
was abandoned during the war, the gov
ernment taking possession of the steamers.
In the fifties the Orange and Alexandria
and the Loudoun and Hampshire railroads
were in operation from Alexandria, both
having under other names survived the
ravages Of war; now forming lines in the
great Southern system. Early in the fifties
was the Washington and Alexandria rail-
road incorporated, which was destined to
form the iron link between north and south
via the Long bridge. AS stated above
this tie was not made by the railroad
company, but by the military authorities,
though from the Baltimore and Ohio depot
in this city to the north end of the bridge
and from the south end of the bridge there
were rails. Communication between the two
cities had aside from the ferry been by
stage or omnibus, in which Chatam and
Hugh Latham were engaged for years. Be
tween the end OF the tracks at the north
and south ends of the bridge stages or
buses carried passengers, and goods,
wares and merchandise went by wagon.
Back in 1854.
Congress, in August 1854, authorized the
Washington and Alexandria Railroad Com
pany to lay it's tracks in Washington, sub
ject to the approval of the municipal au-
thorities of that city. and on July Fl, 1855,
the latter authorized the construction of
single track railroad from the Long
bridge along Maryland avenue, to 1st
street west, thence along that street to
Pennsylvania avenue, thence to the Bal
timore and Ohio passenger station. This
track was laid and put in operation in
1855. On January 8, 1856, the corporation
OF Alexandria, Va, granted the company
permission to extend the tracks within the
limits of that city. Its road wasSput in
operation in 1855.
The road was constructed upon the
French plan, but that plan proving a fall
ure the rails were replaced with heavier
fiat bar. Trade and travel over 1t were
broken by the Potomac river, which was
crossed in omnibuses and wagons over the
Long bridge. 1t was kept in operation I'M