The Washington times., 1906-01-23
SEEKING CONTROL
OF BIG FRANCHISE
Lines Laid to Get Falls
Church Railway.
OFFER MEETS REJECTION
Right to Run Over Aqueduct Bridge
Enhances Value of the
Holding.
OFFER MEETS REJECTION

An effort TO pay $3.50 per share for the
stock of the Arlington and Fails Church
railroad would Indicate either that the
property was Immensely valuable on
that il had some rights and privileges
that would be well to be possessed Of
Such an offer. il can be stated, was
recently made by "A prominent banker OF
this city and refused on the ground
that the price was not commensurate
with the value of the property.
History of the Road.
The history of the road dates back 10
February IS 1891. when an act was
passed by Congress Incorporating inc
Washington and Arlington Electric Rail-
way Company, giving authority 10 sew
eraI well known citizens and their as
sociates to lay tracks from sixth ana b
streets northwest and running through
several mentioned streets 10 point on
The Potomac river at or near the point
known as The Three Sisters, with au-
thority TO construct and MAINTAIN
bridge at that point across the river II
further gave them the right OF way
through the grounds owned and occu-
Mod nv the United States 70 the nofth-
west gate of the Arlington Cemetery
Chartered by Virginia.
A concurrent charter was granted by
the State of Virginia in the Following
year and under these charters about "a
miles Of road was built and operated
The original capital was $4,000. when
vas subscribed and paid in and bond
ed debt of $685. created.
7, ApriI 1884,. after a brief and some
what inglorfous career, the road was
foreclosed and bought by r. II. PM
IfDs and associates. who secured new
charter from the State or virginia ~
March, 1895, giving 1i,Iif nT con
extensions with hVe-year llIllI o. co.i-
structlon. which was later extended 10
December, 1897,
Privileges of Steam Road.
The charter granted them all the prlvl-
leges of a steam railroad, with rights OF
wav and authority 10 carry both freight
ard passengers. Under tins charter'
twenty-five miles of electric line has
been built and operated, extending from
the Virginia end of the Aqueduct bridge
20 Fairfax Courthouse, taking in Fails
Church and West End and settlements
along the line. a branch line has also
been surveyed into Alexandria via the
Theological Seminary.
The capital stock OF the road is SEQ
Co, with a bonded debt Of. $306.000. The
gross earnings are stated TO be about
100000 per annum, while the operating
expenses are about 30 per cent Of that
sum, and the line is therefore quite prof
liable as il now exists II is also stated
that the company has q large surplus
and a good sum invested in real estate.
Ioint OCCUPANCY of Bridge.
But the special feature which makes
the line valuable and Of particular in
terest just now with regard to the rail-
road situation is the fact, not generally
known. that on January %, 1903, Con
gress passed IAN act 10 provide for lay
ing a single electric street railway track
across the Aqueduct bridge, and foI
other purposes" which was intended ana
did give the Great Falls and Old Domin-
ion railroad the right 10 lay such track
on the bridge under certain conditions
which have been complied with, But it
went further and granted THAT any
other electric street railway company
desiring 10 use said track for the pur-
pose of crossing said bridge and securing
connection in the city of Washington
may be permitted TO do so by the Com
missioners Of the District Of Columbia. -
Point Of the Situation.
1t viii thus be seen that the Washing
ton, Arlington and Falls Church road
may at any time come into the city
over the bridge, and should the arrange
ment be entered into, which is the latest
development of the cross-town railroad
contention, TO provide free transporta-
ton 10 the passengers of the Great Falls
and Old Dominion Railway over the
Capital Traction road, the Washington
Arlington and Falls Church railroad
may enter similar demand and their
property become even more valuable
than at present
1t is suggested that the proposition TO
buy may have come not far from the
Great Falls and Old Dominion, as the
banker named has in the past had close
financial relations with the powers that
be. who recognize the value of Joint
traffic franchise and would be glad to
possess II exclusively.
The Washington, Arlington and Falls
Church road is owned largely by Phila-
delphia interests, three-fifths of it being
held by them, while the remainder IS
owned by Washington and Virginia citi-
Zens.