Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-26

Chairman of Committee in Charge OF Meeting.
opened with prayer by Rev. Donald G.
Macleod pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church of this city.
An address Of welcome was delivered
by Mr. Henfy Il. F. mcfarland, president
of the board of Commissioners. In this
address Mr.. Macfarland spoke in behalf
of the District of Columbia
After saying that the surgeons well
come. not only because they are Americans,
who ought to feel perfectly at home in their
national capital, but they are welcome as
members of noble profession.
And you have special claim upon our
regard said Mr.. Macfarland. because.
Ike al railway surgeons, you are minute
men, going at all hours. and through all
difficulties. by night by day, to the
heroic service of rescurg those who have
been injured in accidents. The good work
which your representatives do in such emer-
gencies is beyond praise. But you who
know better than others the horrors of
such accidents will keenly feel with your
fellow citizens that there must be greater
effort to prevent such calamities. We are
to d that most diseases may be preventable.
Certainly, most railway accidents are pre-
ventabe, if We only begin far enough
back.
Tragedy at Terra Gotta.
with the tragedy at Terra Gotta still
porations as well as the communities work.
ing harder than ever'to prevent such acct
dents. Your preventive work in the exam
inaton of engineers and trainmen is more
important than your remedial work. In 1t
all you can take pride in serving the his
toric road, the pioneer railway, not only of
Washington, but OF the country. When
next you come to Washington it will be
through the union station, the most beauti-
full municipal gateway in the world But
we shall not see the old B. and o. station
torn down without thinking of its great
past as the old railway entrance through
which Abraham Lincoln and hundreds of
other historic characters and national troops
of the civil war came and went. Remen-
Der always that Washington is your city.
and encourage your senator's and represent
atives in all that they do for it,
On behalf of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company Maj. J. G. Pangborn vel
coined the members of the association. and
assured them of the support that would be
given to every effort they may make for
the Improvements of their association.
Address in Response.
Of welcome by DIR. E. S. Montgomery. pres
ident of the association. DR.. Montgomery
spoke Of these annual meetings, which are
becoming more and more like large family
reunions. During the past three years. he
said more officials of the railroad had at
tended the sessions of the association, and
in that way had shown their interest in the
work that Is being carried on.
DR.. Montgomery spoke of the early his
tory of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company and told how Gen. Washington
had been interested in establishing COM
and the valley of the Ohio 1t was Wash
ington who devised the Potomac scheme
which was to clear the Potomac as far as
possible for navigation. thence to provide
he nd
proceed to the Ohio valley. Washington
early noted that Baltimore a seaport
was 200 miles nearer the OHIO valley than
is New York. and one hundred miles nearer
than Philadelphia. His interest in the de-
velopment of this territory was aroused
before the revolutionary war. but was
broken off during his fight for his country.
Dr. Montgomery referred to a report in
the handwriting of Washington, dated 1854,
stating the benefit of a short route to the
west. as well as the difficulties to be over
come in rendering the Potomac naviga BILE
I'm September, 11Si' said DR.. Montgom-
cry washington made another western
tour in the interest of this scheme. He
was absent about one month and did not
get as far west as he intended on account
of the hostilities of the Indians. At this
time he made an extensive map of the
country between the waters of the Potomac
and those of the Youghiogheny and Monon-
gahela. He now designated new route
of portage from Cumberland to the Ohio
valley which does not deviate materially
from the line taken by the national pike
"Washington then employed men at his
own expense to explore the country farther
west, and from their reports and his own
experience ne arrived at the conclusion
that thee were two principal routes to the
Ohio valley, one over the mountains from
Cumberland by way of Wills creek, which
Is now the Connellsvile route and the
other through the mountains from Cumber-
land along the upper branch of the Poto-
mac. which is now the main line to
Wheeling"
Mr.. George f. Hamilton, local counsel of
the company in this city, spoke of the
work Of the surgeons and of the interest the
company took in what they were doing.
Mr.. S. r. Barr of Baltimore superintend-
ent of the relief department. spoke of the
improvement OF relations between the COM
pany and it's employees.
Witty Claim Agent.
1.-The Relations of Physicians and Sur
geons to the Claims Department was the