Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-05
INITIAL DEPOT BUILT HERE
Erection of B. and O. Station Nearly
Seventy-Five Years Ago.
WELCOME TO FIRST LOCOMOTIVE
Of Railroad People and
General Public Long Ago Sur
passed-In EARLY Days.

Apropos of the early completion OF the
new union station, it Is recalled that less
| than three-fourths of century ago,
at simple platform near the site OF the
census office, the first railroad company to
operate in this District had for a few
months its terminal. And there are a few
persons now residing in this city who re-
member the entry of the iron-horse-d WI
carloads of passengers between II and
o'clock August %. 1885.
With all the railroads entering the Dis
trict reaching the new station through tun-
nels 1t would seem that perfection has been
reached in the way of facilities and accom-
mediation for the public But with the
tracks running to the Capitol building a
President-elect we'll as the legislators
may be landed there direct from their
homes. and enter upon their duties before
coming In contact with the Washington
public. 1t will be possible. therefore. In
the Inauguration of President. for him to
start from his home and go direct to the
Capitol.
That the expectations of the railroad peo-
pie and the general public In the progress
of railroading have long since been sur
passed is evident in the multiplicity Of
| trains, in the erection Of the depots now in
use, and in the remarks made on the occa-
S on Of the opening of the Baltimore and
Ohio road, when the mayor of Washington.
Col. w. A. Bradley. and the councils and
others welcomed P. E. Thomas president,
the directors and others
He congratulated them on having COM
pleted link in the chain which he hoped
TO see extended from Portland to New
Orle ans, binding on the seaboard the re-
mote parts of the Union.
Was Considered Fine.
"A few years ago." the speaker added,
1.-The weary traveller leaving Washington
at the rising of the sun was stin toiling at
sunset. Now man of business in Wash
ington may visit Baltimore, purchase his
goods, return before evening, unpack his
goods and expose them ready for sale in
the morning. The mayor expressed the
hope that soon New Orleans would be
brought as near Washington as was Bos-
ton.
President Thomas in his reply concurred
with the mayor as to the advantages.
1T Is In Maryland" he said, that the
Atlantic. rolling far up the magnificent
estuary of the Chesapeake. seeks to bring
its waters into closer proximity to streams
that flow into the gulf of Mexico.
We trust the day is not far distant when
the traveller who sees the luminary rising
from the bosom Of the Atlantic may the
same day witness its descent in the hort-
ION that circumscribes the waters Of the
Mississippi =
The city then had not 10000 population,
nor the District, including Alexandria
more than 10000, and had not lost much OF
it's appearance Of a number Of scattered vii
before depended on stages, etc, by land, AND
a few steamers and packets by water. Con-
seqently the construction of ether means
| of travel was a subject Of much public
! interest. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad
had been opened between Baltimore and
Ellicott's mills. now Ellfcott City, in 1896,
| horses being then used but in the next
year a mechanical horse. the locomotive
| engine. took the place Of animal power.
| The Washington branch, authorized by the
| state of Maryland, was given authority to
enter the District and city, in 1881. and it
was constructed, but was not ready for
| operation from the Washington end until
August, 1885. AS sections OF the track
were completed they were operated, Laurel,
Beitsvilie and Bladensburg In turn being
the connecting points where Stockton &
Stokes and Bellshoover & Co.'s stages
transferred passengers, Gadsby's National
and Browns Indian Queen hotels being
the starting points in Washington. Effort
was made to complete the road to this city
by July 4, 1885, that being the anniversary
of the laying Of the corner stone by
Charles Carroll, the last of the signers Of
the Declaration of Independence. There
were several causes for the change of
program-confiicts and riots between the
factions Of laborers employed. delay in
delivering the iron rails, etc. While much
the offices of priests and others when the
participants were of the same nationality,
some of the outbreaks required military
backing of the civil authority.
Troubled by Strike.
A serious conflict took place in June
1885, few miles north of Bladensburg
An increase of wages was asked by
number of the laborers. and refusal
several hundred went on a strike and.
marching down the track, called on others
to join them or take the consequences. All
who declined to stop work were attacked
and beaten. The sheriff. with posse ar
rested a oozen more of the ringleaders
who were jailed and the strike was ended.
Biadensburg was reached July . and the
stage route from the city terminated there
While that portion of the road south was
under construction interest increased and
when the city boundary was reached it
was the objective point of many Washing
tonians and others who patiently anticipat-
ed the entry into the city. The only mail