The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-03-08
William T. Iones, Veteran Of
Trio, Has Been in Employ
Forty Years.
NATIVES OF BRENTWOOD
Many Changes Have Been Made
Since "Jones Boys" Started
on Jobs.


pany is the record Of William L.
Jones.
He has been on the Fourteenth
street line since 1875.
The line then had a single track and
extended only as far north as Florida
avenue.
Jones' has two brothers. each OF
whom has been a motorman with the
same company for more than a quar-
ter of a century.
Ben SolaU has the record for con-
tinuous service as a motormon with
the Capital Traction Company. He
has been in its employ in that capac-
ity since 1888. thirty three years.
20 Years q Motorman.
The youngest of the Jones boys"
as they are Familiarity known. not only
to their fellow-employes. but to many
of the patrons of the line. has twenty
nine years as a motorman with the COM
pany behind him. All of the three
brothers are natives of the District.
They were born near what Is now
Brightwood, d. c., and spent their boy
hood in that vicinity and in nearby
Maryland. Each occupies a comfortable
city. and each has a family.
Not the least interesting of the group
- their mother. She Is Mrs. Margaret
Jones. an active little lady of some
FOUR score summers, who resides with
her son. George, at his home in Nor
ton street
William T. Jones, the veteran among
the company's traffic employees, came
to the city in 1875. when twenty five
years old. and went to work as the
driver OF one of the little one-horse
cars that then ran to Fourteenth
street and Florida avenue, on a single
track line. The reason It didn't run
any further. he explains, was that
there wasn't anything out beyond
FLORIDA avenue In those days.
He had entire charge of the car. as
was customary on the early horse
drawn lines, which employed a crew
or only one man to each car. And he
remembers how he used to let his
horse jog along at its own pace be-
the car to take up fares, make change,
and issue transfers.
His horse was generally trained to
stop when hailed by a passenger,
whether the driver was on the plat
form or not.
Regulations Less Strict Then.
Warnings that the cars will stop
ut street crossings only. and can not
stop on curves" had not then been
painted on the backs of the seats. The
crossing stop regulations, II there
were any, were not very strictly en-
forced. And a driver who started his
car before a lady passenger boarding
1t had gotten inside and taken her
seat, was not held in very high esteem
oy the public. or by HIS fellow en-
pies. either.
When fbA lor0Ar tine Lx.--
installed on the line, in January, 1885,,
with their twS-man crews, Driver Jones
was shifted to the back platform. and
mas been working as a conductor ever
since. He saw the changing over from
horse-0trs to the cable system, which
occurred on the Fourteenth street line
about 1892, ana which lasted until the
powerhouse at Fourteenth street and
Park road was burned down five years
The horse-dra%n cars were then put
BACK In operation temporarily, while
the present underground system was
being constructed.
The .notorman longest in the COM
panys employ, Ben Solari, OF 762 Nor
ton street, has been working on the
Capital Traction lines since 1899, as
driver OF both the one and two-horsc
cars. and later as operator OF the cable
cars and on the modern electric sys-
tenn. He was among the first to learn
tho operation Of the new types as they
Motorman Solari came to this cour-
try. from Italy in 1873, and served two
enlistments in the army, with the Fifth
cavalry and the Second artillery regi-
inents. Upon being honorably discharg-
ed in Washington from his SECOND in
listment. and having married. he turn
ed to civilian employment and went to
work for the Capital Traction Com
pany.
Has Son in Service.
James Jones, the second of the three
brothers. has been wording as a mo-
torman with the Capital Traction for
the past tYenty-six years, without in
terruption.
lie served In the same capacity at
two different times previously, first
going to work for the company De.
cember q, 1879, a few months after
his brother w. I. Jones, started or
his folty-year record OF continuou,
employment.
James Jones now has a son running
on the Eleventh street line of tho
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany.
is fifty-one years old. has been a mo
eorman on the Seventh and Fourteenth
street lines since 1887. Like his two
brothers, he has never had a serious
accident. and has never missed a run
during a few brief spells OF illness.
1t Is with this son that the mother o
the three Jones boys" resides, at hi
home at 73S Morton street northwest.
A. d. Shaner OF 724 Columbia roac
northwest, is another employee of IN,
Capital Traction who has long RECORD
for continuous service. He came 4
Washington twenty-eight years Ag,
from West Virginia, and has beer
working as a motorman for the com
pany all that time.
The veteran among the cOmnany'
whole family OF employees, IN all its dc
partments. IS W. Il. Graham. lie 1
foreman of the paintshop at the \
street barns. Tho companys record
show that he has been in its emplo!
since 1868.
Uncle George Fraas, who ha
worked at practically every barn an,
shop the company has used. has Al
Interesting story to tell Of its history
lie started out helping his father a
the Georgetown stables where tn
horse cars that ran from High stree
(now Wisconsin avcnuel tn the Capito
grounds started.
He also has interesting souvenirs o
its early history In the fora OF III
scent silver coins then currency. tN,
- s.Alrh