Evening star., 1922-08-23
HORSE CARS HERE
RAN IN JULY, 1862
Old Files of The Star Appeal
ed To by Reader to Prove
Date.
To the Editor of the Star;

lo tue EultOr Oh tne Stars
In reviewing the pages of The Star
the other day, after a fortnight's alb
sence from Washington, my eyes fell
upon a picture of an old street rail-
way car in the planogravure section
of August 6. under which it was
said, THE first horse-drawn car line
hn Washington began business on
August IS, 1862"
This Is an error. which 1 would not
attempt to correct were it not for the
usual uniform accuracy of The Star,
and the files of which l shall use to
show that the date given is not his
torically true.
Under date of July 90, 1862, The star
prints tho following items:
The Passenger Railway.-ThlS
morning the cars on the Washington
and Georgetown Passenger Railroad
commenced running, the road being
in perfect order from the Capitol to
the State Department. All the closed
cars that the company have received,
ten In number, are being used today,
carrying large numbers of passen-
gers. as many as forty. on one or two
occasions, being seated in them. The
first up this morning, crowded almost
to suffocation, was brought to
standstll on the curve near the
Treasury. probably owing to the
roughness of the rails, but an extra
horse being put on. the difficulty was
overcome. Passengers going to and
from Georgetown pay cents, ana
are transferred ut the State Depart
ment, to or from the. omnibusses run
ming from there to Georgetown.
Employees Total FIFTY.
"The company has made some
forty-tive or fifty appointments of
employees. about half of whom are on
duty today, among whom is Mr.. J. Fl.
Upperman. as timekeeper at the Capt.
tcl. Mr.. Upperman has been the
timex keeper for the omnibus line at
this point for fifteen years past. AS
the road progresses the appointees
will be notified to go on duty.
The track is laid as far as the
circle, and cars will. it is expected,
run to that point next week. The
cars in use are handsome and com
modious. and in the smoothness with
which they glide along afford an
jolting over the payments experienc-
ed in other modes of vehicular con-
veyance.
Farewell: old bus, you're nigh
played out
Actual construction of the road
was first begun on June II. 1852, and
Of this The star of June 13 Of that
year speaks. in part. as follows:
"The City Railway.-The ground
was broken for the city railway. near
the Capitol, yesterday afternoon and
this morning about 100 men are en-
gagged in taking up the stone pave
ment preparatory to laying the track.
The company discarded all cere-
monials in making the commence
ment beyond employing d vigorous
Hibernian.' armed with a pick. to
make the first impression in the
ground. who was Immediately follow
ed by thirty 1aborers then employed
Completion Of Line.
Under date of September IL. 1862:
The Star records the completion OF
the road to Georgetown 1t says: >,
The first trip on the passenger rail-
way from the railroad depot to
Georgetown was made about 10
o'clock this morning, car No. IA hay
ing the honor of being the pioneer
Hereafter the cars will run between
those points from twenty minutes
past to o'clock. and until IL o'clock
to the Capitol gate. The company
has now twenty-six cars on the line,
and at present are running on four
minute time. but Will shortly run
every three minutes, thereby giving
increased facilities for the public
The first car run on the Avenue
line was on July IT,. 1862. but this was
only an experimental trip and ran
only tnS Sdpllol the w
Hotel On the following evening
few cars were run for the accommo-
dation of members of Congress who.
by the early adjournment of that
body, could not be present at the
formal opening.
For more than year the cars did
not run on Sunday. but on November
20. 1853, the president of the road.
George S. Gideon. addressed Il letter
to Mayor Wallach. expressing de-
sire to do so. The mayor strenuously
objected to the desecration of the
Sabbath in this way. and even threat |
ened to put a patrolmau on every car |
so run, for the purpose of taking the |
number Of the car and the names of !
the conductor and driver and each
and every passenger who might pay |
fare. However. the cars thereafter
moved on Sunday, and have not stop i
ped except for snowstorms and ac-
cidents since.
JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. |