Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-26
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

For more than so years The Star has
been unremitting in its fight against
the Disagreement Of
Pole Nuisance washington by wire
Protested. carrying poles; In its
it said:
THE District Commissioners have
large and underlined powers, and should
be careful to exercise these powers with
a degree Of moderation. caution and
Justice calculated to give confidence IN
the commissionership form Of govern
ment, clothed as it is with this some
what autocratic extent Of authority. In
general way there has been little to
complain OF in this respect. One Of the
exceptions Is the fatal facility with
which the Commissioners grant the
right to telegraph companies to extend
the telegraph pole nuisance along prom
inent streets without the knowledge or
consent OF the citizens whose property
is injured.
Within day or two the pole-raisers
have infested miles Of the streets In
the northern portion of the city, coming
With the suddennesS and destructive
activity OF q swarm of 1ocuSts. On
Saturday the residents upon Twelfth
street northwest were astonished and
disguised by the appearance Of this-dev-
astating gang with a choice assortment
OF the great clumsy tree trunks, mis-
named telegraph poles without ask
ing consent and against the protests Of
the citizens interested, they proceeded
to dig great holes and plant these huge
mastS at their sweet will. Citizens
whose property was deprecated in
value to the extent Of thousands of
dollars by the erection Of these crooked,
unsight!y tree trunks and their net
work Of wires in front of their prem
ises were powerless to protect themselves
or to 1nterpose the slightest delay in
the vandal work until an appeal could
be made to the authorities for relief.
The telegraph men were evidently un-
Ger orders to erect the pole with a
speed that would prevent any attempt
to resist the Objectionable work.
The question now is who Is next to
be v1ctim1zed? What principal street Is
next to be disf1gured? How soon viii
the telegraph flends descend upon Mas
sacnusetts avenue, or Vermont avenue,
or x street, or any one Of the many
avenues and streets that have been
graded and beautified for vista effects
and are lined with handsome houses?
II the Commissioners are wise, they win
give the public assurance that the power
to extend this telegraph nuisance shall
not IN future be granted In this loose
manner"
"A railroad boom was in progress half
a century ago, the country experiencing
p,:1uJ an exceptional degree Of
nalIroao enterprise In the construc-
Works ton of new transportation
lines. The Star Of April
81, 1881, says:
'',The number Of new railway COM
pahies being organized and chartered
Is calculated to remove to some extent
the apprehension in the public mind of
continued monopolies in the railway
business of this country. There Is an
abundance Of money in the United
States. and the amount Is increased
with the arrival Of almost every vessel
from Europe. Hence capital is seeking
investment, and much Of it Is growing
into new railroad enterprises. Some
portions Of the United States, and eSpe-
cially the Northern and Northwestern
railway lines, but there Is plenty Of room
for more in an extensive and rapidly
growing country like ours. A large pro-
portion OF the money now being en-
ployed in the construction of railways
Is devoted to the Southwestern section
Of this country, which is q great empire
Of itself, possessing millions Of acres Of
yet uncultivated soil and almost meal
culable resources of wealth.
In the building Of new railways the
owners Of capital have not overlooked
portions of the South, which promise an
ample remuneration of additional trans
portation facilities. Only few months
ago q number Of Northern capitalists
combined with few wealthy men Of
the South and formed company for
the construction Of q line Of railroad
from Atlanta, Ca, to run due west to
the Mississippi River. Work on the
road was promptly begun and Is being
pushed forward rapidly at different
points on the surveyed line. This road
will extend through rich mineral Sec
tions, containing coal and iron in
abundance. and also through one of the
largest cotton-growing regions Of the
South. A line of railway was projected
from st. Louis through Texas to the
Mexican border.aapd no difficulty was
found in organizing company for its
construction. Several companies for
the erection of new telegraph lines have
also been organized and chartered with
10 the paab feW Months ard o leesk