Evening star., 1953-07-29
By John v. Horner

Oy SVuu W BbOBuSu
Congress decided yesterday to
protect the interests of a tiny
utility in Northeast Washington
rather than permit the District
to follow present plans for devel-
oping the multi-million dollar
expressway along Kenilworth
avenue.
The little utility is the East
Washington Railway Co.
This is a corporation whose
100 shares of stock are owned
by Is people, mostly residents of
Colorado. It is So years old.
At the turn of the century, a
group of Colorado investors fig
ured that Chesapeake Beach, in
Calvert County, Md. soon would
become a great and f1ourishing
resort. They spent 81 million
and laid 80 miles of track in the
name of the Chesapeake Beach
Railway Co.
Their enthusiasm and invest
ment proved unjustified. In
time, they all but lost their
shirts. The company was forced,
eventually, to reorganize.
Some Trackage Salvaged.
In 1895, it became the East
Washington Railway Co., and
about all that it salvaged was
2.9 miles of track in northeast
Washington and adjacent Prince
Georges County.
Despite reverses, the company
hit upon a profitable scheme. It
still had tracks next to the main
line of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railway at Kenilworth and
Deane avenues NE. It found
that it could haul supplies from
the B. & o. to small industries
as far away as Seat Pleasant,
Md.
It did something better. The
management arranged to help
the Potomac Electric Power Co.
get much-needed coal.
East Washington Railway be-
gan switching coal cars from
the B. & o. tracks onto its prop
erty. 1t got the Capital Transit
Co. to pick up. the coal cars and
move them over Capital Transit
tracks along the Anacostia River
side of Kenilworth avenue, to
the Benning road plant of the
power company.
$4,000 Melon.
This operation has continued
for years. It means q net profit
to East Washington Railway Of
$4,000 annually, before taxes.
The net profit after taxes en-
ables the IS stockholders to cut
a $4,000 melon.
But East Washington-and the
B. g. o. Railroad-handle only
about half of the coal consumed
at the Benning power plant. The
rest comes in over Pennsylvania
Railroad tracks to a siding OPP
posite the Pepco plant at Foote
street.
Capital Transit has additional
tracks from the Pennsylvania
siding to the power plant. 1t
hauls this coal directly across
Kenilworth avenue. And Pepco
pays Capital Transit rs cents
for each ton of the 1900 or '1,500
tons. it delivers every work day.
Business was fine for the rail-
roads and the transit company
until the District laid out its
long-range highway plan for
Kenilworth avenue. This year,
it asked Congress to appropriate
money for a combination over
pass and interchange at Deahe
avenue.
The highway engineers want
ed to raise the expressway so
that it's fast-moving traffic would
not be affected by the Deane
intersection. At the same
time, it proposed to eliminate
Capital TranSit's grade crossing
beneath the overpaSs, and elm
mate the tracks running along
avenue toward Ben
ming road.
Protest Encouraged.
East Washington Railway pro-
tested. It won enthusiastic sup
port from Capital Transit. The
issue was drawn at hearings on
the budget bill before the House
and the Senate.
William v. Hodges, principal
Stockholder of the little railway.
came here from his Denver law
practice to state the company's
case. He had a powerful sup
porter on Capitol Hill. His old
friend, Senator Millikin, not
only represents Colorado in
Washington; he also is chairman
Of the Republican conference In
the Senate.
Senator Millikin told the ap-
preparations subcommittee that
he indorsed Mr.. Hodges stand.