Evening Star Newspaper, December 25, 1897, Page 11

¢ THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1897—24 PAGES. We wish you a very merry Christ- mas and a happy New Year. ; Lansburgh Furniture Co., 1226 F St.N.W. Cod I desire to state that, not- withstanding statements made by others to the con- trary, I will positively re- tire from the jewelry busi- ness January 1, and am now offering my _ entire stock at public auction. Gerome Desio, 1107 F St. de2z-2sd 100 Doz. Hair Switches, Consigned to us f purpose of raising money for a New York Hair importer. We sell sou'a very fine Switch for..........-.$1.50 Exactly the same article sou will’ pay of for elsewhere, pe doz. Gray a i x * Tust half of ~ AT THE Louvre Glove Store, sel3-tt No m9 FST = re oe. ars re) $ » 2 < Xmas ROMEO SLIPPERS, with $ eo > ears gores on the side—go on 3 Siz pets. easy—$2 qual- $ ¢ Choice ities — now 2 < 51.48 $ ¢ Styles. z Ps Hawlet and Opera Styles } ¢ Low (newest) — $2 3 < Prices. qualities outy DI 48 z : Gun Embrofdered $11 p pers 3 from 75c. up. z EVENINGS. D3 ¢ 2 gRobert Cohen & Sons,3 - < ¢ 630 Pa. Ave. N. W. $ a 1838. nos-3m,40 3 ead SOSSEEIOIAOED An Operator is Not An Artist, But An Artist May Be An Operator. We claim to be artists in the study of light and shade and posing. Our system of light is artistic. Our study of posing is from the old masters. Our effects are attained by long experience, endless experiment and superior opportunities. PRINCE, Photographic Artist, Penna. Aye. and 11th St. 25 “A STACE BEAUTY. REDUCED IN FLESH AND MADE WELL AND MORE COMELY bY DR. EDISON'S OBESITY PILLS AND SALT—READ WHAT MISS SADIE STEPL SNS SAYS OF THIS TREATMENT DON'T BE FAT AND SICK IN HOT WEATHER. “Walpel> Mass., Ixn. 21, & Co. Gentlemen been taking Dr 18U7. Messrs. Loring During ‘the past iouth 1 have Edison's Ovesity Pills and Sait for reductiom io weight, aiso for shortness. of ¥ lave done ail that Is not fatique me as it ased to before taking the Mills and Salt, und T find the feat reduction ip weight Eas improved iy beaith many ways. My duties om the stage are such that an increase in weight would have preveited Bue from tiling positions which pow, thauks to the Us aud Sait, 1 cam readily do without wing ts from Mr. George G Sbroeder, nd Gas, Gas Appliances, Light. Fuel and 1244 9th st. o.w.. Washington, D.C. os. Loring & Co. Gentlemen: 1 used your Fewedies known as Dr. Ldison's Obesity treatment. ¢enslsting of Dr. Edison's Pills and Salt and Dr. Edison's Ovesity Band, to reduce, If possible, my eurplus weight. In six weeks I lost from thei? use $0, oe i weight, coming down from 453 ta 313 I consider it’ a legitimate treatment and efi. eacious as you recommend it to be, and vou ba By consent to make public use of this staremeat. Dreath, and tins thar t advertised. Singing de Obesity Salt, $1 a bottle: Obesity Pil! 1.50 a bottle. "THESE GOODS ARE KEPT IN ‘Kk BY LFADING RETAIL DKUGGISTS. Written guarantee to refund the price if Dr. Extison’s Obesity Pills or Ovesity Salt are taken a3 Guected without guod results. Write to our NEW YORK MEDICAL DEPARTMENT or our CHICAGO MEDICAL DEPARTMENT for a4-tce about sour Qbesity or any other disease. Be sure to write if ruptured. Best truss ard treatment ever devised— At cures. Send letters and orders to Loring & Co.. General Agents for the United States.. To insure reply mention tment, een a a oesity."* “LORING & CO., DEPT. 8, NO. 42 WEST ‘ST., NEW YORK crry. NO. 115 STATE ST., CHICAGO, ILL. wy25-tu.thAs.tf ee Fat Folks, Attention. A complete line of Loring’s Obes- ity Preparations and Flesh-produc- ing Medicines at Mertz’s Pharmacy, 1ith and F. HUMORS OF ALL KINDS Corel Cuticura Soap 294, the skia made Bure and ite. All druggists wohtS-t, waef-ty . MAKES WELL EUROPEAN HINTS _—— Grade Crossing Suggestions to Uncle Sam From Abroad. PERTINENT OBSERVATIONS OF 1892 ee Berlin, London and Other Cities Far- Ahead of Washington. ——— PROSPECTS OF LEGISLATION Public and cfficial interest has been cen- tered in the question of abolishing the grade crossings within the city of Wash- ington so keenly that it is the general ex- pectation that something will be accom- plished in this direction at the pending session of Congress, or at least in that fol- lowing. There appears to be a disposition on the part of the railroads entering the city to come to an understanding with the authorities to the end of securing relief from constant agitation of this question, and frequent conferences between the Com- missioners and representatives of several of the roads have recently suggested that perhaps an agreement would be reached this winter on such terms as to insure the necessary legislation. The Baltimore and Ohio road, it is to be remember=d, has virtually adopted the plan of substituting for the present tracks at srade a system of masonry viaducts. These structures are to enter the city on ap- proximately the same lines as do the pres- ent tracks, joining at about the present place of union, and proceeding thence to the station by Delaware avenue on a sin- gle structure. The most lately discussed plans for the abolition of the grade cross- ings in South Washington contemplate a combination of elevated and depressed tracks, according to the topography of the ground traversed. It is remarkable that the situation with ‘The space underneath is utilised in this part of the city for various purposes, ac- cording to location. Here an attractive store or restaurant is seen; here a stable, carriage house or store house. The road is built in this thickly-settled section so that it occupies the street edge of the blocks, and the buildings constructed under it open upon a street on one side or the other. The viaduct here looks like a row of occupied brick houses with flat roofs and arched fronts, embellished by stone trim- mings, cornices and recessing of the mason- ry, and the effect is not at all displeasing. Lewis M. Haupt, in an article on rapid ‘transit in the December Cosmopolitan, says: “The serious objections to rapid surface travel and the unsightly appear- ance of the fron superstructures in vogue have led to various propositions for the construction of masonry arcades which shall climinate these defects. Among the completed lines of this class may be men- tioned the grand arcades in Paris and Ber- lin. These, however, are not used exclu- sively for local traffic, but also to connect lines of railways with each other.” It is only upon certain portions of the Stadt- bahn, however, that this space unaer the tracks is thus utilized. Mr. Osborne Howes, in the report to which I have re- ferred, says that if the road were to be re- built arrangements would be made io utilize all this space, since it has been found that, when open arches have been left that can be utilized for store purpos the space can be rented. particularly near the stations, to exceedingly good advantage. A German publication concerning the Stadtbahn, translated and reprinted in the Engineering Record, says of these arches: “The vaults of the viaduct are rented at a price that compares well with the rental of the finest locations in Berlin. ‘they are especially desirable for wine cellars and restaurants, which are fitted up with the greatest luxury.” Freight on Berlin's Elevated Ronds. The Berlin terminal system also settles satisfactorily the problem of the handling of freight, though additional facilities in this direction are needed and are now being provided. These elevated roads are not merely passenger roads. On this point Mr. owes says: ecard trains are not allowed upon the main line during the day. On the south and North rings they are permitted, as in this way alone they reach a number o¢ the freight stations. At the present time work is going on which, when completed, in four or five years more, will give to both gorth and south rings a complete double-track THE regard to this problem is the same today, as far as results are concerned, as it was in 1892, when, in the course of editorial correspondence of The Evening Star, an exhaustive letter was published descriptive of the methods in vogue in Europe in the matter of connecting the large cities with the great railway trunk lines, and apply- ing the results of these observations to the local situation. In view of the similarity of the situation today to that of the date of this letter, January 9, 1892, interest may attach to a reproduction, in part, of that correspondence, as follows Like London and Paris, Berlin has a “ring” railroad, circling the city and fur- nishing both local rapfd transit and city terminals and a connecting link to the great trunk lines. It has also, which they have not, a road which follows, though with many deviations from a straight line, the diameter of the suburban ring. This road traverses the very heart of the city. At intervals along it are magnificent sta- tions, constructed with all the modern im- proved devices, including that of absolute paration of incoming and outgoing traf- from which issue trains for St. Peters- burg or P% 3 well as the local rapid transit trains. This city road or “stadt- * connecta with the ring road (“ring- Stralau-Rummelsburgh on the vest End on the west. It is the lebrated elevated railway "in Europe. niles long, and Its four tracks, two nt travel and two for local busi- ness, are carried on an arched viaduct of masonry, and on fron bridges with massive masonry abutmeats in crossing the str It has in ali sixty-six bridges over str and water courses. Its general elevation is about twenty feet above that of the street. It is about fifty feet broad. It is primarily intended to re- lieve the street traffic, but five stations, tructures of impressive size and most ad- frable arrangement, are also used for general traffic. The Frefdrichstrasse sta- tion has an immense vaulted hall 230 feet wide and 492 feet long. The main line, with its 88 miles, has ten stations. The north ring is 1 miles long, with twelve stations. The south ring is 16.30 miles long, with nine stations. The local rates of fare are very cheap, the purpose being to encourage the building of suburban rest- dences. Local trains now run about every three minutes. The speed of trains be- tween stations must not exceed twenty- eight miles an hour, and the run is made 1t an average speed of about sixteen miles n hour, including the frequent stops, probably as_fast,"" says Mr. Osborne Howes of the Boston rapid transit commis- sion, who has recently made an admirabie report on the subject, “as any similar serv- ice in the world.” In no part of the sys- tem, of course, is there a street crossed at grade, nor fs there any railway track crossed except at a different elevation. Attractive Features of the Stadtbahn. In examining the Stadtbahn in the vicin- ity of several of the largest stations I was much impressed with the manner in which the objectionable features of rapid transit lines and railroad terminals were minimized or avoided altogether. The road was built on private property, except for a short dis- P OF THe. Berun Municipatcano Juncrion J) RAILWAYS AND CONNECTIONS ht service, entirely distinct from the nger lines. ‘The main line serves to supply the cen- tral market of Berlin. Cars tilled with fooa supplies, other than live animals, arriving during the day, are kept on side tracks on the ring lines ‘until midnight, when, with such other provisi6n cars as may have ar- rived during the evening, they are brought to the side tracks of tho market near the center of the city. Here they are immedi- ately unloaded and their contents let down on large hydraulic elevators to the main floor of the market, which 1s on a level with the surface of the ground. The sup- plies thus received and delivered agyregate from 120 to 16) car loads each night. The sidetracks of the market will not accom- modate more than forty freight ca time, hence unloaded they are imn taken away to make room for others. When a few years ago this market method was introduced to take the place of the general sale of produce from carts it aroused great opposition, which has now, however, wholly died out, from the @is- covery that by the new method the prices of food supplies have been sensi!ly reduced. The market is owned and stalls leased by the city, but the management of the mar- ket traffic, until the produce comes within the walls of the market, rests in the hands of the ate officials. “The same system obtains in the niimage- ment of the Berlin slaughter house: , Which are located on the North ring, and at which as many as 49,000 head of animals of all kinds have been landed in a day (the aver- age daily supply is 30,000). Here, too, the gervice of delivery is largely performed at night, though when the special freight tracks are completed this will not be in the least necessary.” Pointers for the Capital. The Berlin system commends itseif to Washington, In that it provides noiscless rapid transit and permits passenger sta- tions in the heart of the city and ample freight facilities, without a single death- trap grade crossing, with no obstruction of the streets and no real disfigurement of the surface of the city. And Berlin’s experience suggests improvements upon {ts system in a somewhat greater height of the structure, @ more extensive use of the space under the tracks and the provision of a distinct set of freight tracks. The same end is reacied, of course, by tunneling as in London, where terminals aad local rapid transit have heen secured by burrowing expensively und: ground. But travel on the London Metro- politan and district roads is a suffocating experience to an American, Washington could tunnnel to better advantage than London, where a considerable portion of the line is built in land reclaimed from the Thames, and the tracks are, at certain stages of the tide, below the water level of the river, compelling the operation of five pumping stations to establish thorough drainage. But where circumstances do not forbid the elevated structure the route in air and light will be approved by most Americans. The New York elevated roads —tracks elevated on stilts, obstructing streets, disfiguring the city and serving only for locul rapid transit—are not the alterna- tance on the river bed, at a great expense in condemnauon of land. No street is, con- sequently, occupied and obstructed. Streets are crossed by arch bridges where their use is possible; in other cases the bridges are supported by neat iron columns between the sidewalk and the street. The structure throughout fs solid, and has no disagreeable vibration. It is absolutely watertight, and is 2 an tee ee rail bigot riers in grav it the passage o: trains is practically noiseless. There are no droppings from above upon the heads of those who pass under it. The masonry viaduct presents the appearance of a series of brick arches sustaining the road bed. tive from the London tunnels or the choice would be extremely difficult. What L’Enfant Would Have Done. If the founders of Washington, who, with prophetic foresight, planned and marked out in the last century the frame- work of the magnificent capital of the next century, could now, in the light of the requirements of modern cities, repeat their task, they would vrovide ample space in the city’s plan. for a great central railroad for lines radiating to the Principal pol nts in of the compass from this station. These lines, which wot 46 both long-distance raflroad terminals sri local rapid transit roads, building up°the suburbs and reliev- ing city congestiCa, Would in their course through the city ym, I'think, over masonry viaducts of the ih plan, with all the space under the” tracks except at the bridges over stréets’ utilized and orna- mented, and with“distinct tracks for long- distance travel, short-distance travel and freigh® service. Station, though in the heart of the city,” would have nothing in its approaches to“ thfeaten life and limb, to reduce the ‘valtie of property or to ob- struct street traffid’and travel. It would be like the Cannon street and other great sta- tions in London, the impressive railroad structures of Parts, the Friedrich Strasse and Alexander Platz stations on the Stadt- bahn in Berlin, or‘ the wonderful structure at Frankfort-on-the-Main. In contemplat- ing these buildings the Washingtonian feels profoundly ashamed when he thinks of the local stations at home. The foreign cities teach us a lesson both as to the avoidance of grade crossings and as to thé construc- don and arrangement of stations. The American in Europe, while finding less complete provision for comfort in long- distance railroad travel than in America, frequently inadequate toilet facilities, less expensive upholstery and less display of hard woods and glass in the cars, and a system of compartments arrangement which insures privacy at the expense of an unsoclable confinement often irksome. also notes the most elaborate and painstaking precautions for the safety, both of the trayeler and of the people of the country traversed by the road, and an astonishing superiority in the appearance and arrange- ment of the stations. Our roads devote too much attention to fine rolling stock, too lit- tle to roadhed and devices for the safety of passengers, and hardly any except what the law compels to the safety of the non- traveling public. Mr. Sarnuel Rea, an en- gineer connected with with Pennsylvania railroad, in a work on ‘The Railways Ter- minating in London,” printed by the En- gineering News, in noting the points of European superiority, says: “Railways and highways are not allowed to cross on the same level in cities, nor elsewhere if much traveled. Some of these excellent features are gradually being adopted by our more advanced companies, notably the block sig- nal system and the avoidance of grade crossings in the cities and important towns of our states, In the matter of city ter- minal stations, which are a conspicuous part of every railway, English roads are unsurpassed, and far in advance of our railroads.” Hints for Uncle Sam's Railways. In looking down for the first time from St. Paul’s one foggy morning upon the notable buildings of London, the structures which first caught my eye and about whieh I first inquired turned out to be some of London's immense railroad stations, lofty buildings cf pleasing and imposing architec- ture, containing huge modern hotels of the first-class. The Cannon street, St. Pancras stations may be specially men- tioned. They are referred to by Samuel Rea as fit types of modern city terminal stations. The first mentioned station stands ck from Cannon street some 9 feet, leaving a broad area in front of the buiid- ing for an entrance to the underground railway station, a cab stand and a sitting- 1 tform. This forecourt is partiaily ed with a heavy balustrade, and a approach at the west side leads up to the hotel and station. The depth through the ticket offices is about 90 feet and the train hall is ever 650 feet in length. The Charing Cross station much resembles it. St. Pancras is « huge structure, with an imposing facade, ;Munked at the eastern corner with a high clack tower. The head house—a large and imposing building—is connected with the failroad’s hotel. The station hall has roof trusses of feet Span and is 600 feet” in length. Some of the stations in Patist are equally impres- sive. In Berlin and ,ether German. cities extensive improvements have been made and large sums of Money recently expended Charing Cross and wy tue reanruad ntaindgement to bring the city terminal stitiogs up to an ideal standard. The station at Frankfort-on-the-Main now claims to be the finest in the werld. The Engineering Retord pronounces the station “a model structure of its kind, com- bining enormous size: with a thoroughly well worked out plan, to meet the demands of great traffic.” The, station hall proper, not including the passénger waiting rooms, is about 551 feet wide and 600 feet long. Its total cost was about $8,250,000. Application of ropean Hints Washington. The idea of a central union station in Washington, approached by masonry via- duct or tunnel lines from the different peints of the compass, cannot now per- haps be realized. The two roads intrenched here have agreed that they do not want a union station, and apparently Congress will not foree them into unwilling partnership. Assuming that they are to be treated in- dependently, there Is still the need and op- portunity of applying Evropean teachings to the improvement of terminal facilities, botk for the passenger and freight service, the betterment of stations and the removal of grade crossings. The present terminal conditions are in- jurious and disgraceful to the capital of the American republic. The stations, com- pared with similar structures in Europe, are inadequate in size, awkwardly ar- ranged and ugly. However liberal and pro- gressive the roads serving Washington may be in other localities, here they have been shcrt-sighted and stingy. For freight pur- poses, instead of purchasing ample ground when they could secure it cheaply, they have preferred to do this business still less expensively, though illegally, on the public streets and reservations, and now they are pitifully cramped.. The rush of delayed freight business after a Knights Templar conclave causes a blockade that paraiyzes the business community. A like blockade is threatened this winter in handling the naturally growing business without any oc- currence like the conclave to furnish an excuse. The situation in regard to grade crossings is equally discreditable. Both roads sus- tain a series of death traps at which losses of life and injuries to limb periodically oc- cur, and each one of these crossings is a direct business injury and inconvenience and cause of financial loss to the city through the obstructicn to traffic and trav- el which occurs at them. At a single one of the Pennsylvania railroad’s crossings last year the delay incident to the lowering and raising of the gates was experienced by the pubiic 116 times within the daylight hours of a single da and nearly 8,000 pedestrians and considerably over 2,000 vehicles passed and were exposed to the chance of danger and these delays. Though the use of this part of the road for shifting cars or making up trains is illegal, shift- ing engines engaged in this illegal work obstructed this crossing fifty-one times on the same day. The Baltimore and Oliio surface tracks isolate East Washington and throttle its prosperity. The Pennsyl- vania railroad tracks perform a similar service for South Washington and the river front. What One Road Will Do. The Baltimore and Ohio has shown re- cent Indicaticns of am appreciation of the discreditable condftidh of its terminals, and of a disposition to make them better. * * © In Berlin the” railroad paid many millions for private Rroperty upon which to construct its oyerhgad road. The roads here should pay for their right of way. But since it is obyiously impossible to ex- pect that Congress wauld put our roads to this expense, and ,gince they now take full possession of the streets which they oc- cupy, it may be justifiable to permit them to erect their masenry viaducts on these streets, the property of the United States, and even to partty reimburse themselves fcr the expense of the improvement by renting the arcade, space beneath their tracks for storesiand other purposes. A Berlin viaduct down Delaware avenue would not obstruct,in..the least transit be- tween West and + Washington, would constitute ne increased disfigurement,would be really a business improvement in the increase of trading facilities, and, utilizing no more than half of this broad avenue, could .be made so wide as to accommodate ample long-distance, short-distance and freight tracks, improving in some respects upon the Berlin suggestion. The disposi- tion of the road to buy ground to enlarge its freight facilities ought to be encouraged in every conceivable manner. The acquisi- tion of freight facilities aiong the Potomac in Georgetown reduces somewhat tye need of extensive freight accommodatioss about its main pasrenger station near the Cap- Itol, and renders comparatively easy the plan of elevated approaches to this station. What Another Road May Dov The Pennsylvania railroad intimated when it secured from the last Congress certain privileges that it would make this year notable improvements in its ter- minals. Senator McMillan referred to these falf-promises. He said ta a Star reporter that he would go ahead at this session with a- measure for relief from grade to 11 crossings from 6th street to the Long bridge and improvement of the 6th street conditions. “I will prepare a bill,” he said, “which will have for its object the amelioration of existing conditions, and I know that the railroad company will do everything in its power to aid me in mak- ing the bill a law.” Senator McMillan, as chairman of the District committee, may be depended upon SIA S77 lature of this capital, secured from our railrcads the same consideration In matters that the municipal counc other cities demand and obtain. It cannot contir.ue always to be the case that Con- gress, to whose guardianship the interests of this city are intrusied, will give to o common carrriers for the asking whatever they desire, or promptly condoae the © to make good his own promptly undertake the task of causing the road to fulfill its obligations. Mary- land and Virginia aver.ves are broad, and if the railroad continues to insist that the tunnel plan west of 6th street is imprac- ticable notwithstanding the evidence of Engineer Commissioners Twining and Lud- low and Engineer Douglass of the Balti- more and Ohio railroad, it might be re- quired or persuaded to elevate its tracks upon a viaduct of the Berlin type. This treatment of the tracks would bring them to the north end of the present Long bridge in proper relation to the masonry viaduct approaches across the reclaimed flats, proposed by Colonel Hains, and to the new elevated long bridge which is to be. Indeed, an important part of the Penn- sylvania’s terminal improvement must be the destructicn of that great dam, stretch- ing a causeway and a low structure sup- ported by numerous obstructing piers across the Potomac; a decaying, danger- ous nuisance as a bridge, and a dam blocking the commercial prosperity of Georgetown and threatening every spring to turn a destructive flood in upon Penn- Sylvania avenue and lower Washington. bac and to If Congyre: insists upon retaining the 6th street station and the disfigurement of the mall, the tracks might be removed from 6th street, opening that therough- fare, and run, proposed, on the edge of the mall next to the street, but on an embankment v. the Berlin road in the suburbs, sodded and ornamented in every tasteful way with arched open- ings at intervals to permit passage under it. It is a pity that Representati ing- er’s Chamy ees, running through the series of parks between the Capitol and the White Hou or monument, should be brought into proximity to railroad tracks at any point or in any way, but this av nue, or the more grac and suitable curving driveway into which it might be modified, would clearly be more attractive duct 1 ful if it retained its level grade and vassed through an ornamented arch under a com- paratively noviseless viaduct instead of climbing over the tracks and engines by a bridge. The purchase especially in of ample freight the section ne: yards, where the railroad issues from the Nay. d tun- nel and south of its main line, into which it can run surface tracks, ought to be encouraged and promoted. The streets and reservations have served long enough as shifting stations and freight yards. When the Baltimore and Ohio gets the imposing and admirably arranged station for which it is planning, with ample room acquired by purchase for the performance ot the functions of a great modern rail- road, the Pennsylvania will doubtless be stirred by pride and competitive self-inter- cst, as weil as by the absolute necessities of its steadily growing traffic, to enlarge and improve its terminal facilities, in- cluding its station. This main Washington station of a great railroad system, at which some 2,000,000 of people arrive and depart every year, can- not be anything but inadequate and anti- quated as long as it can be legally ap- proached on 6th street by only two tracks, “to be put as near together in the middle of the street as possible” and showing “flat rails like those used by street railways so as to facilitate wagon and carriage travel over the same.” Whatever the railroad has on 6th street more than these two sets of flat rails, easily crossed by carriages, is illegal. These assurances of a minimum of inconvenience to the public are made in the letter of the law and are consequently more binding than the suggestion of Sen- ator Simon Cameron that the 6th street tracks would be withdrawn when the mali ame to be needed as a park, and Senator relinghuysen’s assurance t no engine would ever run across the mall to frighten horses, as apprehended by a brother sen- ator. Mr. Freylinghuysen’s suggestion was that the trains would run along 6th street and into the station engineless from a mo- mentum acquired on Virginia avenue, but he expressed no opinién as to the manner in which the train was to get out of the station and back to Virginia avenue again. The theories and arrangements all pointed to a temporary makeshift, with a small business in view, and all the conditions are unsuited for the leading passenger station of the capital of the republic in the year 1892. The Pennsylvania road, in order to keep up with the times and with local busi- ness competition, must, wherever ‘is main station is located, get more ground in con- nection with it. It must avoid tue ne- cessity of backing out of its sta- tion. Tt must secure the pri\ege of laying all the tracks that a first- class road in a first-class city requires fur its business. And in return for the legis- lative concessions which will enable ft to do these things, and in remembrance of the gift to it of free right of way, free station sile, and the practically free use of Long bridge, it ought to take its tracks, excep? specially designated freight tracks in cer- tain localities, from grade everywhere with- in the city limits, Costly Changes in Other Cities, The Pennsylvania railroad has recently been making notable improvements in Its Jersey City terminals. It has elevated its passenger tracks to do away with grade crossings. It has constructed an immense train shed 652 feet long and 256 wide, with an arched roof of the greatest single span ever built. The cost of its improvements, including new ferry boat, new bridges, all of its new plant in Jersey City and New York, is estimated at $4,000,000, This road, both in theory and in practice, has been liberal and progressive outside of Washington. In other cities its policy is to abolish grade crossings. In a formal letter favor- ing the grade crossings bill for Pennsylva- nia, President Roberts said: “In pursuance of this policy it (the Pennsylvania railroad) has succeeded in eliminating all such crcss- ings from its main line in the city of Phila- delphia and for a distance of nine miles be- yond. It is certainly within your recolle tion that in order to reach the present sta- tion at Broad street by an elevated road it expended between four and five millionry of dollars and thus secured the removal of all the freight tracks from Market street and the abandonment of the then existing grade crossings between 15th street and the Schuylkill river. The same policy has been pursued by the company for many years past on its main line in the city of Pitts- burg, with the result that all grade cross- ings of important streets within its limits are now avoided. This - policy is being steadily pursued on our lines to New York and Washington also. * * * It has not even been pretended that the wholesome provisions of law that require the avoid- ance of grade crossings by steam rail! in such cities as London, Liverpool and Berlin have in any manner interfered with their commercial prosperity, although it is certainly true. that they have compelled railroad companies seeking admission to those cities to expend a larger amount of money than they would have done had grade crossings been permitted. But I think that you will agree with me that the public safety is the supreme law in this case, and that if railroads can reach our large cities without sacrificing the lives and limbs of our people it is their duty. to do 80.” Now for Washington. It is time for the application of principles and this practice, by reads centering here, to the these all | northwestern distri fense if they have taken without asking, and at the same time turn a deaf car to the requests of the people for ‘he better for the removal of and develop- protection of life and impediments to c! ment and to bu: “pullt 4 When the loc re European stations, covering larze ares of ground, lofty, imposing a structures, with fi moder upper stories, as in London, there might well be constructed in connection with cone of them the great convention hall whicn Washington needs. Such a hall would bring increased business, especially to the road which would convey outsiders direct to first-class hotel accommodations in the same building The railroad as hall ow er would put money into the p. 3 of the railroad as hotel proprietor, carcier of pas- sengers and promoter of exeu af vice versa. When both roats have local grade crossings less trains over a Berlin viaduct in their course through the city, an} when ‘oth cross the Potomac to so: on handsome an.i subst dazes, then shington same unobjectiona le rapid tr: for its suburbs that h. prosperity and re from Berlin, "Not the olisned their nd run capil, nvise- w nsit facilities such 10 and urbs of Washington, will bc the growing and progres ial by ds of steel. With the B: pid tran- sit facilitie: suburi in the District, Mary or Virginia, will feel the impulse of Washingion's will flourish they have before and a of S and beuefits upon the ey bring convenient the mode well- breathing places for the rivk for urban overcrowding threatening a roads as well the pul! this improvement of their broadening of their functions. will clasp to itself and absorb its extensions in every direction. ‘¢ limits wiil soon be identical with tt daries of the District, whether the o dimensions cf the ten miles sjuare ar stored or the District Haes remain as at present, and the cap iai will stri quickened steps toward its goal of 1 population with opment and in must accompan: rad ay with its rompaniments, 1 The New West Indies Cable. From the London Shipping World. The Maritime Exchange is advised from Grand Turk that a contract has been en- tered into between the Direct West India | Cable Company, Limited, and the British government, to lay a cable from Bermuda to Grand Turk, and thence to Jamaica. The cable ship Britannia had arrived at Turk’s Island from London on November 3 to make initial arrangements. It has been decided to land the cable at the ading Place, Grand Turk, and the cable house which was on board the Britannia has been crected at that point. This ship tor Jamaica on the 6th of last month to make the surveys between the islands. She will return in ys, and the: ceed to Bermuda to complete the | from that direction. The cable ship Scotia, | with the cable on board, will leave London | for Bermuda about the middie of Decem- | ber. from whence she will commence to lay the cable. It is anticipated that the work will be completed about the end of Janu- ary, 1898. It is believed that in the near future Grand Turk will be used as a port of call for vessels seeking freight at Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica. The port charges on vessels calling for orders will be nil. It is understood that the cable toll will be 3 shil- lings per word to Engiand and 2 shil- lings to Bermuda, Jamaica and Halifax. While the prime purpose of the government in leying the cable is doubtless to secure telegraphic communication between the naval stations at Halifax, Bermuda anu Jamaica, yet it will manifestly be of great commercial benefit also. —+e+—___ Learn to Say “Thank You.” From the Philadelphia Reeord. Just a word, girls, about the gentle art of writing a graceful note of thanks. Don’t be chary of such notes; does somebody send you a pretty gift, it goes without saying that you write a cordial note of apprecia- tion, but if some act of courtesy is done or some little favor rendered the written word of thanks {s too often neglected. You go out of town, perhaps, and stay over night with a friend, and if you wish as pleasant a memory of your visit to Iizger with your hostess as with yourself you should write a line repeating to her your spoken thanks. Oh, that’s a “board and lodging letter,” you ‘say. Very true, but It’s always appreciated by the woman whose hospitality you have accepted, and, presumably, enjoyed. Then, again, if a man sends you a book or a clipping from a newspaper, or a card for club reception on ladies’ day, write that word of thanks, even if you have to get up in the middle of the night to do it! As a matter of policy if nothing else you will find the habit an expedient one, for peopie are much more apt to do a kindness for a per- son from whom the invariable word of thanks comes quickly and spontaneously than for that unpleasant and matier-of- fact member of society who takes all such courtesies as her just due, and does not trouble herself to send the slightest ac- knowledgment of small social courtesies. The new union station being constructed at Boston will be unique in that no steam locomotives will come within a mile of it. Many roads will be accommodated at the new station, but all the locomotives will surrender their cars at a point about a mile out and the remainder of the journey will be made by electricity. ONE CHRISTMAS DAY Mr. Underwood Recalls a Holiday With- Not Reach the m Camp — Narrow Excape From Death, “I vividly recs Christmas in my life.” said J. M. Twood, the veteran railroad builder of San Francisco, to a Sta reporter at the National last 4 Northern Pacific raiiread had Structed to a little town cal named afier the father of the dent of the road now stands. he company that hal the cc ‘act for ruction sublet considerable of the work to a company of which 1 was a mem- near where ber. The original contractors wanted our company to take out a heavy cut in what is known as the bad lands, on the Little Mis- souri river. I think tt was in ISTS They offered an gilvance of five cents @ rd on the contract, and we took them up. ou know Sitting Bull had made the threat that for every tie laid ow the North- ern Pacific he would kill a white man. Weill, to make a@ long story short, the gov- ernment sent two companies of infaniry along with our men. In those days the vernment had to keep troops for the pro- on of almost all c of work in the northwest, IsTy. We reached the Little Missouri the fore part of December. About a week before Christmas our men—there were several hundred of them—ran out of provisions. The troops divided theirs, but in a couple of days they 9 . too, Almost simul- taneously there cam n awful blizzard. It was one of t ng northwest blizzards, such as Jom experienced in the east. “Supplies could not reach us because of the snew and the storm, and it looked as if we were doomed to a torturing death by Starvation. Seven of our men went stark crezy from eating the marrow of the mules we killed. When the mules gave out we ate our horses. One night a number of us were sitting In the little tc bin that we made a sort of headquar: ently without any warnt three men went crazy The wind was howling place d for adi and try aL one responded r, I pushed out alc at nigh noon TL Was held up by tunately, I succeeded tn » by the when, app: & or premonition, sup- position jown of a Indians were armed, but ins were incapable of carrying a : great distance. | knew this, and it me ary to dodge when hey were possessed of all th s ss for which their race is noted, c they Knew at glance what a Wir er would do. didn't car rear enough to be sure of shooting me, they knew that my gun would rea ly effect. TI held me t and then went away nd finally reached a small en constructed to tion and with for two hou “E plodded creek, across which had a rude foot bridge. This icok around for m signs of « Iw warded in finding. als of a mile away, a cabin which bly i by aunters caused m iilz, qui nad pr was It de- be The the od. was on ded in br y and hungry I ente r had been blown off and 1 picked it up and suce ing it sv that it stayed c gathered up some sticks ar fire. On the floor near the firey me old bacon rhinds “ ‘h all the at part had been by the I tell you God's truth when T say sed. oT t built a itde I found m so hungry that I lay by th chewed those 1 is nearly a¥ That was Christmas eve. and how 1 wished that I might be with my family ollowing day—Christmas—I met the train and went back to our camp with them. The train was guarded by three companies of cavalry. When nearing vdians, with a brush with the and, had camp but the infantry came out cavalry, put them/to flight. we mce in camp the full force of soldi nd the supplies. T in an awful condition. they would have exter They had already discussed for the killing of one of their y until the supplies should = put on guard an were workmen nan wing rember ecme. “They grappled with were repelled only at th or r. Why, they acted like wild twenty-four hours the doctors to them as much as was con- lot each da and onet the soldiers point of Mt out sidered reason for fear that they would injure themselves if left to gratify. their cwn desir That was the worst Chris mas I ever passed, and heaven deliver me from any more similar experience Monkeys as d Finders, From Tit-Bits. Captain- E. Mo: of the Transvaal t the following story of the monkeys who work for him in the mines “I have twenty-four monkeys, 1 he, “employed about my mines. They do the work of seven able-bodied men. In many instances they lend valuable ail wher a man is useless. They gather up the small pieces of quartz that would be vass- ed unnoticed by the workingmen, and pile them-up in little heaps that can easily be gathered up in a shovel and thrown into a mill. They work just as they pl sometimes going down into the mine they have cleared up all the debris tue outside. They live and work t without quarreling any more than do. They are quite methodical in habits, and go to work and finish up in the same manner as human beings would do under similar circumstances. It is very interesting to watch them at their labor, and how carefully they look after every detail of the work they at tempt. They clean up about the min follow the wheelbarrows and carts used in mining and pick up everything that falls off on the w men their Sultan's Passion for Railways. From the Glasgow Herold. A Paris correspondent writes: I am told that in Constantino; as in Athens, the war was not perceptible, and that the Turks were enraged against Abdul Hamid for agreeing to make peace elsewhere than in Athens itself. The sultan has no thought of utilizing the war indemnity for improved finances or for tn welfa his subjects. No; his fixed id iway from the Bosphorus te passing through the Taurus mountains, that culebra of the east. The Germans, who are making the railway skirt the coast as far as p ble, have asked for some fresh concessions, The stltan has told them that he would give those an] much more—even the war indemnity—if they will carry the line through the Taurus. “I wish,” he says, “to present my country with’ @ line of speedy concentration safe from fleets. Since the war he has a passion for rail- ways, in which he sees the safety of his empire, for they will enable him rapidly to mobilize his distant warriors, then to be counted by millions. | kept wal , Your market and butcher shop ought to use Pearline, surely. There's no place that needs to be cleaner. ‘There's no place that’s half as hard to k ¥ clean. Soap and ter is of no use at all It takes Pearline, and nothing but Pearline, to keep down the general greasiness. How many places you see, where the whole shop seems to be for Pearline! nose Pearline fixtures in it fairly crying out a