Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-06-11
Railroads in Cities.

In many places there seems to be strong preju-
dice against having RAILROADS pass through streets
We do not wonder why such feeling should ex-
list when steam power is employed TO draw the
cars, but we think such prejudice is exceedingle
unreasonable against having tracks laid in thy
streets when the drawing power is the same as
that which Is used to draw numerous lines of ON
| nibuses The objections which can be urged
against locomotives running in streets are many;
SUI CHI as the smoke of the wood employed for fuel;
| the blast, and the general speed at which they
have been and are now run in all those cities
through which railroads laid. Locomotive
power would certainly never do for New York
city unless through perfectly secluded street for
that purpose, and i'll such case who could or
should find fault?
We have never seen good argument advanced
against railroad tracks in cities, yet when the Gem
mon Council OF Williamsburgk-a young city ad-
iacent to New York-granted the privilege 10 a
company of laying down a track in that place,
they were compelled to recede from their pos ton
| by unver, al Indignation meeting OF the citizens.
1t would not indeed be just to run n railroad
through street against The wish of all of the
erS oil property in that street, but the ownerS of
property may be wrong in their opposition, and if
they are. ii is the duty OF those who think so 10
| try and convince them of their error, rather than
cram an improvement down their throats. Let us
present q few arguments in favor of railroads in
cities on which the cars are drawn by horses:
lst Railroad cars certainly handsomer than
omnibWses, they at least be made So and there
fore they present better appearance in going
| through street,
End. The track is straight, and no fears need be
entertained by pedestrian crossing the street that
they swerve from their path, like an omnibus;
they go straight and neither turn to the right
! nor to the LETT, SO that there is danger but in
crossing the rails, whereas the danger from omni-
buses is manifest over the whole breadth of the
street.
| 3rd. Railroad cars make less noise than omni-
busSes and thereby much preferable either for
streets full of shops, those composed of private
residences.
18th One horse a railroad can draw as much
as three on the best pavements, and thus a GER
tain saving TO any city, the rails have greatly the
advantage IN avoiding the expense of tear and
wear of pavementS, and outlay for animal feed
This saving is effected by obviaiing the great re-
sstance and friction of pavements by the substitu-
ton OF rails. Where this can be done and is not,
a preference being in favor of clumsy omnibuses,
| a person is forcibly reminded of those dark times
when people went TO mill with stone i'll one end
of the bag to balance the grain in the other, to
help the poor animal that carried the bag. The
arguments we have presented in favor of railroads
in cities as substitutes for omnibuses running
pavementS we think are incontrvertible, we know
the last one is. Instead of injuring the value of
property, good city ra.l road running through n
street should raise its value, especially if the rails
are substituted for one two lines of omnibuses.