The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-06-17
Are street Railroads Beneficial ,

We are, as oil our readers are aware, in favor
of Street Railroads; we are in favor of
tho Council granting independent routes to
different Companies, and we believe that
these routes should be granted upon such
terms, and under such restrictions, as will
allow a liberal return for the expenditure
of capital necessary for their construction,
the control of her highways, while the greatest
facility of communication between distant
points, is offered to the citizen. Many a man
who is now obliged to occupy small house, or
even part Of one, in the closely built portions
Of the city, would be enabled by means of
horse railway, to escape the inconvenience
attendant upon such q location, and establish
himself in the suburbs, at cost of rent and
railroad fare, less than he now pays for his
unhealthy quarters. To this class, and it is a
very important one, street railroads would
provo an inestimable blessing. Another point
in this connection, which we do not remember
to have seen stated, is the amount of money
actually put into active circulation by tho
building and working of these roads. To
illustrate this, we will suppose road to extend
from Newport Ferry to the Brighton House
an excellent connection by tho way
which should be at once made by some one
Of the companies. This road would embrace
somewhere in the neighborhood of seven miles
of single track, and its construction and equip
ment would cost about one hundred and forty
thnuao nd dnIiorS. ha ria in fbar al
shows that such a road can bO put in complete
operation in ninety days, so that in the short
space of three months, this large sum would
be distributed among iron manufacturers, car
builders, harness makers, lumber merchants,
horse dealers, and laboring men; and as the
settled policy of the street railroad companies
is to build entirely for cash, we leave it to our
readers to judge whether the working classes
would be benefited by the expenditure. The
fact, now established beyond peradventure,
that all these materials may be had in this
city as cheaply, if not cheaper, than they can
be brought here from abroad, is the very best
assurance that Cincinnati and her citizens
would reap the advantage to be derived from
such purchases. In addition to this, comes
the cost of stables and stations, which be-
ing intended to last, are in all cases
strong, substantial and ornamental build
ings, and add proportionatcly to the ma
terial and labor required. To work prof
itably a road of this length, cars must be
started from each end at intervals of 6ve min
utes, commencing at FIVE o'clock in the morn
ing and running until midnight; this would
require thirty five cars allowing the number of
horses necessary to run the nineteen hours, six
to each car, allowing three changes daily, and
making allowance for the ills that horse flesh is
heir tO,the complement of horses would be about
two hundred and thirty. Each car requires a
conductor and driver, the pay Of the first being
80 so, and of the latter 81 so per day. These,
with the necessary stable men, street repairers,
receivers, helpers, starters, &C., make small
standing army of about one hundred and
twenty men, all of whom have regular, constant
employment rain or shine, from years end to
years end; and as sober, steady, honest men are
indispensable, the Companies are obliged to fix
a rate of pay that will secure such services.
This is the force required for but one road, and
Cincinnati is abundantly capable of supporting g
at least six. In the eight roads now in Op-
GRAFTON in Philadelphia, (ten others are in
course of constructiOn) there are now en-
ployed 244 cars, 1922 horses, and Tex
elusive Of ofiicers) 8Sl men. We have not
spaoe in our limited columns to touch at
this timo upon the increased convenience of
horse rail roads over the old buses, to speak
Of the benefit TO be derived from increased val
ue Of property, and several other points we'll
worth attention but have, so far ss possible,
endeayored to look at the subject in straight
forward, practical, common sense sort of way /,
and we invite our readers, especially such as
are opposed to horse railroads, (if any still re-
msin)t to view 1t in the same light, and our
word for it, we shall have an unanimous affirm
ntiye answer to our interrogGtory, " are street
railroads beneficial 20