Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-07-23
History Of City Passenger Railroads.

History Of City Passenger Railroads.
From the Philadelphia Press.
In 1928, the first passenger railroad in the
world was opened between Stockton and Oar
hngton, in England, distance of thirty-seven
miles, The cars were drawn each by single
horse. From such beginning, what do we
see now? We will not at present enter into
a discussion of what we consider ordinary
railroads, but will contine our attention to
tracing the antecedents of city passenger rail
ways. In 1882, the Germantown Railroad
was opened and for time horses We're the
motive power In the same year-indeed,
within a few days-a part of the Columbia
Railroad was put in use with horse cars also.
A few months before that time, a supplement
to the charter of the Northern Liberties and
Penn Township Railroad Company was passed
extending the time required for the compile
ton of this road, (Which had been chartered
in 1929 to July 4, 1886. Long previous to
this, however, the road, now the Willow
street Railroad, was opened, and line Of
horse cars established between Third and
Willow and Columbia Bridge by a COrsican
named Lucian The first car was called the
Paul Amelia. This scas, acs beliere, the first
city passenger railroad IN the u0rlH. 1t dit
fered from the Germantown and other roads
on which cars were run by horse power in
the fact that it's cars stopped, as our cars now
do, to take up and set down passengers at
any point on the line, while the others had
REGULAR stations for stopping. Such cars were
afterwards run on Branson and Prime streets
to Gray's Ferry, as also on Market and Broad
streets But they ceased running some years
since Had these objections, however, been
removed, it must be remembered that the de-
mands of travelling citizens were not great
The first omnibus in Philadelphia was started
in 1882. In New York, horse passenger
railroad cars have run for twenty years OF
more on the Harlaam Railroad, and for a long
time without prompting imitation. Dickens,
in his American Notes, alludes to two stout
horses trotting along, drawing score or
two of people, and great wooden ark with
ease" Within the last six or eight years
New York has widely extended her city rail-
way lines, till they run throughout many
portions of the city. In Boston, the first road
was opened in 1856. Every one was afraid
to touch the stock !; now it is much above
par. From the year 1852, efforts have been
made time and again in Philadelphia, to pro-
cure from the proper authorities "a charter for
a passenger railroad, but for long period
these efforts were Intellectual. All sorts of
objections were made. But SO it was when
turnpikcs were started, (See Macauley's His
tory of England, vol. l, chap. S, and the Gen-
ten,an'S Wuguzine for lS49, in the Philadcl-
phia and Mercantile Libraries.)
AS we have already stated, railroads were
violently opposed at their origin, as was also
the introduction of gas and water into Phila-
delphia. The furious and determined resist
ance to hvdrants, made by those who happen
ed to have good wells of their own, when the
Watering Committee had to 60 to Paramount
before daylight for fear of being mobb:d, at
this day seems perfectly absurd. 1t twas OBJ
jected to gas, that it was unhealthy, and be-
sides, might blow up the city. In November,
1855, joint special committee of Councils,
appointed to examine into the matter, report
ed that 'they were decidedly of opinion that
city passenger railroads might, by proper con-
struction, arrangement and use, be made eX-
ceedingly convenient and beneficial to the cit
liens, and that the experience Of New York
and Brooklyn so sufficiently attested their
utility as to preclude the necessity of argu-
mont
The Philadelphia and Delaware River Rail
road Company was chartered April 4th, 1854,
to build road from point north of Cherry
street, kensingtOn, one square south of Berks
| street, to Easton. But in two years, this
plan being gwen up, it was determined to cX-
tend the road, adapted for horse cars, to
Frankford only. By an act, approved by the
| Governor June 9th, 1857, the company were
authorized to extend their road to Southwark,
over Fifth and Sixth streets, subject to the ap-
proyal of Councils within thirty days. Such
a bill had before passed the Senate, but had
been rejected by the House. Strong efforts
were made on both sides, and petitions for OF
remOnstrances against it were signed by near
ly all the residents on the streets concerned.
Nearly one hundred of the opposing names
were Withdrawn formally, either as put Oh
without knowledge Of the parties, or, as was
the case with many, further examination
showed their objections unlounded. Some o
the objections were really dis sracetul to the
parties urging them.
After permission was given to build the
road, every lmpediment possible was throw
in the way, and the commercial crisis inter
vening at that time, the cars were not run OF
Fifth and Sixth streets until January Goth
1858. The whole cost of the road was abou
$3.50, ,O00-hard times and want of cXpcri
cnce in the matter combining with other pc
culiar disadvantages to increase the expense
There are now in use by this company, OIL
seventeen miles of single track, forty-tw
cars, with complement of seven horses pc
car, running each day 2,54a miles on the av
erage, and they carried, during the year past
nearly 900 900 passengers.
; We understand that there are no sue
roads now in existence in London, thoug
there have been movements set Oh foot to
their construction. In Paris there is on
called the "American " Railroad" runnin
along the bank of the Seine from the Palac
, of Industry almost to St. Cloud, dstanc
I of about three miles, The writer of this al
ticle, when riding over it in July, 1857, conn
led 81 passengers in and On the car at on
time. The car was like those on Spruc
streets, and had coupe or compartment div
ded off in front, with seats for four person
at higher price, where they could be MOI
private, and fancy themselves, if they plea
ed, in carriage. We have been unable
learn whether others have since been built
Paris, but would suppose that of all cities
is the very place for them. We need not
surprised to hear of American Railways
shortly in all the great cities of Europe.
far, besides public conveniences, they ha
paid their proprictcrs well, end each y
e opened seems to have greatly increased t
desire for local travel by the new facilities
has opened for its qualification.
-. The BOulevards of Paris.
4. Paris paper, in alludng to the Bou
- wards few days ago, spoke of them as