The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-03
street. Railway. and Ste. |. C.rr;..-.-


We again invoke eur citizens. bv rror,,,
subscriptions, to hurry mp ths street pass en-
ger railroads In Baltimore and other c,tie.
subscription books for similar purposes wers
no sooner opened than there was a perfect
rush Of the people to enter their names. Why
are we so blind and ietbarEic to our own con-
yeniepee and interests Why must the ne VS.
papers beg and pray and implore the commu-
nifty, with "line upon line, and precept upon
precept here a little and there a litf1e," To
build an Improvement which cannot fail to be
profitable investment, which would attract
population TO the city, aud Increase tho value
Of its suburban ne.ghboraoodsl Next TO the
dihiculty which the clergy experience in in-
dncing men TO attend to the salvation OF their
souls, is the trouble that Virginia editors have
in awakening a proper degree of public spirit
among the people. Here are street railroads
already in trodueed into every city in the
North which is worth being called a city, and
we stand hemming and having, shiv sring and
shuddering on the banks of the narrow stream
as II it were a perfect Jordan of death, great
ocean of experiment, with an unknown ster-
nifty beyond
10 be or not to be, that Is the question:
"eoh!y wonder that The projectors of the
street railroads, and OF everything else like
enterprise, have not before this been taken be-
fore The Mayor and bound over TO keep the
peace. ri
We need not dilate upon the advantages
"hlch the establishment OF street railroads
e4tehos TO all classes OF business men, and
especially artizans and persons with small sal
aries. NO better sign of the vitality and pro-
mise OF city can be given than numerous ar d
convenient dwellings for mechanics Rich
'nonu ts at tnis moment in such need of them
'na' FaIuabie artizans, who had come here to
| set'ie' nave gone away, because they had lite-
| Folly no place to lay their heads There are
various beautiful localities in those parts of
nenrtco Wnlcn are nearest to the western ter.
| Inihi OF the proposed railroads, which will be
inmeoiateiy built up as soon as the road is
completed. Thus great want will be supplied
ana Ihe general prosperity of city and county
immensely enhanced.
we oo not see why steam carriages may not
| Do employed in street railroads, with great
| economy and perfect safety. Seif-propelI1pz
ours, IL we mistake not, are already adopted
| III some OF our American cities, and so con.
slructed That they do not alarm the most timid
quaoruped or nervous biped. Scotch Jour.
haI' speaking OF an Experiment. with q steam
carriage upon common roads, says: 1" The Earl
oi Oatnhess, accompanied by the Coun tess and
oy the Rev. WIN. Ross, of Keritan, started
Aioin inverness In his steam carriage, built
uhuer MS own direction, and though, owing
TO Its being the market day there, the road was
| niieo with horses and conveyances of all kinds,
| MS Lordship passed through them all without
| any more Inconvenience to the general traffic
| or alarm to horses, than if he had been in his
| carriage and four" The Philadelphia Ledger
pefhneniiy remarks, if this can be done upon
| common road, without any Inconvenience to
general travel, how much more readily NAV
| steam be nsed instead of horses upon our CITY
| railroads, and how much better can the move
mehfs OF the cars be regulated and controlled.
The steam carriage in the ins tance referred to
ran at the rate of eighteen miles an hour.
among market wagons, pleasure carriages and
| other vehicles, and yet no alarm was given
either to young horses or old fogies. At all
events, let us have the street railroads with
horses, if we cannot do better, though we con
Tess We should infinitely prefer self -propeiling
| cars,