The New York herald., 1875-10-18
The Common Sense or Rapid Transit.

transit railway over that avenue between
the Battery and Harlem. Our reporter says
that there is not the slightest doubt that
the vast majority Of property owners oppose
rapid transit on their own avenue" The
agents Of the Third avenue railway line
have been busily engaged in canvassing the
route to obtain signatures to protest against
an elevated road. ''It was a remarkable
fact, continues our reporter, 'that scarcely
any Of these property owners take to rapid
transit itself; majority Of them say they
would like an elevated railroad well enough
on Second or Fourth, or on any other ave-
nue. but Third" What they'fear is the dim
mutton Of business and "the deterioration
Of property" 1t is the same fear that was
expressed in Brooklyn when it was proposed
TO build an elevated railway along Myrtle
avenue. The business men and property
owners along that avenue made such o clamor
that the authorities were led To cancel their
resolutions and to indefinitely postpone the
whole scheme.
It is a singular illustration Of human na-
ture that there never can be an invention or
suggestion for public improvement which
has not at first been opposed by majority
Of the very people who in the end were most
benefited by its introduction. Take the
progress Of labor saving machinery as an
illustration. The cotton gin and cotton looms
were assailed as sure to destroy the industry
Of the people On the contrary, they have
reyolutionized modern society by creating
new industries. In newspaper printing there
has not been an invention saving time and
expense which has not first been opposed
by the workingmen on the same ground,
that steam and quick printing machinery
would throw many men out Of employment,
and if publishers had been governed by the
mechanics we should now be printing the
HERALD on the ld-fashioned Franklin press
and exhausting the resources Of our estab-
lishment to produce five orsix thousand copies
a day. When railroads were first proposed
they were vehemently denounced Great
lords, who afterward became rich beyond
Imagination by the increase in the value Of
their property arising from railroads pro-
tested and opposed and fought them on the
ground that they would destroy the game
preserves and frighten the cattle and invade
the privacy Of private life. When gas was
first proposed petition after petition was
sent up to the authorities setting forth that
the public life and public property would be
endangered from a sudden explosion, which
might bury even cities in ruins. When
Croton water was first suggested there was
an angry strife in New York, and il was only
by close vote, after much labor, that the
people Of the city were induced to accept the
greatest boon Of modern ciyilization-fre
clear water in abundant supply.
And 50 we might continue the illustra-
tions. The story Of rapid transit is therefore
only an old, old story. If these gentlemen
Of Third avenue who oppose the build
ing Of this railroad were wise they would
see that what threatens to be o blow to their
interest Will really be an advantage to it, If
we owned store on Third avenue we
should much rather have a light built, airy
trestlowork over our head, with swiftly pass
ing trains at regular intervals, and the
whole surface street in front free, than
to have the numbering, noisy, uncomfortable
street railways which now pass along If the
property holders on Greenwich street were
polled to-day we have no doubt that the ma
iority Of them would say that they prefer the
elevated railway to the surface car. The
effect Of building an elevated railway on
Third avenue would be to make it the great
artery between New York and its principal
suburbs. It would bring business and ,ad-
vance property. There is not a house be
tween Fifth avenue and Second avenue on
the whole line Of this route that would not
feel q perceptible advance on account Of this
elevated railway. The only interests that
could suffer- 50 far as we can sec, are the
fruit dealers on the corners and an occa-
sional news stand. But SO far as the general
benefit is concerned, and especially the bon
eft Of the business men on Third avenue
themselves, we have no doubt that time will
show in this, as in other cases, that what
seems to be a calamity will in the end prove
an advantage and blessing.