, 1880-04-04
METROPOLITAN CHANGES.

| This protest which the Rev. Father WAidrot
has made against the admission Of the West
ern Indiana Railroad inside the city limits in
the South Division would be ridiculous if i!
were not so earnest and violent. This gen.
tieman has built large and handsome
church at the corner Of Clark and Eighteenth
| strcets,-St JOHNS Catholic Churcl.,-an
the entrance of the new railroad threatens a
loss of some 800 families to his congregation.
Several hundred houses have been torn down
to make room for the tracks, and still others
must be demolished in order to provide the
Western Indiana with depot and terminal
facilities. All the property thus sacrificed
has been bought and paid for by the Railroad
Company, and there is reaSon to believe that
the prices were usually In excess of the
actual values Of the property thus occupied.
Nevertheless, the entrance Of the railroad
necessitatcs the removal of those who have
lived in the houses that have been and are to
be torn down, and Father Waldron foresees
the dispersion of a considerable part Of his
congre CATION, and the sacrifice, to large ex-
tent, Of his paroflial work during the last
few years. 1T Lis easy- to understand
that all this is keen disappointment to the
priest and his colaborefs in the schools and
missions Of that neighborhood; but, when he
says that he would rathef see the entire
South Division OF the city burned to the
ground than to see any more railroad tracks
laid, the selfish and narrow view OF the mat
ter assumes Communistic tone which is ut
terly reprehensible.
1t has been supposed of late years that the
spirit Of popular resistance to the progress of
Industry and commerce had subsidized. The
demonstration has been SO complete that pro-
gressive enterprise is sure to triumph in the
end that Intelligent men at least ought to
understand the fqtility Of combating it. Tie
force Of opposition to the Introduction of rail-
roads into the very domain Of the Pope was
overcome many years ago. Riotous demon
strations against the laying OF tracks in cities
have been very rare Of late. Individuals
have learned that the spirit of the age de-
mands the sacrifice Of personal and family at
tachments to the march OF the railroad. The
laws Of all our States provide for tile condeiil-
nation and acquisition by purchase of prop
erty needed for public enterprises. It
is astounding, therefore, that a man like
great many years, is familiar with the growth
of the city, and has been an observer of the
manifold changes necessarily incident to
such growth, should seek to excite violent
opposition to 4 new railroad which is con-
ceded on all sides to be of vast Importance to
the material interests Of the city. To the
extent that his pride in his church and his
attachment to his congregation must suffer
from the ncW enterprise, lie is entitled to
sympathy, unless lie shall deliberately alien
ate such sentiment by unreasonable oppo-
sition; but if sympathy with personal disup-
pointnents or inconvenlcnces were permitted
to rctard commercial enterprise, our cities
would be mere villages, and the prairies of |
the Northwest arid wastes.
The character and uses of particular locafi- |
ties are constantly changing i'll large Cities
Perhaps Father .Waldron himself has been |
at fault in not forcseeing that the district in
which he. has erected costly church |
could not continue for many years to
- given up to residences. lie himself !
can. probably remember when the Stock
Yards were located near Twelfth street, and
when the old Southern Hotel on the corner
- 11"tC tA4lN 1 hCi1ul btt fcu o0LlC Pui- |
pose as the Transit House today, Which is
Jour or five miles further south. 3fan who
Ire by 1lo means old can recolleG4 ttat they
vent out hunting in the neighborhood Of Six
eenth street, aud others With few years more
N their shoulders hava;raminisce17eds of In
lian scares in lo.fa}1ies now occupied by
;reat business blocks. All other large cities
lave had similar experiences. Thirty or
orty years ago the Astor House in New
Fork was ''up~towp,' and the fashionable
esidence portion OF Manhattan Island was
nee around the Battery. The values of
property change With its uses In some
ases residences and churches must give way
'efore the advance. of commerce, which is
be ruling force III metropolitan life In
ther cases suburban property of compar-
lively shall value acquires important ap-
recitation through the natural tdesire OF |
eople. ito reulovdt their homes, away
rom the noise apd turmoil Of business
fe. Lots OH Michigan avenue inthS neigh
orhood OF the present city limits which {
'ere only worth few years ago: Mat they /
'ould produce in Elrdening, now command g
igher prices than the property occlpied be- t
ire the fipepf 1871 hy the handsona rows of !
fronting upon Lake P4E. Ali =
sch changes are inevitable III ;dty life. t
hey comy.sa mtsfortunes at times. but they J. q