Daily Republican., 1881-06-21
Tho River Road and MIR. LobdeIl.


So practical business gentleman
Mr.. George G.. Lobdell, President of t.
Lobdell Car Wheel Company, has giv'
his views at considerable length on Il
subject of road to the Delaware Al
has taken the ground that such roa
as proposed is not needed at the preSel
stage of the city's progress nor will
for many years to come. Mr.. Lobde
does not stand alone in his views, NJ
W. G. Gibbons President of the Puse
4 Jones Company, and other manutao
turers, agreeing with him. SO far a
making a wharf on the Delaware
expected to become of Immediate beue
fit to the city TO any great extent, o
commensurate with the expense G
building such wharf and other ueede
facilities tor building up a business o
the river, Mr.. Lobiell is no doubt COZ
rect in his theories, and there is mucl
TO be deduced from his reference 10 tn
spasmodic efforts that have been mad
to make other towns lying directly upol
The Delaware, great shipping ports TO
coal, but the earth embankment a
New Castle and the rotting wharves o
Delaware City are the only evidence.
left that such an attempt had ever beer
made.
But while we agree with Mr. Lobdell
i'll much that he has said we are inclin-
ed to think that he attaches too little i'm
Portance to the anticipated benefits ex-
pected to accrue from road to the riy-
er and wharyes at the end of the road.
Wilmington has population reaching
now over 4J, 900 ami is fast becoming
metropolitan city. 1t cannot be classed
with New Castle, Delaware City, Penns-
grove and Marcus Hook towns that
have from l,OOe to probably 5000 inhab
itants.
Wilmington is increasing iu manu-
tories as she is ia population. She is
spreading out her industrial arms,
north, south, east and west, though the
arm eastward makes slow progress sim
ply because the Delaware river cuts off |
the advance, and progress in that direc. |
tion depends upon tapping the great
commerce Of that river and inducing a
part of it to stop at Wilmingtnn's river
front. 1t cannot stop unless there be fa-
cllltles and Inducements for it to stop.
The ocean and river steamers sweep by
IN their majesty as if there was not a
city OF $4,000 people couple of miles
up tortuous creek partially 6lled with
mud and getting deeper with it all the
while. A stopping place is wanted to
intercept the travel and the commerce
Sf The river and there is no more suit
able place for that stopping place or
point of interception than on the river
itself, where the water will be deep
enough to float the largest vessels, and
where there will be no danger of either
the bow or the stern of the vessel strik-
ing mnd bank on account of the tor.
tuous windings of the stream We can
not, all at once launch out into exten.
'iVe Wharves, grain elevators, great
and such things needed in ,
he trade of great metropolitan CITY,
out start has to be made, and
hat start might as well be made now
as at any other time. The first thing is
wharf wanted and a road to the river.
This will lead the way for other indi- II
'lduai enterprises. The city must make
he start and show that individuals es-
business on the river front. I"
hall have the advantages Of good =
DAD wharf where vessels can
and This will pave the way for other y
Enterprises. Steamers will begin to stop
o take on and let off passengers. This % .,
will induce hacks to run to the river u
nd In time the city railway will no
oubt extend its tracks to the sare. !,
he lading and unlading of manufac- y,
ured and agricultural products will =,
oon follow, and thus gradually trade W
'ill be built up. Those who lived forty 'e
ears ago in onr city never dreamed at :"
hat time they would now see such III
reat advances as have been made and 'e
o doubt many of them were opposing u
improvements then that could not be
one without now. So in twenty wears J..
'om now there will be those living and 10
business who will he surprised and
no will regret that they ever offered :.
ny obstacle to road to the river and -,
wharf on the same. We agree with r.
II. Lobdell that the Eleventh and =,
"ehth street route to the Shellpot and l.,
'om thence to Fourth would be the .
,ost practicable route at the present -.
me. Other routes will follow as bus -,
iess increases at the river front. At WV
ny rate there can be no risk in grading w.
ourth street and putting it in travel
ng order from the Brandywine to the
elaware. This much the City Council ha
lould agree upon at its meeting this tn,
'enlng and when graded to the Bran in.
wine it can then afterwards be made NJ
'ailable for the Seventh or the Elev- tbi
tn street route as circumstances NAV pe
quire. 1t can never be graded cheap tit
than at present, while the National of
redging Company is at work on the he
1er front and want place for depos- pu
ng their material. of
lF WE ARE to believe Judge G. A
chrane, of Georgia. we know alread,