The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-03-02
WEDNESDAY,. MARCH >. 1854.
OUR srREEr RA11wAya.-No Inn

~ 0"PAu AhSAC"oo Vi railways blucs
their first introduction in the streets
Of Philadelphia and New York. II
the TO mer city a great out cry wa.
raised against rails being laid on somt
Of the streets. But before they were
used three years, the same gentlemen
who made objections were found ex.
pressing themselves in language thai
was decidedly favoable-the street
car in fact had become at once the
most decided improvement of the age
and since that time, the business mans
coach-lhe street car--has continued
to find favor until its rails bind all
parts of those great cities and the
comfortable car is found in nearly
every second or third square. The
larger the city of course the more ne
csssary the street car. To the mechanic
and laboring man it is a real source of
relief. Instead of walking miles to
his work loaded down with tools and
material to do a job, six or nine cents
carries him and his pack to his desti-
nation in half the time it would re.
quire to walk. Thus saving more than
the fare In time; beside being fit to go
to work at once while he would not
had he been required to walk with
his load of tools, SC. 1t is true that
some comp laint is raised against these
roads because they do not charge five
cents instead of six; but that is all
talk. Those who know their value
would pay ten cents cheerfully rather
than lose the convenience and COM
fort they render.
Wilmington is now to have an i'm
portant extension to her street rail-
way, and We cannot too highly COM
mend the enterprise to the favorable
attention of our citizens. The old
road is to be extended at once from
Market street down Fourth street to
the Christiana. This is step nearer
the Delaware River; and will add
greatly to the eastern section of the
city that is growing rapidly in popu-
latlon. Thousands of men and women
will find the street car great assist
ance in getting to market, and many
who live in the western section will
use 1t night and morning to their own
benefit.
The other extension is that of the
new company, which will soon COM
mence to lay track on Front street.
west to Monroe or Jackson, and per-
haps beyond. This it will be seen
will enable one to ride almost from
the eastern extremity to the western
extremity of the city's built up linn
lis, for the very small fare of fourteen
sents.
As these railways promote the inter
eats of citizens they should be kindly
dealt with. Yet strange to observe,
they are more heavily taxed ard
hardly uesd than any other form of
corporation.
There is one thing that has always
looked unfair about the management
OF our streets. When the country
people join and make turnpike they
charge toll ior man, horse and wagon.
Which is all right. But immense
wagons with tremendous loads day
and night traverse our streets from one
extremity of the city to the other with
out contributing a penny toward re-
pairing the highway. If this travel
was only by such as left their burdens
with our people less would be thought
OF it. But in what way do the great
teams who carry their freight to the
depots repair the damage they do our
stTeets7 In fact these teams will use
the tramway of the street cars every
day and do it more harm by far than
the car does; and the drivers will
laugh at the idea of their being ever
required to use care. Ii they break a
rail they will curse the railway com.
pany for not having better railway,
If car comes along the great wagon.
are stubbornly and sluggishly moved
off the track, with an oath against al
tracks, and yet from instinct tn,
horse with keen sense of which tn,
driver seems not possessed, walk.
right back TO the smooth and cas-,
rail that renders his hard task high
and no doubt lengthens his life. Their,
ought to be some way of devising al
equity in this direction. The recen
law taxing horses in our city wa
thought hard. But it is unquestiona.
bly, just. Why should the widow wht
owns small house on the street b,
made to provide highway in front 0
it for the accommodation of the ricl
mans carriage or the rich corpora
tion's.great wagons2
-~a~$.
The Atlanta Constitution think
it is we'll that Gen. Hancock attend
the Inauguration, so as To make In,
affair respectable. 1t will also as
H.