Daily Republican., 1881-05-27
Our CITY Railways

Our City Railways
The formal opening of the Fourth
street branch of the Wilmington City
Railway yesterday marked another era
in the progress of improvements in our
city. evil it pay?" was the question
which agitated the public business mind
of our city decade back on the
opening of the Wilmington City Rail
way. 1t was an unsOlved question: but
Wilmington then had 80, 900 population
and needed City Railway, and there
were people found who were willing to
take the risks give their money and
build the road. Did it pay ? Not at
first but we had the railroad. 1t did
not pay the first, second, third nor for
several years thereafter, but the read |
was operated nevertheless just as eff
ciently as if it had been paying big divi- |
dends. But it did pay at last. All un-
dertakings of that kind, started for the
public good and the improvement of a
city wide awake to It's advantages, gen
orally do pay some time. The VIII
mington city railway does pay now. All
out Delaware avenue, a new city may
be said to have sprung up since the
city railway was built. The Lover
ing farm has been crossed with
streets, cut up into lots and a busy
thrifty, wealthy population, residingsin |
the finest houses in the city, now live
where but fifteen years ago was but the
old farm house and corn and wheat
fields. The Forty acres, " not very
euphonious name for the western part
of the Seventh Ward, has become almost
city railway. McDowelville is no long ,
er a disconnected suburb of the city,
and the soldiers monument on BrooIna
street, reminds us that Wilmington is
growing metropolitan with public in
stitutions and attractive interests off
Market street. The Rising San extern
sion of the City Railway was built even
before it was fully demonstrated that :
the main city line would pay, but it re-
quired but little foresight TO see that an q
extension westward tapping the Ban :,
croft and DUPONT settlements would not :,
be long in paying. :,
In this calculation the progenitOrs of
the road were not mistaken. II has "
paid, and the latest evidence of that is ~ =,
the moving of the track to take in the
new suburban town known as the High
ands. This is not much of place yet =,
o look at, but it is big in anticipations "
which will be realized before long 1t
started right. The first thing wls to ~
ay out an avenue, build the city rail "
way through it and plant shade trees. "
rllis donre, the houses are following. v"
The City Railway and the push and 49,
Energy of Mr.. Heald did this. 1t will
,ay, and the Fourth street line of the
jity Railway opened yesterday, will -
lsO pay. 1t is but the commencement VI
f a series of public improvements east 30
yard that must eventually result in the ,'''
a 20 ,,o 1.,.. 49,, lea
uilding of wharyes upon the river and VI
he reclaiming and development of
asst area of marsh land now only valu- '"'
bic for truck patches on the higher '''
rounds and sour marsh hay on the .P'
over. Like the main line of the City '''i
Hallway, it will hardly pay at first, but '',
is developing and improving the city '0'
nd like the parent line and the west o''
yard extension it will pay not far in .''
he future. 10
The management of our City Railway "''
las been in excellent hands-and we VII
nay well trust the future in the same f''
Iands. We feel assured now that in o''
he hands of such enterprising gentle W.
zen other branches of the City Rail
,ay will be built at the right time. ~
he company that has taken such i'm
ortant risks and kept fully abreast .,
the times-indeed anticipating them,
i'll, we are confident eXteAd the City \
ailway to other sections as soon as tbe
rcumstanCes will permit. his
The people Of Wilmington owe debt In
gratitude to its enterprising City the
ailway Company, to