St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-22
STREET RAILROAD.
The Question of Double or Single
Track Considered.
A Committee to Prepare an Ordinance for
Council Meeting Tonight.

street railway company to pave the track be-
tween the rails with coble stones, and also a
resolution authorizing the same company to
place double tracks ON Fourth steeet from
Wabashaw to Seven corners, and on jackson,
Seventh, Thirteenth and other streets. The
resolution and the ordinance were referred
to the committee on ordinances and streets.
A meeting of these committees was held last
evening and parties interested are notified to
met the committee, among whom were Com
modore Davidson, W. c. Morrison, William
Constans, Il. J. Horn and DR.. Murphy.
THIRTEENTH STREET.
The meeting was called to order by Aid.
johnson, the chairman of the committee on
streets, in doing which he stated the purpose
in view, and read the ordinance and resolu
ton, and also q protest against putting q
double track on Thirteenth, or Pearl, street,
which is but fifty feet in width.
Aid. Dowlan said in reference to Thirteenth
street that he was of the opinion that
double track would be better for the street
than a single one.
Mr.. Barnard said Thirteenth street was
and very steep grade down which the cars
run from Jackson to Thirteenth. Atfrst the
people on that street seemed to be the tail
end of the proposition, and they were given
poor cars and poor service, but lately under
the new management they have better cars
and have become somewhat recon-
ciled to the cars passing
through the street. They would like
to know what the street car people can afford
to do. The people along that street want a
good street some time, and if the street car
company will grade up the street they would
probably be better satisfied. They have a
sewer and water there, and feel that if the
street car company puts down its track as the
street now is they will never get the grade
they ought to have. He would be satisfied to
have straight slant from jackson to the
east edd of Thirteenth street.
The chairman informed Mr.. Barnard that
Thirteenth street was in the resolution, that
it had been left out by Mr.. Lowry, at the
request of the people on the street, but that
if Mr.. Barnard wanted it in it could be in
serted.
Mr.. Barnard said that if the street car
company would gutter and curb the street he
would agree to put the street into the resolu-
ton, and submitted written proposition to
that effect.
The chairman called upon Mr.. Lowry to
make reply to Mr.. Barnard's proposition,
and that gentleman stated that the street car
company would be glad to do all the grading
necessary, as established by the CT ty, but he
thought it was too much to ask the company
to gutter and curb the street. That is ex-
pensive. Ia this connection he read the fol-
lowing communication from the president of
the Metropolitan Railway company:
BosToN, Aug 6, 1888:
Thomas Lowry, Esq; Dear Sir:
/ have yours asking me for my opinion re-
garding the effect of double tracks as an OBJ
struction to travel, when laid in streets of
less than sixty feet in width. I think can
best give you my ideas upon the subject by
relating some of my own experience for the
past ten years.
Boston, as is well known, has a larger part
of its area intersected by narrower streets
than any other American city, especially in
older parts, and the most of our principal
highways will not average forty feet in width
between the sidewalks. The Metropolitan
railroad company own and operate over
seventy-fve miles of track. A larger part
of this was originally laid as single
track, butthe growth of our business has
compelled us to ask our city government for
an additional track in all streets where it was
possible to lay two tracks, and in conse-
quence we have large part of our business
in successful and unobstructed operation in
streets 40, 45 and so feet in width. I have
had formerly, but not of late years, a very
fierce opposition from the property owners
and principal storekeepers AUDITING on the
streets, arising from belief on their part
that double tack would cause such block
ade in front of their stores that parties could
not get to their doors in carriages, etc. The
most notable case of this kind occurred some
four years ago, when 1 petitioned for an adj
ditional track on Washington street
between Temple place and Summer street.
The great dry goods house of Jordan, Marsh
81 Co. opposed me at the hearing before our
board of aldermen, and upon the ground
that the street was too narrow, it being but
thirty-fve feet wide in front of their build
ing. 1 then used the argument that has since
been demonstrated as true, and that is, that
two tracks in a narrow street are better than
one, in that they regulate the travel of We
hicles by causing them to keep in line going
both ways. Now, where single track exists
drivers of teams are continually seeking to
pass each other going both ways and conse
quently scene of confusion and obstruction
is the result. Messrs. Jordan and Marsh de-
MED this, and declared that the laying of
two tracks in front of their prem
ises would damage them so much
that they would have to move their business
elsewhere, &C., &c. The board of aldermen
saw fit to grant the location, and the double
tracks were laid at once, and with the follow
ing results: What was the most crowded
and team obstructed portion of any street in
Boston, and where blockades were of con-
slant occurrence, became place of free, easy
and expeditions passage, and the four police
men stationed at each end of this part of
Washington street, and whose sole duty it
was to disentangle and clear away the con-
slant blockade of teams of all kinds, were re-
moved and sent elsewhere by the city govern
ment in one week after the tracks, were laid,
and not blockade has been seen
there since. And within a shcrt time
after, Messrs. Jordan & Marsh experienced,
not what they had supposed, but on the con-
trary, great relief from what they had be-
fore. They called on me and expressed their
qualification with the change, and said they
would not have the second track removed for
twenty thousand dollars year.
Ny experience has been the same everv-
where, and am happy to say. that no lon
ger find any opposition whatever, whenever
1 ask, to lay two tracks in any street where
there is seven or eight feet left on either side
of them, so that carriage can drive up and
stand, if need be, in front of any mans
premises.
We have a number of streets of only forty
feet in width, where we have
double tracks in successful operation,
and l have now one or more petitions before
our board of alderman for additional tracks
in streets of less width than. that. Time will
prove to you as it has to me, that a single
track in any street is nothing but trouble
to you, and of no advantage to anybody.
We never build in that way now.
Accept my dear friend, my kind regards,