St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-20
The Subject of Quick Trans
portation Between the
Twin Cities.
Some Opinions on the Sub
ject by a Real Estate
Man.
The Franchise Should Be Lib
eral, But the City Should
Be Protected.
Some Improvement in the
General Condition Of the
Market Noted.

One of the most important matters
that can attract theattention of the res
identS of Minneapolis and ST. Paul at
the present time is that of quick, easy,
cheap transportation between these two
great cities. Every person ought to see
what is coming. Here are two cities
with nearly or quite 100000 people
within their combined borders. The
two are naturally coming together; it
is natural that they should. These two
cities. so far as the business of the world
is concerned, will be regarded as one.
The combined influence and power of
both is to-day compelling a readjust-
ment of freight rates between st. Paul
and Minneapolis and the Atlantic sea-
board. The controlling influence of Chi
cage is rapidly diminishing, and
the freight and general business
center is coming further west. so that
the general distributing point for the
Northwest will not much longer have
any place in Chicago. Coal and other
heavy freights will not much longer
be reshipped at Chicago for the North
west. They will soon pass by Chicago
Superior. There is nothing artificial
about this. 1t is, on the contrary,
natural that it should be so. Every
business consideration points to the
fact that every eXertion should be made
to make these two great communities
practically one so far as possible by
furnishing rapid transit between the
two cities. This will be the means of
filling up the space between the two.
Below will be found the result of an
interview with A. r. Bushnell, of the
real estate firm of Bushnell & Bushnell,
on this matter. The considerations set
forth are worth thinking over.
%sx
''The subject of quick transportation
between the Twin Cities has taken hold
of the citizens of st. Paul and Mime
apoliS with great strength, and is now
engaging the attention of a special COM
mittee of our city council and half a
dozen proposed rapid transit COM
panies,'' said Mr.. Bushnell. Indeed,
from the present outlook, we've all the
expectations of the different promoters
of quick transportation realized, we
would have enough roads to convey
three times the population we have at
the present time. The people of St.
Paul are not anxious to have a great
many roads. They do, however, want
one good, quick transportation line be-
tween st. Paul and Minneapolis that
will give rates reduced to at least %
cents for the round trip betN cen the
two cities, and from Is to 20 cents for
round trips to such points as Manchester
Park, Merriam Park and north of Lake
Como.
NO EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISES.
"The matter of franchises should be
very carefully looked after by the city
council, as well as by the citizens them
selves. We have had enough of eXclu-
sive franchises already, and want no
more of this kind of business. The
parties that are in the field at the pres
ent time after franchises may be work
ing in perfect good faith, but the city of
st. Paul cannot afford to give any man,
or set of men, the right to build short
line or an elevated railroad in the
city'S corporate limits to the exclusion
of any other man or organization that
may come along and ask for such a
right. In other words, the party or par
ties to whom franchise is granted
should make deposit to guarantee that
they mean business. The city cannot
afford to give these men franchises that
are valuable, that they may go around
and speculate on them, Offering them
for sale at advanced prices over what it
has cost them to secure the same, in
the way of time, energy and money.
The people of st. Paul want to have
franchises granted to men who are pre-
pared to build, not to secure some one
else to build. They want company
that will say, we are ready with capf.
tai to put through this proposed line in
a reasonable time, provided you give us
the proper franchise, and will guaran-
tee, by deposit, that we will build the
line contemplated in the franchise
granted, This reasonable time should
be limited in such way that the parties
will be compelled to commence work
within three months from the date the
franchise is granted. On elevated OF
surface lines there is great deal of pre-.
liminary work that could be commenced
before the iron work and heavier Dor.
lions of the work on ike line would be
needed, such as getting the line cleared
up, grading and getting stations started
and hundred other things that could
occupy them, if it were necessary, for 6
which to get out their castings and
other materials necessary for the con
Struction of the line proper.'''
SHOULD BE WELL SATISFIED.
The committee of the city council now
| looking into the question of franchises
| should be we'll satisfied that the right
| they give will be acted upon immedi
| ately, not placed in somebody's pocket
and pretty soon a hurried trip of some
| of the originators of the scheme East
and later on the information that a new
company has been organized to builo
the line. That means that somebody is
| going to make profit on that very
franchise in the way of bonus paid t(
them by the company that will go ahea(
| and build the line. Still the council. III
looking after the interests of the citv
should bear in mind that some encour
agement has got to be given to com
panies to build elevated or surface
roads that will give the population O.
st. Paul transportation to property
! where homes can be erected on lot:
| costing from 5000 to $1,000, and where
the fare will be not over 8 or 10 cents
! instead of Is or 20 cents, as it is now II
Manchester and Merriam Parks.
CHEAP HOMES.
Our city depends now on its develop
ment in the way of homes, as well az
| manufactures, for its growth. Ever
month people are forced to go to Mime
| apOlis because there they can find plent,
of cheap homes for rent or for sale OF
easy terms and within easy distance O
the city by quick transportation. If WI
are going to have a city here of 800, OO
people in 1900 we must encourage TIT
| settling up of the outlying districts, ant
that can be done in no better way thai
by affording these districts all the trans
portatiOn facilities that they can posi-
bly, use in the next ten years. A lin,
that would run through Reserve town
ship, striking Manchester and Merriam
] Parks, st. Anthony Park and Uniol
| Park, would be an incalculable benefi
to our city. Another line, running nortl
of Lake Como, opening up one of thu
most beautiful districts about ST. Paul
would add $4,000 OF $4,000 inhabitants tt
our city in the near future. In the dis