Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-19
COMMUNICATIONS.
Railroad Crossings and Bridges ln the
 Fourth Ward.

kSa1lfOa0 crossings ana brlOTc9 En the
 Fourth Ward.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 A few reasons why the crossings at Hill, Lafayette and Liberty streets should be closed and Liberty street not bridged over the tracks. A bridge over 8 railroad track is fully as dangerous for teams to drive over as the tracks are at grade crossing. and more especially so where the streets are very wide. Take any one of the bridges in the central part of the city and think you will fully agree with me and see what a bad place it is to be caught upontwith 8 high spirited horse. The sudden approach of the train from un- derneath the bridge gets the horses scared and they often become manageable, which sometimes results in serious runaways. It has occurred and is likely to occur again. here they are. Now would like to say few words in regard to the bridging of Lib erty street. Is it right, is it actually neces- sary, is it reasonable demand on the part of one or more citizens living in the Fourth ward to want bridge erected within stone's throw of Cedar street where there is bridge already located and would meet all the requirements necessary for the local travel toward Congress avenue and Washington street2 think not. My reasons for not bridging are these: We save expenses and damages to those living near and around it. We save the city an expense.
 Nowin regard to closing up the above mentioned streets where the track crosses them We abolish three of the number Of death traps in the city without any direct or indirect damage to anyone, and make those streets safe forever for any man, woman and child to travel. We read of the accidents that occur every day on railroad crossings and where they are protected by gates of the latest and most improved patterns, but you see that man is fallible who attends to the gates and it always will be so as long as they are used for public travel. Railroad companies should not always be held respon- sible for these accidents, and sometimes it looks as though they were eensured wrong fully. Now here is good chance and there never will come better time to abolish them and without doing direct injury to anyone. Now by closing these streets it makes all of the streets on the south side of the tracks from Minor street to Putnam naturally be- come more of thoroughfare. It makes all the property that lies between the New York railroad and Derby railroad more valuable. If you will look at it for moment you will see that it will centralizs it between these two roads. Railroads never decrease proper ty, but enhance it, especially near the termi- nus. Minor street will become street and not lane as it now is. Someone else will drive through 1t besides milk peddlers and kindling wood merchants. Prince street from Hill to Cedar street must become big thOrOugntare on account or us terminus aG Cedar street near the bridge. Silver street will be the main out let for Liberty on the north side. Lafayette street will turn into Silver street, which when opened to Commerce street will make Lafayette street from Congress avenue g complete thoroughfare to the depot and Water street.
 Now if the property owners living over in this section will look at the question in it's right light it won't take them long to decide which is right and which is wrong. Close up the whole street business and give the old Fourth ward boom. We outnumber any ward in the city in voters. The list will run up into the thousands next fall The vacant lots will soon be cov- cred with houses and the men employed by the two railroad companies will help to occupy them. The old dyke will look like unto second Chicago lying in between the two railroads. Large warehouses will go up, and all through the old hollow where we used to skate and catch bullfrogs and shoot muskrats will be covered with car loads of coal, flour, grain and lumber brought from the far West to be unloaded here in our little city of over 1000 inhabitants, and in ten years it will be over S0,O00. Do not put any obstacle in the way of public improve ments. G. l.. l.