The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-11-21
Street Railways.

growth of cities, all have been brought
about in no small degree by street rail
ways. 1t would be very expensive, and
luxury to be enjoyed only by the rich
to live in the retired, open and healthy
neighborhoods of a large town but fer
the cheap travel afforded by street car
lines. The poor and middle classes could
not afford to keep horses and carriages,
and would therefore be obliged to live
in the crowded parts of the city, in orrer
to be near their places OF business. Any
one visiting city having street cars
and all cities have them-will observe
that laborers, mechanics and poor people
ride ON the cars. Ladies go to and from
market on the cars The ears are used
by shoppers, sight-seers. men and
women going to and from their work;
as well as by people who ride for pleas
ure, and to catch breath of fresh all"
on the city outskirts.
The rich have their own private con
veyances, and therefore need not resort
to street ears unless they seek the .con-
forts" of cheap riding. The two great
classes benefited by street railways are
the poor i'll whatever part of the city
they may live. and the owners of SUI
burt an property.
If Staunton would shake off the az
Dearance of country town or village,
she must needs have street railway.
There is a great demand for a line. or
for several connecting lines in Staunton.
Even with the limited lines of our pres
ent city limits, we hear it daily said,
"Oh, you live so far off, | can't get to
you.n Our city is billy, and the walking
is difficult. Some persons are compelled
to live in the crowded portions of the
town to avoid walking up and down the
hills. Street railways would avoid all
this, and make every man a neighbor
apart they lived.
But by far the greatest benefit arising
from street railways, is TO the owners of
outlying town lots. 1t needs no demon
stration to prove this. 1t is II self evil
dent proposition. The truth of it is
automatic.
We have heard of but one single OBJ
lection which has been urged by some
persons against Il street railway in
Staunton. They say our streets are too
wider. Solid walls of brick mark their
lines, which have been established by
law. and there Is nothing within the
range of probability that can ever
change them. Then is the growth of
our city to be retarded, and our people
/ to be deprived of the benefits of one of
| the greatest improvements of this age
/ simply because our streets are narrow.
! The objection that is most strongly
I urged, is that carriages and wagons can
not stand ''all the day long, on the
streets. In no city are such things per-
/ mitted, and our city ordinances provide
a remedy for these things. Side streets
where there are no crowds, furnish con
venient and ample space for stands. y
AS to our country friends, not one in a
dozen ever shops from their carriages.
There are wagon yards. established
for the very purpose of providing places
of security for horses and vehicles of our
county people when they come to town.
The propretors of these yards pay
license taxes to the city for the privilege
! of keeping their yards, and the country
people greatly prefer to put up at them,
because they are not liable to have their
property injured by accidents on the
streets. This is precisely the condition
of things when we have no street rail
WAYS, and with the establishment CT
street railways for the comfort of the
people and the promotion of the growth
of the city, the conditions would not be
changed. The increased demand for
wagon yard accommodations has in
creased the number in our city, until we
now have four or five yards. where one
used to do the entire business Every
convenience, protection and safety
should be afforded all people visiting
our city, especially our own county peo-
pie; but certainly it is a proposition not
entertained for a moment that the
growth of the city is to be retarded, and
its limits circumseribed for any fancied
security to any one class of people.
We say again, If we would get out OF
the ruts of a country town or village. we
must have all the stimulants necessary
to the growth of a city. We have now
all the improvements of any modern
city. except street railways. They come
next to complete the line of progress
They are coming, and are not to be stop
ped by objections which lie in the path
of our progress and development.
Property owners along the projected
lines, and the owners of suburban lots
should look to their interests by doing
all in their power to promote these
plans.
ELIZABETH CITY, N. c., Jan. 1st, 1889.
Stonebraker's Flavoring Extracts are
the finest we ever used and give oul
trade the best satisfaction.
ETHRIpGE s. ETHRIDGE.
Sudden Death.