Telegram-herald., 1890-03-07
STREET CAR TALK
An Old Resident Airs His Per.
sonal Opinions.
The QUESTION OF RIGHT ayD WRONG
he Thinks some Rights Are Earned and
should Net be EBerosched UPon-
he PROPOSE An0ther Way
cut OF the Diucutty.

Wrsngling over street railroad tracks
and franchises and rights OF way, any
how" asked the TEIEGBAN-liERALD Of
an old resident, as be staunched MS
prominent proboscis with bandanda
handkerchief, yesterday afternoon.
"Well," said he, ''there are a good
many questions in that one, and Il
would take some time 10 answer them" "
"What DO you think of the Cable com
pany coming up Canal-st 10 Pearlg'
at appears 10 me like this: The pur-
pose of the Gable company in trying TO
secure a franchise in Canal-st, from
LYON 10 Pcarl->t., j. ostensibly for the
purpose of connecting ITS north aud
south lines, but the purpose OF that
corporation really ! 10 get "A Inc
through MonTOe-st. How viii this section
they have asked for connect their north
and south lines? The south line crosses
Monroe-st. at Ottawa and the lines
would rot come together within 400
feet. they have another and much
easier way of accomplishing the pur-
pose they claim 10 have IN view. There
IA point lust two blocks east OF the
place they wish TO occupy, where their
two lines arc now mucn nearer to-
gether than they would be, even If they
were allowed to extend their Canal-st.
line to Pearl-st.
"Thc south line stops at Pearl-st., on
Ottawa, and, if the company is really
sincere III It's wish, the managers can
make the connection much cheaper by
simply extending the Ottawa-st. line
10 Lyon-st., rs there they VIII only have
the length of the Houseman blockt O go.
The fact is, the Cable Company wants
to get a line up through Monroe-st.,
and If they can not do it
all at once, they propose
to go through by inches. Personally ]
am bitterly opposed TO this, for Mon
rOc-st. IS too narrow and the cars are
running too often through 1t to have
any more of "A blockade. | don't be
heve the citizens will allow it If they can
help themselves. Besides all this. there
is a question of both legal and moral
right involved. You perhaps remem-
Der how the street railway business was
in this city eight or ten years ago.
There were three or four peanut lines
running IN different parts OF the city.
The DIvision-st. line stopped at the Por-
ter Block the Reeds lake line was con-
sidercd a wildcat scheme of Jerry
BOyntOn's. and the terminus OF that
line was down on Grab Corners: the
Scrlbner-st. line ended at the Tower
Block, and the West Bridge-st. line
came up Lyon and Kent-sts. to North
Division. Every one of them was n
failure, both financially and practi-
cally. The cars would run usually
when they could get q load. and the
tracks, cars, horses and entire equip
ments were III a wrctched condition
This new company came on and pur-
chased all the lines and paid big prices
for them, and although tncv had no
competition they have steadily I'M
proved the cquipage of the road and
have organized the lines into q system
that has given splendid accommodation
to the public. Just rs the company is
getting into condition TO get some re-
turn for its investment, in walks COM
pCtItOr and is gwen without money
the right 10 build a double track line
right in the best paving part of the old
cOmpauy's road. That, certainly, i
not fair or Just To- the company that
came here while the city was vet small
and banked It's capital against the
growth Of the city aud the good faith
ofthe people and which gave them an ex-
elusive right IN some of It's streets. The
citizens have, TO q certain extent, broken
faith with the old company and thcy
should not 90 farther in the matter and
do them worse injury.
stHOW : II that tho Cable COpapauv =
so successful in gaining its cnds?"
asked the reporter.
"Wcll, ] don't know exactly" replied
the old resident. at seems TO me that
the matter has a strong SAVIOR Of poll
tics. OF course, there Is a good deal Of
talk about the council that is without
foundations; but it can not be denied
that there arc several aldermen who
arc invariably found working in the
interests of the Cable Company. at
tend once in a while myself and
can see about where the
shoe pincnes when street railway
matters como up. have heard n
rumored that the Cable Company has
a pretty sure chance of getting anv-
thing II wants. II Is said that that con
Germ Is even going 10 put a cable ticket
ilA Aft t4'tN 81 tttt spring ttfffbb, ana
Ike twO-edged sword thcv propose to
cut each way. On the Republican
ticket they propose to run Alderman
Baldwin for mayor, on the Democratic
ticket they will favor 4. !. Bovine.
That YOU see is heads win tails you
lose.
"Here : the old company Just about
10 put IN half A million for an electric
power plant. and give the city the host
possible service by giving rapid transit
and extending its lines ln every diroc-
ton, and il would be dead wrong 10 on
cr0ach any further upon their we'll
earned rights.
$50 shat IS your opinion z the mat
terT sad the reporter.
"Nes; that = my view Of the stua-
ton, bat ! suppose that the Cable Com
panv has its SIDE of the story ~ vol 80
remarked tho old citizen as he turned
away
CET 4 sERviNT GIRL FOR 4 NICKrL BY
adferf sing ia the Sryn.T IsrsGBsv-
HFasln.
Ran into = street Car.