The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-14

They Damn 1t, Not With Faint Praise,
but More Vigorous Condemnation--The
Street Railway Company Vigorously
Criticized--What the Tax-Payers Have
to Say.
TIE TIMES has taken the side of the
people in regard to the street railway
matters. a reporter yesterday inter-
viewed people generally who have car
riages, and their language was not such
as an ambitious Councilman would like
to hear from his constituents, and in
many instances has to be modified to
make suitable reading for Sunday
school scholars. Not man was found,
except those. Interested in the company,
that did not dcnounce the present con-
dition of the street railway tracks, and
the action of the Council last Saturday
night by giving the railway nearly
every thing it asked for, regardless of
the wishes and interest Of their much
loved constituents.
The livcrymcn were first interviewed.
and below is the result:
Mr. Frank Wclch said: 1.-The Trail
is Il nuisance. The present condition
of the street railway is Il disgrace to the
city. ] have buggy and carriage wheels
ruined nearly every day. and the Coun-
Gil should require that the tracks for
the new electric cars should be laid
with HAT rails. People want the priv
lcgc Of stopping carriages in front Of
their own houses. and for this reason
they should keep in the middle of the
streets. They ought to pave between
and about the tracks, and keep the
streets in good condition.
Mr. c. l.. Miller said: '.NIy carriage
and wagon wheels are constantly being
smashed by these abominablc rails. The
flat rail should be substituted, and it is
unjust to property owners along one side
of the street to allow the railway along
on that side
Mr.. G.. IL. Thomas, of the firm of Dyer
Bros. Il Thomas: 1--WE have not been
in business long, but have already suf-
fered from the terrible condition of the
street railway. The best regulated cities
require the fiat rail, and it should be
laid here"
Mr.. j. G. Kncpp: THE street railway
has cost me a large amount of money in
the way of repairs on vehicles. The
City Council should require fiat rails
make the company keep in the middle
of the street, and pave between and
about it's tracks,
When the reporter approached Mr..
w. c. Williams on the subject, after a
moments reflection he replied ''Thc
present rails are entirely satisfactory
Mr.. Christian is one of my best Gus
TONER'S"
Assistant Manager Cobb. of Hotel
Roanoke, who was standing by at the
time, remarked: The street railway,
as it is now is nuisance. | sold my
buggy on account of it,
Mr.. j. w. Witt, a repaircr. said: ''The
fiat rail is preferable to the Trail. which
undoubtedly wrecks many wheels"
Mr.. Il. 5. Miller, manager of the
1}ridgcwatcr Carriage Works: "A great
or portion of our repair work is done on
wheels wrecked by the street railway
The fiat rail is undoubtedly far more
satisfactory than any other kind. The
privilege Of extending the lines on the
sides of residence streets should not
have been granted"
Mr.. j. :. Hilbert, a mechanic at f.
X. Gravatt's repair shop, said: ''Wo
have wheels to repair nearly every day
that have been wrecked by the street
railway"
Mr.. o. d. Deer said: My carriage
wheels are constantly in need OF repair
on account of the bad condition of the
street railway tracks. The company
should by all means be required to lay
the fiat rails and keep in the middle of
the street. ] believe double track will
damage Campbell as a business street
have never known city except Roa-
noiie where the cars were allowed to
e tIa otr al ;c.l,
Mr.. +. Is. Kemp said: Tho present
condition OF the street railway makes it
a nuisance. 1t has cost mo 5000 in the
last eight months. 1t is no pleasure to
drive on any street occupied by the
street railway. The fiat rail should be
required by all means, and a railway on
one side of residence streets will damage
property on that side. The company
should pave between and about its
tracks. We could afford to pay some
thing to get the company to use the fiat
rails
Mr.. j. b. Neal said: ''The Trail is a
nuisance that is not allowed in any we'll
regulated city, and the Council did an
unjust thing to grant the privilege of a
double track on Campbell street, be-
tween Commerce and jefferson. Men
who have Offices along the street can
not stop their teams in front of their
doors and merchants can not unload
drays. The street railway is a good
thing with proper restrictions. Keep
them in the middle of the streets on
fiat rails, and require them to keep up
the part of the street they occupy and
they are all right"
Mr.. w. p. Dupuy said The Trial is
the most Objectionable, and the idea of
Oublo-trackinr i'amDbpll street ic