Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-29
Are: the 0ld-FashiOned Horse Cars
for.the Progressive People of :
the West End District.
THEY DEMAND RAPID TRANSIT.
,Big.Mass Meeting, at Which the Patrons Of
the Present Road Vigorously
Express Their Views.
,soMErHING.M MUST BE DONE AT ONCE.
They Object to Paying Out Good Money for Poor
Accommodations.

In the language of the 'pstient and long
suffering public" of the West End, they
| last night entered a most businesslike pro-
| test against 'snail locomotion and chicken
coop street cars" As a result, the Pitts
burg and West End Street Railway Com
pany will have to brace up and give its
patrons rapid transit and better accommo-
dations at once or q competing line will be
! built.
Several days ago notices, of which the
following is a copy, were posted in large
numbers about CHARTERS, Grafton, Ingram,
Mansfield and the West End:
NoTICE-A public meeting will be held in
the Daubs building, Friday evening, August
IS at o'clock, for the purpose of formulat-
ing plan for more rapid transit for the
West End and vicinity.
WEST END CITIZENS.
This innocent-looking little notice seemed
to be fully understood by the patrons of the
West End Railway, and at the appointed
hour prominent residents of that part of the
city and neighborhood commenced gather
ing about the hall. 1t was evident they
were in earnest and deeply convinced that
they had a serious grievance to consider.
WEST ENDERs DEAD IN EARNEST.
They stood around the street corners in
little groupes and discussed the best modes
of procedure until the opening hour.
Finally light was struck in the room in
which the meeting was to be held, and
within ten minutes the apartment was filled
to its capacity. Fully 400 people were
present, representing, it was stated, over
81, 100000 worth of property affected
by insufficient street car accommodations.
From the turn which affairs soon took, it
was evident that the people present were
not only anxious to protest against the
present road, but ready and willing to
build new road. providing a right of way
can be secured. They said they were done
begging of the West End company, and
now proposed to demand that the public be
accommodated in the matter of street
car travel, or that the charter of
the present road be annulled. "We come
here this time," said prominent man in
the meeting to DISPATCH reporter, "to
kick against the West End road and not to
ef efg e. and we are going to kick the lining out
The meeting was called to order at eight
O'Clock, by Prof T. T. Taylor, who imme-
diately put motion electing Joseph Hays,
the well known attorney, chairman. Homer
McGaw was selected as secretary.
In stating the object of the meeting, Mr..
HAYS took it for granted that all under
stood the disadvantages under which the
West End residents had so long labored.
He said the people OF that unfortunate part
) of the city lived too much on hestreet cars.
NECESSITY OF MODERN METHODS.
''The horse cars were all right in their
day and generation" he said, "but we now
feel the necessity of more modern and rapid
transit 1t now takes the most part of an
hour to go to the city, and in that time we
can go to Sewickley or almost anywhere
else on the steam cars. We all realize the
reason for the non-development of the West
End and vicinity, which is owing to not
having better means of getting to and from
the city. 1t should be as well or better de-
veloped than other parts of the city,
Mr.. j. II. Wise, of Wise & Minor, was
called upon and made speech, which was
well received. '1 have been looking around
to see how to get out of the dilemma" he
said. ''This is most valued country about
the West End-as valuable as any in the
county. 1t is fertile, beautiful and free
from malaria; but notwithstanding these
advantages poor street car service has been
keeping us in the background. The West
End Passenger Company has q monopoly,
and they make the plea that they are held
back by the bridge company. The bridge
has not been profitable, so it is claimed,
notwithstanding extra prices, and this diff
Guilty is hard to overcome. How are we
going to solve the difficulty? Some suggest
a tunnel from Birmingham to Shalersville
as the only way out, unless we can purchase
the franchise of the West End road. A
better way would be to devise some means
by which We could secure the right of
way over the Lake Erie Railroad, for an
elevated road running to the Steubenville
pike. 1 don't see why this cannot be done.
We must do something We are hedged in;
our real estate is oppressed, and we cannot
sell it as readily as property Is miles from
the city in other directions. 1t now takes |
two hours a day to go and come from
the city, and during the winter
months there are times when we cannot go
at all. Besides the cars are cold and un-
comfortable.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS MADE.
John Ralph followed Mr. Wise, making
a number of suggestions more or less |
practical. He thought a new street |
should be opened up along the Lake |
Erie road, on which to build a new
street railway. eff we go about it
right" he said, 1--WE may be able |
to induce the present road to sell out. to us
or give us the rapid transit we ask. A ju-
dicious protest might have that effect. Per
haps if committee would 60 before the
officials of the company and explain to /
them that it would be to their interests to
give us rapid transit, and thus build this
part of the city up, they might oit"
Prof Taylor then proceeded with most
vigorous kick, which, after taking his
second wind" he supplemented with
more strenuous protest later in the proceed
ings. He gave history of the old method |
of reaching the city by ferry and the old bus
route, which he described as but
little worse than the present ar
rangement. 'There are no accommodations
now" he said. The passengers are packed
in like sardines, and hard working men and
girls, tired out by their days labor, are
compelled to stand up. [Applause] Is it
any wonder that people say that a man is a
fit subject for Dixmont who will purchase
~ h.r NJ