The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1893-01-07
OUR ST. LOUIS LETTER.
ONCE building Improvements-AH Hun
dred Miles OF Electric Road to lie
BuIit-Selling FranchIses.

omce building lmprovemonts-AH Hun
dred Miles OF Electric TOAD to be
Buiit-seiling Franchisos.
ST. LOUIS, NO.. Dec. 24.-Every new
| Office building that rises with Its ten
| and twelve stories in st. Louis has an
improvement on the one built the
month before, that shows what iuven-
ito is doing for the convenience of the
business man. Rapid and intelligent
elevator service is the one thing needed
in these big editiccs. At present, in
most OF them, this is very irregular.
You may ring the bell, wanting to 70
| down, and along comes an elevator
going up. You have TO wait till i,
comes back. The newest idea is Il
| double bell on each floor, one OF them
marked, up and the other down. ="
You ring the bell that shows what Won
| want, and the elevator going Your way
comes to your floor and stops. The
| elevators that run continuously up and
| down without bells are being aban-
doned, as there is too much waste of
| power with them.
If the Assembly passes the street
| railway bills now before 1t, over u hun
dred miles of electric roads will be
| added before next fall to those now
running in the city. There are men in
the city who, taking advantage of this
intention of the railway builders 10
extend their lines into every nook and
corner of the city, are making fortunes
by keeping their eyes open and invest
ing small sums OF money judiciously
har a of
meeting of the Assembly. When an
application for Il new franchise Is
made, they take note OF the routc
The next day they drive along the pro-
jected line looking for vacant lots
Then they see the owner and offer to
pay his taxes in exchange for u years
option. In most cases he is glad to
get the Offer and closes with it at once
The other man pays the taxes and
watches the railroad bill. Ten to one
he closes the option before the year is
out, and makes q thousand per cent
on the investment, Us the property
jumps up at the approach of the new
road. A business OF this kind could
not be carried on ut all in city grow
ing less rapidly than st. Louis is.
There are thousands of people all
over the United States who have pleas
ant memories of visits 10 the great
woodland resort of st. Louis, Forest
Park. They have walked through it
by the footpaths, or driven along its
beautiful drives, and have marveled at
its scenery, its geological collection
and its botanical garden. All these
tourists will doubtless be Interested in
knowing that in year or less there
will be n belt line of electric railway
running around the park and connect
ing with the city lines so that visitors
may see the park from every side and
return TO their hotels without leaving
their seats. At certain points on the
line it will be possible to leave the
cars and, by a walk OF Il few hundred
yards, reach the lakes with their boats
and music, the tennis courts and the
haunt of the wheelmeu Mt the summit
of lung-tcsting hill. The franchise
for this road is to be sold ut auction.
and as it is certuin to he largely pat
ronizcd the price will be big one
A lady writer asks; ''lyby don't hnoheior.
marryln That's so: why don't they! Come
to think about 1t We have never seen a bachc-
Tor who was married It's lamentablc' too,