Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-19
our Great Retail street

Va are bound to infer from the remarks
Of Mr.. FrsHxn reported in the DIsPArcH OF
Yesterday morning that the street-car
company has not yet decided when it will
mt electric-cars on Broad street.
What can be the matter? The company
vas understood to be only waiting for the
removal of the old tracks from Broad
street. and tho City Engineer has an
nounced that be has given orders for that
work to be done.
It would be o disappointment to the
Broad-street merchants and to the patrons
whom they number by the tens of thou
sands if they were told that they were not
to have electric-cars On Broad street this
year.
II there is any reasonable and proper
legislation needed by the company we
trust that it will be freely granted them.
We suggest that the Broad-street mer-
chants appoint a committee to look into
the matter, and if they find any difficult
les let them see if they cannot be
| smoothed out, and if the company needs
| to be urged let them do the urging.
So far the company has done more for
| the city than the city has done for it. Con-
| slider our pitiable state when Mr.. FLYNN
| came down here and associated with him.
| self q number of public-spirited gentle
men with the purpose of building the
| first electric road here. Look how
Churchill Hill has grown in wealth and
| population since then look how the West
| End has profted and what suburbs have
| started into life in the old fields" Yes
| we W the company much.
When electric cars are once put on
| Broad street we shall consider that the day
| is not lar distant when there will be a con.
| tinuous line from the Exposition-Ground
| to Chimborazo Park. If o viaduct be
| needed it can be built, but it may not be
| needed. Such is the present rate OF de-
| velopment in electric machinery mat 1t is
| not unreasonable to suppose that In the
| course of q few years the means will be at
| hand to run cars up and down hills such
as those which make the valley Of Shockoe
| creek.
During the late war o track was laid be-
| tween the Chesapeake and Ohio Central
| Company's depot, along Broad street. to
| the depot of tho Richmond, Fredericks-
burg and Potomac Railroad Company, OF
| the northwest corner of Broad and Eighth
streets, and empty cars were run up anc
down. One Of the necessities of our situa-
ton demanded that we should be able &c
transfer the few cars we possessed from
one railroad to another quickly. and hence
this track was laid. Probably 1t was moi
often used land the motive power mus
have been "a mountain-c climber" as the
locomotives then in use for ascending
steep grades were called.
What was barely possible then ought t'
be of easy accomplishment nov. A cable
line at that particular point would d.
away with the necessity for a vladuct
Perhaps electric machinery will soon b'
obtainable which will be equally "a gooC
as the cable. When that time comes
residence on Church Hill will be ever 81
much more desirable than 1t is now. Blu
IL would hurt lower Main street. wouldn'
it? Perhaps So, at first. In every cit
business shifts with the progress of thu
people. Less and less retail business Il
done or Main street every year; bu
other businesses are taking the place
of retailers. Downtown property 10 oouf'
to rise in value. There are sure to be tw'
great railroad depots down there, ant
around them will gather warehouses
wholesale houses, and manufactures. AL
ready large building sites downtown ar
salable at good prices. So while Broa'
street is destined TO grow In greatness W
may be sure that it will not cause az,
other part of Richmond to be abandoned
for business purposes.
All Of these reasons warm our hope tina
Broad street Is not to be doomed to de
pend much longer on mule-cars. Mule
cars in a city and in an age of electricity
Whew!