New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-12
Metropolitan Traction Company Will
Bid for it Against the Sue
cessful Applicant.
A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF TRANSFERS.
HIM., ,l,c AIdcrmcu's Action Been Dlf.
Gcrcnt There Would Have Been
No Competition at the Sn1e.

II
largest number 10 give the grant 70 me nru avenue
Railroad Company"
TIL. Third Avenue Company applied for this franchise
three years ago and afterwards their great rival
the Metropolitan Traction Company. put In n similar
,,ca,on The struggle between these two corporations.
which finally closed with victory to the Third Avenue
comnany has been a long and persistent one.
Railroad Committee after Railroad Committee has taken
f. IN Hearing after hearing has been held. and every
ono Interested has had abundant opportunity to he heard
There is great rejoicing. not only on WASHINGTON
Uclshts. the ropuious Eat SIDE as Well over
the AIlernens action in favor Of the Third Avenue
Company.
I'nouestionnty TO eloaurnce energy and nne ren
-onng powers Of Edward Iautetach is the grant - he
Third Avenue. Company In good part due He mas long
.cn council for corporation and Is entirely familiar
with It's history with the transportation needs OF tho
city with far-seeinc eyes. he has come 70 know what
Tn, growth OF the city would be and what Ines us d'-
vclopment would follow. Ie has made study ~ the
Conformation Il the city mn! ~ ia great thor'uSa
- as 10 be able - tell what surface lines would be the
greatest aid tho expansion ~ the ciiy Consequently
Mr. i4lu,crhac's arguments on the subject 81 the car
line to Kngbrlige have been snguirrly clear focime
and convincing fils standing as corporation lawyer
Thoroughly recognized by the LEGAL well The business
world aad he especially well acquainted with the
laws governing street railway companies and ranhisfs
Win such - knowieig.. II was no AT all sur
rlsng TIA, the Aldermen should have been
- effective.
!, WAS but that the Franchise should have been
Allotted g. their Th~ Third Avenue was Tho pioneer In
ctl4
cable n one hundred andt eniy-nrh-st. they ran
hors..car line TO Harlem period when vacant lo's
were more plentiful along Tho route than passns Hi
when Harlem considered ~ liti'e pafi OF New
York ns Jersey. They the pioneers IN surface 'r
p,raton in this town having Tor rs object the building
up Of the upper aections
PIONEERS ~ RAPID TR>NsfT.
Away lick IN 1859 tho Thri Avenue RAILROAD Company
composed = tho individuals Nai to-day eom3's' H.
ooxan the development - the rair al - Harlem AMI
r.rlzci their money and even wen, int' bankruptcy
~ wears tho s'o,k selling for IL cents On The dollar
although n cost these men hundred They built
rad 70 tho Red House In Harlem. AMI that built up iiar
lem They surpen~i tho Oh fiase oo"'h and they dil
H.. lonr IN advance efforts = other people.
They found rcxcy old onehorse railroad on one hun
drei twen,ynnh-s Their charter contained the
right - Tenth ave. ~" Ams'"rdam-ave II was IN
a.. that time with scarcely any streets
crossing above One-hunired and twenty hf'hat AMI
,oarcsly asy Inhabitants. with w and Own hill grades
un.auali.f Ia the city e.ewhrr- and with scarcely
house between Harlem and Fort George They went 70
tie Legislature and ~. Board q Aldermen and they
finally cable railroad IN place Of tho Old ram
shacs. onr-horrc railroad and ran II across "hundred
ani.,reniy nt,h.s'. and ~ Au-t-riam-ase
They laughed AT and jecrei at. but they put
millions 4 dollars into the enterprisc. The engineering
duncuitlss great. because u tho cro,on conduit
beneath tho surface Ams'eri,mave It was impos'
stl. the cable construction. and every foot
- work had 20 he done b, ruchinE and f-a,hernc
by ohs.ilins. from the beginning - tho end
city. hu, 'h- who put the railroad there dii 1t when
I, was n risk no, when It benefit and aiyaniage
easy thing that ANYBODY might handle They r'Sei
ani took their chances and tho value u real
| estate along their route Increased nycfold
MODEL. CABLE RAILROAD.
Then tho people stopped laughing them. and the
trop.ry-owners che.r-i them. and they began 10 get
rruro This pioneer cable railroad
n model for all others In tho country built since
Pr years the only line q surface transit 10
Stv. n East le a
tnuous journey the west side " Harlem and Washing
tons Heights
When the foresight ~ the ~ the Third Avenue
Railroad Company had been proved anl their and
pluck rewarded by tho immediate building up ~ the
Washington Heights section and the success
OF the road. the extended s cable line through
one hur drc and twenty nfthUt and Manhattnn-st -
the Fort Lee Ferry. As before. real estac along the
doubled ana irp-i In value. Everywhere the Third
| Avenue Railroad Company hns been pioneer. By ns
progressive enterprise has added millions upon millions
OF dollars 70 the assessahe values u New York city
When changed It's horse railroad Thiri-ave to
cable road the city line that has been high IN
popular favor ever since Tho ears were OF the newest
design ard ses, construction They clean. we'll
lighted and close intervals. There open
In abundance in summer and ali the are heated In
winter. A safety fender adopted almost
the line started and superior has yet
found Every Is equipped with this appliance which
Is connected with the trucks and which has saved the
| lives Of hundreds Of careless pedestrians.
The principle which gives this safety fender value
not SO much in Its form In the fact that IT lies
back far under the enI Of tho possible.
thus gives the gripman chance to check stop hs
before the fallen Is struck by anything which
| crush him.
WHY THE SERVICE Is or THE BEST.
Tho greatest 81 all cable plants In the country the
at sxtynfth-st.. where the Third Company
| has 800 hoNse power engines Every engine Is
kept either at work ready for work For overisung
cables for examination. there small engines The
bic drums driven directly by the engines
earlier plants the engines connected the driving
drums by geared wheels but thes. lacked elasticity
now the plan In general Is to by many
endless belts Of cotton each belt working sep
| arste get Of grooves In the pnl-ys.
The Third Avenue Company has given the city the
best lines OF cable railroad possible build and opernte
Every appliance for the comfort and safety
Of the passengers has been added system as fast
as Its utility was demonstrated. Walk along the tracks
Third-a,e.. and the north side Of every evenly
numbered and about the distances apart
downtown will beside Of the wheel pit plates
ANAL iron plate. oblong and about foot by eight
| inches In Under every Of these Is a signal
instrument with the main Office by electric
wires You Will IA square nut sunk In the face Of
the lid Of this box. and every grpman. when he gets
his badge TO begin work. wrench with which TO
open this box Both he and the conductor books
Of rules which tell them exactly what do case Of
| emergency.
There Is signal TO start the cable. SLOW al right
nre send wreckng grip stuck. wheel axle
broken. and pedestal or box broken The grlpman
handle and pulls that up many times as his signal
| requires The rings the number In the ONCE
as he pulls II. and when lie down the handle to
replace tho cover the gong rings automatically the
Der Of the box. There Is another Of running
from each Of these boxes These with the
phone In the once. n the wreckins wagon find
they need help Instructions when they get tho
scene Of call they open the box. connection
and talk 70 the Office through telephone which forms
part Of every outnt
There things only worth repeating here rs chow
Ing that the Third Avenue Company well OF
Board Of Aldermen and OF the city because II has been
pioneer In giving transit facilities and because It
ms Kept TO date In operating It's lines Of road Its
pa. history guarantee that the franchise which the
One Of the principal arguments which Influenced the
Railroad Cem!ttes In ia report To the Aldermen de-