Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-19
nre.a s,reet and n. Future.

Inere are nufnDtT OF prVppraeV''o
before the City Council from persons
who wish TO build a street railway from
Chimborazo 20 the boulevard The one
most favored by the Street Committee
is that proposing TO use the underground
trolley system; but IT is urged against
this system that II is new and untried.
Therefore, It Is said that We ought not
TO adopt Il.
That It IS untried Is good reason why
we should surround the franchise with
guards and penalties-not forgetting our
tunnel experience-but It will not do
for Richmond to 'sIt down too heavily
upon experiments Why. the overhead
trolley system was uniried for city use
we say city use IN contradistinction to
suburban use-when IL was introduced
here.
But pending the settlement Of this mat
ter In the City Council. We have a pro-
position from the existing street. car man
agement TO extend, and at once, their
Main-street and Clay-street lines TO the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
They would construct their Main-street
line from Main street up Strawberry
street "a straight llne), to the front OF
the main building Of the Exposition
Grounds. They would extend their Clay
street line to the Exposition-Grounds. And
all OF this they would do. without detri-
ment TO that great undertaking which Is
so dear TO us. an electric-street railway
from Chimborazo TO the boulevard
The Chlmboraz 10 boulevard line would
serve the public better IL 1t crossed the
valley OF Shockoe creek on viaduct'
but II the money to build a viaduct can
not be raised now, let a surface road be
built. and let the future bring the via
duct
There should have been electric cars
on Broad street years and years ago.
That they are not there shows what
patient and forbearing set Of men the
Broad-street merchants are. The reason
electric cars are not there is that the
City Council would not allow the company
10 put them there without the companys
surrendering some Of the privileges con-
tanned in its charter (Which expires in
1900, and this the company would not
consent 10. eBut II the Broad-street
merchants had had such an organization
as fought against the presence Of loco
motives on that great thoroughfare (and
finally won a victory, they would have
had electric-cars on Broad street long
ngo. Now from several directions pro-
positions are coming. offering to put
electric-cars on Broad street Let the
Broad-street merchants and real estate
owners bestir themselves and see to 1t
that these schemes, IL meritorious. are
not "downed" one after another. Let
them organize and examine the question,
and press the City Council to take prompt
and favorable action.
Broad street has great future before
It; though too little has been done for
its development The people most inter-
ested in IL have never given its welfare
due attention. We hope before long to
see the sidewalks Of Broad street paved
with granolithic material, and large
handsome. electric-cars running along II
from Chimborazo to the boulevard. And
IL would seem from the action OF the
Board Of Aldermen that the ugly Htlie
triangle at the intersection Of Broad
street and Brook avenue. is to be trans
formed into park. This would be
great improvement. The Board is clearly
OF the opinion that the city cannot re-
treat from its understanding with MT.
Raab, without breach OF faith.
The Stuart Monument Association OBJ
feet TO placing the monument on the
triangular lot, but possibly might not
object 10 putting it in the middle OF
Broad street opposite the lot. And, mas
much as the city is under peculiarly
strong obligations to see that this monu-
ment is built, why should it not give
the monument association a sum equal
TO that paid for the lott