St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-18
WOULD RENEW OLD TIMES,
AND PUT LIFE INTO A PART OF
THE CITY THAT MERITS
ATTENTION.
THE IDEA OF HON. p. H. KELLY.
Visitors to the City Receive Bad
Impression Under Present
Conditions.

States, if any, whose street railway
system does not take in their union
depots and thus make access to the
business portion of the city easy for
strangers entering their gates. st.
PauPS street railways are practical
ly remote from ST. Paul's union de-
pot, the nearest line being the Selby
avenue cable road, which is all too
far from the depot. This line, so far
as the purpose of travellers entering
the city is concerned, is remote from
the other lines leading to the prin-
cipal hostelrieS and the business
portion of the city. The cable road
is therefore practically useless for
the travellers within our gates, and
strangers for the most part take
cabs and BUSES in order to reach
points only half a dozen blocks from
the depot. All the large Western cit
les afford street railway transporta-
ton directly to and from their union
depots, and Minneapolis is singular
ly fortunate in this respect, her rail-
way system encircling the union de-
pot almost, and her cars being al
ways at the door.
There has been considerable agita-
ton on the subject in years past,
and Third street merchants and
property owners are firm in the opin-
ion that to extend the street railway
loop down Wabasha to Third and
down Third to Sibley will not only
solve the question of cheap and rapid
transportation to and from the union
depot, but will also be an excellent
thing for Third street and restore at
least a portion of it's former glory
It would doubtless be a great thing
for that portion of the city, and the
merchants remaining on the old
trade artery of st. Paul would feel
encouraged to remain and induce
emigration back to the old street,
which, after all. is regarded by many
of the old-timers. as the real retail
street of st. Paul, providing i'm
provements are made. There are
merchants yet remaining on Third
street who believe in the future
greatness of that thoroughfare as
firmly as they believe in the end of
the world. They are old established
business men who have been on
Third street for many years, some of
them having been there ever since
the street attained any degree of
prominence whatever.
These men are united in the belief
that to extend the street railway
system will not only be great thing
for the future Importance of the
street as a retail center, but will
also be of vast benefit to strangers
coming to st. Paul and to everybody
who may desire to go to the depot.
If anything can make Third street
resume it's former prominence, they
say, it is this extension of the rail-
way loop and the Improvement of
some of the property there. These
business men claim that the exodus
from Third street is but temporary,
and they advance reasonable argu-
ments in support of their belief.
They claim that even now there is
more travel on Third street than on
any other in the city, and that a
single glance down that thorough
fare during the busy hours of the
day will reveal a remarkably busy
scene that can be witnessed on no
other street in the city. The extern
sion of the system down here would
induce merchants to return, they as
sert. The majority of the merchants
who have left the street will be glad
of a chance to return, for it's loca-
ton with respect to the wholesale
portion of the city and the union
depot is such as to make it a natural
retail street of st. Paul.
OPINIONS OF BUSINESS MEN.
81 regard the idea of the extension
as very good thing" said Roger
S. Kennedy, of Kennedy & Brother.
I'VE have been here on Third street
for thirty years and we propose to
remain. l am sure the former prom>
inence of the street will return at
no distant period, and we are of the
few who expect to see Third street
recover. 1t will recover if the prop
erty owners will put their property
in good shape and put up good
enough buildings for the tenants;
and if they will once put up the
buildings they will get the tenants.
The extension of the railway system
will help things wonderfully We are
ever before, and can see no reason
for leaving the street"
Mr.. Kennedy's remarks indicate
the feeling amongst those who re-
main on the street. These merchants
it must be remembered could secure
good locations elsewhere if they so
desired, but their belief in Third
street is so strong that they prefer
to stay there and await the return
of the others who have gone else
where.
"A man remarked to me this morn
ing" said P. V. Dwyer with an amused
smile, that the best thing to do with
Third street is to tear down all the
buildings on the south side of the
street and terrace the whole front and
make it fine place from which to get
a view of the surrounding country and
on which to take a stroll during the
summer nights. Then, he argued,
there would be no trouble in getting
tenants for the buildings on the north
side, which would in consequence be
improved by their owners. But speak |
ing seriously, this idea of extending
the street railway loop would unques-
tionably help the street and it would
be a large factor towards inducing the
return of retail merchants to the
street which is from every point of
view the proper retail street of st.
Paul. 1t might be good thing to take
the old Manufacturer property and con-
vert it into a commercial hotel and
give that corner and the adjacent ter
ritory some sign of life If this line
is extended it will go far towards ac-
complishing that end, but the real
thing to be done to help Third street is
to induce the owners of buildings to
put up new and good ones or so i'm
prove the present ones that they will
be fit for occupancy. What hurt Third
street was the poor condition of it's
buildings and their old, worn, frontier