The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-02
ONE WAY TO GIVE MERRIAM PARK
BETTER RAILWAY FACLI-
TIES.
FIVE BLOCKS OF NEW TRACK,
WIRE, ALL THAT is NECES-
SARY.
Proposed Route Would Be Only One
Third Mile Longer Than the Sell
by Avenue Route.

The stand taken by the residents Of
Merriam Park that, if not given ade-
quate. street car service, they will in the
future do all their business with Min,
neapOlis merchants, has awakened in
terest in the question Of how the de-
nands can be met without putting
the street railway company to any
great expense.
A plan has been suggested which, it
is claimed, will give the residents of
that section Of the city the long-sought
for street railway connection with the
city and through service, if carried into
effect. At recent meeting of the
council a suggestion was made that the
Merriam Park cars could run around
Grand avenue, and by putting in tracks
on one Of the cross streets from Grand
to Selby a good route would be Sc
cured. The residents from the park
did not think we'll of the plan but the
latest proposition for a route for the
Merriam Park cars is a decided inn
provement on the Grand avenue idea.
Briefly outlined the new scheme is TO
have the ROndO street car line extend
ed and run the cars to Merriam Park
over this route. Those who are favor
ing this plan claim if the thing is car
ried out the desire of the residents at
Merriam Park will be realized and
good through service secured.
The ROndo street line now runs TO
Avon street and the proposition is to
i
and thence on Fisk street to Selby ave
nue. from which point the line would
follow the present route to the park.
The selection of Fisk street has been
made owing to the fact that this street
is severed between Selby avenue and
Rondo STREETS and there could be no
objection on the part of the street car
company which, under it's charter, Is
not obliged to construct lines on streets
where there are no sewers. From Avon
street to Fisk street, where the ROndO
line now ends, is but one block, and
from Fisk and Rondo streets to Selby
avenue is only five blocks. This plan
would necessitate the construction Of
but six blocks of new tracks and the
expense to the company would not be
great. The proposed route from the
n,
line Of the ROndO street line and the
proposed extension is only 1000 feet
further than the present route UP the
Selby avenue hill or via Third street
and Summit avenue, as is proposed in
the Shepard ordinance, and which is
being pressed by the residents of Mer-
Ram Park. The suggestion is made by
those interested in the new route that
the Merriam Park cars could be run
around Robert street loop and, while
the time schedule might be increased
possibly three on four minutes, the re-
suit in giving the Park people through
connection would more than equalize
the slightest delay. Cars are now oper
ated on the Rondo street line not often
er than twelve minutes and the Mer-
riam Park cars could be run in be-
tween the Rondo cars without any
trouble. Some of the gentlemen who
have been pushing the Shepard ordI-
nance and claiming that it was the
only remedy which would give the resi-
dents of the Park proper facilities,
think very kindly of the plan as out
lined above. One gentleman said that.
as it appeared now, the Shepard ordi-
nance did not seem to have much Of
a chance before the council He was IN
favor Of having the ROndo street ex-
tension brought before the council at
the earliest opportunity. He thought
the majority Of the residents of that
section Of the city would be more
favorable to the more direct route by
way of Selby avenue, but it had now
reached a stage where half loaf was
better than none and as the proposed
plan would give through connection
and the service could, on the line pro-
posed, be reduced from a car every
thirty to one every ten minutes or
less, the idea should be pushed along
Supt. Smith of the railway COM
p2ny, when asked as to the proposed
plan yesterday, said the idea had been
considered some time ago. SO far as
the company was concerned he did not
think it feasible. 1t would call for the
construction of six blocks of new
tracks with pole and wires and the
company just at present was not pre-
pared to build any new lines. An
other objection he had was that the
ROndO street line was cross town one
and that practically all the cars that
could he handled on the line were now
in service.
The most serious objection to the
plan from the Merriam Park people
was that the line would be a round
about way and not what was needed A
number Of gentlemen interested and
anxious to have the agitation settled in
some way inclined to the opinion that
1t would be the easiest solution Of the
problem.