The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-02
THE BEST ROUTE TO MERRIAM
PARK.

railway communication with Merriam
Park in a manner that ought to be sat
isfactory to all parties, if they wish
to be reasonable. 1t seems to be
pretty clear case thus far Of working
at cross purposes, and Of people butting
their heads against one another
through sheer obstinacy. The Merriam
Park people are perfectly right in their
demand for a more adequate service.
1t is simply outrageous that the people
Of that flourishing and populous sec
ton Of the city should have been left
for so many years to the tender mer-
cies Of the overcrowded cable line and
the intermittent electric car from Mil
ton street, with the necessary transfer,
In all kinds Of unreasonable weather.
AT the same time, their representa-
tives exhibit singular tenacity In
holding that there is only one way, and
that clearly not the best way, to solve
their difficulties. It ought to be APP
parent to them instantly that what
they want to do is not to change the
route Of the cable line in such fashion
that their cars would be run to Mer.
Ram Park, but to get themselves trans
cable line is today less adequate to
the business imposed upon it than any
other in the city. The cars are packed
past belief in business hours with I'M
comfortable people, and, leaving the
question of their service out altogeth-
er. it would be boon to Merriam Park
to have the use Of some other line
instead of this jerky old ramshackle
affair, with its inadequate equipment
and it's surplus Of patronage.
The street railway people, on the
other hand, are just as obviously fight
ing to get rid Of the cable line alto
gether. They are not anxious to i'm
prove it. They have made their ar
engagements to secure ample electric
power from the new house on the Mis-
sissippi, and this can be supplied to
all their lines in the two cities. They
want to close up their local power
houses, and the st. Paul cable line IS
the last relic Of non-electric service
1t is to their interest to make it ap-
pear that nothing can be done except
by some change Of route that will en-
able them to run electric cars instead
of cable cars over this system, and
1t is probably that they are not un-
will 70 Of 40
people Of Merriam Park as a lever to
force the line off Of Selby hill and
carry it around by such route as wlu
enable them tc use electric service
Now, this is the state of affairs that
has produced a deadlock to which
there is apparently no end, and out
of which both the residents of Merriam
Park and the business men of st. Paul
are sure to get nothing but great dis
comfort and considerable pecuniary
loss. Meanwhile, the combatants are
fixed like two rams that have got their
horns locked together and are pushing
and pulling each other over the field
without accomplishing anything.
1t is shown clearly in our local ar
ticle that a thorough connection be-
tween the center of st. Paul and Me-
riam Park is an exceedingly simple
matter. All that needs to be done is
to build five blocks of new track
to connect the end Of the present Ron
do street line with the line that now
oHiGf ID
street electric ends at Avon street
If 1t were continued to Fisk, one block
beyond, and then run out Fisk street,
which is severed and therefore availa-
BILE, to Selby, the Merriam Park cars
could be run continuously over that
line with comfort and satisfaction to
all. This route measures not more than
1000 feet more than the direct line by
Selby avenue, and the running time
between Robert street and Merriam
Park would not be more than from two
to four minutes longer than it is now.
This amounts to nothing when it Is con-
sidered that the change would remove
the necessity Of transfer, get rid OF
the Selby hill question altogether and
enable the running of special cars for
the Merriam Park traffic. The Rondo
car service is now only one every
twelve minutes, so that the Merriam
Park cars could be added without inter-
fering with any time schedule, and the
route to be traversed has no objection
able features in the way Of difficult
grades or other impediments
If man has not already taken
his ground and determined to stand
by it, with or without reason, he must
admit the feasibility and the desir-
ability Of the change proposed. The
expense involved to the street railway
company, which question is raised by
it's representatives, is not a valid OBJ
lection. 1t is probable that 1t would
cost pretty nearly as much to run
an electric line up Third street and
then up Summit, tearing up pavements
and putting them down again, as it
would to build the five blocks of new
track in the open country. The raising
Of the point itself makes a question
as to the sincerity of those who men
ton it. We can see no reason why
Merriam Park people should not pre-
fer through service via Rondo street,