The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-02-19
OUR BOSTON LETTER
Hub Afflicted With It's Annual
Rapid Transit Fever.

Rapid Transit Fever.
For Nnnher of Years It Has Visited
the G {, Jur II. Lee at Srss-iG,is
Need oI >Ume y~t IN constantly Grow
iug--I endemcy /" rho suburb, Is S,ron.
"Tuckervine' soon 10 Ee Founded.
Landlord WhlpuI-'s troubles Rp"+r
ScanneI After General Martins >caIp
The Passing show.
If indications count for anything, we
| have the rapid t"3r It fever again. /,
| nothing new or STANCE for the hub an
nually is affected by it and it always
visits us at this time Of the year. When
the Legislature adjCurns, the disease viii
depart and be heard from no more for
about a year. For the last five years we
have been afflicted III tits way and are
getting used to it. When the Boston
Eleveated Railroad company was given
a charter, everybody thought the trou-
BILE would disappear, but it has really
brought more with it. r. ere are now
four syndicates, instead of one, to worry
us, and yet not a rail las been laid, nor
is there likely to be one for months to
come, unless more money can be made
that way than in any other
But the fact remains that Boston needs
an elevated system or some system of
rapid transit, and never so badly as now.
Her streets are cOngested with travel
and it is positive inconvenience to
anyone to try to make his or her way up
Washington street during business
hours. This is particularly true at a time
when suburbanites are struggling to
reach their homes. Street cars are then
damned full of suffering humanity. and
month by month the situation is grow
ing worse. This evil will continue to
grow in the very nature of things, and
for many reasons.
In the first place the tendency is to
get out of the city to find place of resi-
dence. When a man first comes ,cre
from a smaller place to reside and do
business, the distances seem magnificent,
and he almost shudders to think he must
live mile or so from his office or store.
After while he goes out on an explor-
ing expedition and he finds better air,
better surroundings and less rent in the
suburbs. He takes him family out for
a ride, and the otter members of the
household eXClaim: This is lovely ont
here He thinks about it awhile. and
then, If he is sensible, moves and adds
another to the growing list that de.
mands better transit facilities.
To add to this natural tendency is the
influence Of the land syndicates that are
every year opening up new tracts of land
TO home buyers and building houses for
sale on the it-stallrent plan that are
seized by men of limited means. When
you tell man you will sell him a house
and lot and he can pay for it monthly
making the payments less than his rent
in the city flat you have a strong magnet
to draw him out of the city proper. This
is being done all the time, and it means
hundreds in the course of the year They
all need rapid transit to live in comfort
in their new surroundings.
AS If the suburban tendency was NOT
otherwise strong enough the Salvation
Army workers, in add ton to their
scheme for lodging and feeding the poor
as outlined in this letter last week pro-
pose to found sediment to be called
'Tuckerville, lin honor of c eneraI Booth
Tucker. As soon as it is suitable weather
a site for the army town will be Sc
lccted; probably on the line of the New
England road between Readville and
Mansfield. In a sense this is to be a
SKINNER home for the poor but it has
deeper foundation, it is claimed. as the
Pingree idea of potato farms will be
a feature Of the plan. Further, it is ex-
pected in this way to begin a movement
that Will in time turn the tide of immi-
grafton from the centers of population
to the country and thus alleviate or de-
stroy much of the misery tlaL is now so
common in great cities the world over.
AT Tuckerville the colonists will be con-
fined exclusively to men at first, but it
is expected to speedily open up wo- |
mans home in close association, as there |
will be advantages in having the women
where they can look after the household /
duties while the men are engaged out
side. In due time it Is anticipated that
the shelter, or barracks, will give wav To
cottages and all the institutions of a
model and prosperous village. Streets
will be laid out, parks located, stores.
schools and a church built and opened.
The industrious and deserving will be
encouraged to earn their own homes as
a permanent residence The men who
already have wives and children will be
prevailed upon to send for them, while
the unmarried may be convinced that
there is mere of earthly peace and hap
piness for them in the II arried state in
such a haven as Tuckervile. But even
the Tuckerville residents will want rapid
transit when they come to the city to al
low them to speedily escape the tempta.
lions that will beset them. Both the col
Ony and the transit are in the future,
however, with the chances that Tucker
vile will first be an actually.
Speaking of temptations and snares
they are no less plenty than in the past
1t was only the other day that there
could be seen standing on Milk street
q trio of very good looking and appar-
entity intelligent women who were Jointly
and seVerally mourning the loss Of sew
l. IL I