The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-06

and the street is on a slant. The de-
serted street car tracks are there and
we have never removed them as it was
the request of the city that they remain
as they are until the city saw fit to
make the improvements. The improve
mentS are to be made and we are or
dered to repave the right of way and
a that means an expense of 81. 800 a
block to pave for single track and ST.
800 to pave for a double track we wish
to put in the track at the same time to
save any additional expense"
SOME INDIGNANT CITIZENS.
This track on Topeka avenue would
be outrage said Dr. c. A. Nc
Guire. Il do not understand this sud
den activity on the part of the city rail-
way. They do not seem to be able to
take care of the tracks they have now.
1t is as much as ones life is worth TO
ride over the tracks they have. There
Twelfth and Topeka avenue that have
been left untouched for nine years If
they have been able to do this length of
time without a track on Topeka avenue
why have it now? There is East Fifth
street that is a disgrace to the city.
Why doesn't the company pave that
and make it respectable? If the street
car company had treated the people of
Topeka in a more decent manner in the
past, they could ask for faVOrs now
with a great deal better grace. 1 am
not in favor of having street car tracks
ruin the best street in Topeka: l ap-
DOuthitt tract may need street car fa-
cilities but the line toward the fair
grounds on Fourteenth and Topeka aV-
enue will accommodate them. Why
doesn't the company operate it? With
a line on Tenth street, one on Twelfth
street, together with the Fourteenth
street line to the fair grounds I can see
no need of another line out Topeka av-
enue- The people of that part of town
use the street cars very little anyway.
They live near enough to their places
of business to walk except in bad
weather If anything can be done to
prevent the track being built, shall be
with those who object. If an injunction
or anything will stop them I am ready
to help
|'The' building of a car track on To-
peka avenue is an outraSe,'' said Mr..
E. H. Crosby. THE proposed track
does not run in front of my house but
1 live on Topeka avenue and 1 do not
want to see the handsomeSt street in
the city ruined by car tracks The
street is used by all who drive and it
should not be ruined. When people are
driving they go as far as the tracks
and turn around and come back | am
certainly not in favor of this move"
Il see no need for track on Topeka
avenue" said DR.. w. N. West. Il can
not appreciate how the city railway
will derive any revenue from such a
line. The Tenth and Twelfth street
lines handle all traffic except that be-
low Fourteenth street and the cars
could be run on the fair grounds track
for the accommodation of people living
further out on Topeka avenue 1 see
no reason why the city railway should
not be willing to accommodate the resi-
dents of Topeka avenue. We don't want
a street car track there"
Il should be very sorry to see the
tracks on Topeka avenue said Mr.. J.
P Davis. They would spoil the street
1t is one of the handsomest paved
streets in the city. 1 think the COM
pany should have consulted the proper
ty owners before taking steps in the di-
rection of building. The people living
on lower Topeka avenue may need
street car accommodations but
should think that could be afforded
them without the laying of tracks on
Topeka avenue, considering the lines
now on Twelfth and Fourteenth streets
If anything can be done to stop the
building 1 hope it will be done and 1
shall lend my help
Ex-MayOr R. L. Cofran: 1--WE don't
propose to have that track put down
out there-that's all there is about it.
The street car company doesn't need
it, nor do the people-we have all the
street car accOmmoda ations we want.
The company had better spend its mon
ey in improving the tracks they already
have rather than putting down new
ones that they don't need I think un-
der the old ordinance, which allowed
the laying of that track now ON To-
peka avenue, it ought to have been ta-
ken up long ago 1t is my impression
that the ordinance provided that if the
line was abandoned it should be torn
up, and if the street car company don't
tear it up, We'll do it ourselves L don't
believe the company's franchise allows
1T to put down tracks anywhere it
wants to without the consent of the
property owners and the council We
don't want the line on Topeka avenue
and we don't intend to have it there
Eugene Quinton: 1T would be an
outrage. Nobody wants a street car
linz Trrln n1ro =
few good driving streets in Topeka,
and to build a street car track down
the middle of it would be an outrage
not only on the people living on Topeka
avenue, but to the people of the whole
city. 1t is the opening to the proposed
boulevard, and a double street car
track will spoil it. The people of Topeka
have INDUCED the street car company.
because they thought it was poor and
needed help. 1t was allowed to build
single track on Topeka avenue nine
years ago, but it was never used, and
people have allowed it to remain by
suHerance, although it has been a det-
riment to the street Not only that
but the council passed a special ordi-
nance to allow the street car company
to use another kind of paving from the
rest of the street in order to help them
out
A. w. Dana-If it is true, as the street
car company claims, that it's franchise
allows it to build on any street in To-
peka, regardless OF What the property
owners and the city council say, it is
useless to try to build a pretty residence
street in Topeka There is no use of
our trying to make a boulevard if the
street car company can run double
track and line of poles down the mid
die of it as soon it is done. People
have gone on to Topeka avenue and
spent a great deal of money in making
a pretty street of it. They take pride
in their street. and it would be an out
rage for the street car company to build
a double track down the middle of it
now An action of that kind would
put a stop to the building of nice streets
in Topeka, if it is fact that the street