Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-30
STREET RAILWAY SERVICE.

TIE Richmond public is looking for
ward with pleasure 10 the reorganization
OF the "old strcet-car company
II Is source OF general gratihcauon
that transfers from one system TO an
other are 20 be allowed. The result OF
this will be a great increase OF travel
and some OF the crossings. which are IN
important now thereafter Will become
scenes Of busy life Another result Of re-
organization and rehabilitation viii be
the disappearance OF the mule-car from
! Broad street. After thirtv-odd years
service there the mule will be compelled
10 retire and no "kicking'' VIII save him.
Yet we doubt If there Will be unanimous
rejoicing nj that. for the mule line mas
been rendering good service. and what Is
! more. has been carrying passengers az
| lower fare than has been charged by the
electrician lines
Ultimately the cars row running on
Bank and Franklin streets Will be trans
ferred TO Main street. Such a change
would be acceptable TO the great major
itv Of patrons OF that line. and would re-
suit I'm making Main street more alive
than oyer with street-cars-in short the
change would help give it n metropolitan
appearance.
In this connection We must express the
hone that If the Marshall-street car-or
''merry-go-' round" as IT is commonly
called-is TO be continued II Will be paint
"a white. and Will show Il white ight at
night. At present its color Is identical
with that Of cars Of the Main-sireet line.
True. II has a sign on the side of the roof
distineuis hing IL from other cars, but
looking down the street. and when the
car is considerable distance off, that sign
cannot be seen.
Still another reform urgently demanded
by the public is that extra cars snail be
rim AZ the busy hours OF the day. We
have heard that there is a rule Of the
City Councils which discourages that
boon to the public, as every car is re-
quired 10 run from one end Of the city TO
the other That seems an unreasonable
Advancement. because the extra cars
could do the work needed II they were
run for a comparatively short distance.
This is matter we must argue with
the Council. and we doubt not that when
properly understood il will be arranged
satisfactorily.
BY the way. our City Council appears
10 have genius for street-railway legis-
Iation. Never ala knottier street railway
problems confront any Council than
those which confronted the Richmond
Council recently. At one time everybody
who had any interest in the subject seem
ed angry and irreconcilable with every
body else. yet In the end a conclusion was
reached which gives general satisfaction.
Sooner or later the Richmond street
car companies will have 10 face the
Question of heating their cars. Theoreu-
callv. heated ears are not needed i'm this
climate. though we have some here. But
the possibility Of repetition of the
rigors Of last winter has convinced many |
people that our cars ought TO he well |
equipped with heating apparatus. Al the |
present time All the cars are not heated. !
and. moreover, there is little pretension |
made Of keeping their doors closed.
Some Of the suggestions we have here |
made might be adopted forthwith; others |
we cannot expect to be adopted until the |
new owners Of the property take posses
sion. which we presume will be at a
time not very far distant.