New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-07-25
WEST ENDERS WIN ATLAST
SHORT SPAN OF TRACK GIVES THEM
ACCESS TO THE ENTIRE METRO
POLITAN RAILWAY SYSTEM.

There was opened for operation yesterday in
this city newly built piece Of railroad not more
than two hundred feet long. The little span
runs from One-hundred- and twenty sxth-st. and
Amsterdam-ave across Manhattan-st.. and
there Joins the Fort George track OF the Third
line. By means Of it the pent up population
the whole northwestern section of the island
gets. after ten years of deferred hope. access to
the $50 miles of rail operated by the Metropol-
itan Street Railway Company, running through
the West Side shopping district, passing all the
theatres and places of amusement downtown
and terminating east and west all the ferry
landings on Manhattan Island.
Probably in section of the city have real
estate values been often and seriously
affected by the influence Of railroads as in Man
hattanviIle. Carmansville and Fort Washington.
During the last ten years prices there have gone
up and down, responsive TO the nearness or re-
rnoteness of proper transportation facilities.
Within the last few months, just after the Met
ropolitan secured control of the Third Avenue
line it was expected that at last the long looked
for boon would be granted and the Washington
Heights Protective Association. representing
millions of dollars of improved real estate I'M
derrook to see that ii secured. Its officers
waited on President Vreeand and requested
that transfer station be put into operation at
the point where the little piece of road was put
into operation yesterday, He explained, to their
utter establishment that such a thing was i'm
possible as there was no power by which sys-
TEN Of transfers could be established between
the Metropolitan and the Third Avenue COM
panies. since it had been discovered that the
Third Avenue company in making a transfer
agreement with the elevated railroad company,
had bound itself to transfer with no one else It
seemed for the moment that the people would
have TO wait another four years. or until the
existing contract between the elevated and the
Third Avenue expired.
However, the committee persisted and several
times waited on Mr.. Vreeland to urge on him
the broad public question of devising some
means Of granting TO the thousands Of West
Side residents the facility of travelling widely
and as cheaply as the residents of other sections
of the city OF the legal difficulty, since all the
parties TO the contract could not agree, there
seemed solution: the question then became
simply a physical one, and more populations Of
citizens and taxpayers besieged Mr.. Vreeland
with requests 10 bridge the gulf at Manhattan
st. and this ne finally did. with the result that
pent UP West Siders obtained outlet into the
shopping and amusement districts.
The travelling public living north OF One-hun-
dred-and- twenty-iftl now come south
the Metropolitan lines TO Fifty ninth-st,
and at that street obtain transfers TO all the
and the east and west lines crossing SiXth-ave.
through which the new Fort George line is TO
run. People living south Of One-hundred-and-
twenty-ffth-st. can for a single fare and with
out change of cars reach Folt George, Washing
ton Bridge and the Speedway.