New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-12-01
ANOTHER Road GRAR.

Corporate rapacity like Dame Rumor, grows
upon IT'S food. The more II grabs, the more
it wants to grab. Throughout the whole metro
politan district since the late Deacon" Rich
ardson, in Brooklyn, and the late Jacob Sharp.
in Manhattan. set the example, the rule OF
street railroads has been TO grab TO grab again,
and yet once more 10 grab. The whole "Huckle-
berry system is A concrete memorial of success
full grabbing. The recent history of the towns
in eastern Westchester County is a story of at
tempted or successful grabs OF fine driveways
by trolley promoters Union-st., in Brooklyn.
might we'll be renamed Grab Alley. In Manhat-
tan Elm-st- widened by the city at enormous
cost, is threatened with the same fate. Central
Bridge and the great viaduct. expressly ex-
empted by law from such spoiation, are on the
verge Of being grabbed by the Huckleberry-
Metropolitan combination. And now it is an
nounced that the same baleful menace is gath
ering over one of the noblest of all the as yet
unspoiled highways in this part Of the world,
the old Albany Post Road.
This splendid and historic road is practically
a continuation of Riverside Drive and the
Boulevard Lafayette. 1t runs along the eastern
side of the Hudson well up on the hills, com
handing an unrivalled view of that river, of
the Palisades and of the mountains beyond 1t
Irvington, Tarytown and Ossining and so on
to the north. Most of the way it is lined with
fine private residences and estates. Practically
shaded with giant trees, and forms an idea
highway for riding. driving and wheeling and
is thus used by thousands every day. 1t is
known in some places as the Albany Post
Road, and in some Broadway, but it is all
the same road and is one of the most beauti-
full and most useful driveways in all the coun-
try round about the metropolis. Like the Cen
trail Bridge and Vaduct, ii is specially exempted
by law from invasion by railroads But what is
little thing like the law between ii greedy cor
poration and its prey? The Huckieberry peO-
pie propose to have that law repealed; not as
in the Central Bridge case, through stealth and
trickery, but openly with unblushing effrontery
We need scarcely to remind our readers Of
what every one familiar with that road already
knows, that there is no real need of a trolley
line there, and that the construction of one
would ruin the road for driving. The road does
not run through densely occupied business dis
trict, but through a residence region where for
the most part estates are large and houses far
apart The business parts of the towns are down
by the railroad and river. The chief use of such
a trolley line would be to compete with the
huuSon hiNer haifcdd lof tra1hc from town to
town, and for such competition there is little
demand. Certainly it would be secured at too
high a price if it involved the destruction Of the
only available driveway along the river. And
it would mean such destruction. For that road
is after all, narrow one 1t is not as wide as
might be desired for its present purposes Troll
ley tracks would cover 1t from curb to curb
and every one who drove wheeled upon it
would have to do so on or between those tracks
That would be simply an intolerable state of
affairs, and would result in the practical excu-
sion of all but business vehicles and trolley cars
from the road.
The residents along that road from Yonkers
to Ossinipg will do well to bestir themselves
promptly and energeticaly in resistance to this