The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-01
A CROSS TOWN LINE.
More Information Presented for the
Benefit OF, Mr.. Lowry.


III e G. be was on the right track
in a recent article advocating a cross
town street railway line to Como park
by way of Dale street. When this was
first proposed years ago it met, or
seemed to meet, general approval; but
recently a good many people, looking
forward to the time when the resi-
dence districts of the Seventh and
Eighth wards west Of Victoria will be
as thickly settled as the territory east
of it, think that this street-Victoria-
should be selected, not only because it
would be more central to55the future
residence population of these wards,
but because Victoria street interSectS
st. Clair street, and through that
street affords a convenient extension
of the croSs-town line across the
Fifth ward. Il But the first objection to
the selection of Victoria street for this
purpose is, that there is no. bridge
across the tracks and right of way of
the Great Northern and that probably
a good many years WilEfefapse before
such a costly structure as would be re-
quired for this purpose will be built,
while Dale street is already provided
with steel bridge over these tracks
amply broad enough for railroad tracks
without interfering with carriage tFav-
ell. Another objection. is that street
railway tracks are nuisance on any
street, devoted to residence purposes
as Victoria is, while they are much less
Objectionable on a street largely de-
voted robustness purposes, as is Dale.
AS Dale street forms the shortest and
most convenient carriage approach to
Como park it was. at one time, stren-r
uously urged that this street should be
improved and ornamented for that
purpose. But as the shops and houses
in many Of the blocks on this street lie
close to the sidewalk, it is incapable of
being converted into a parkway with
out enormous expense. AS it is already
spoiled beyond redemption for a resi-
dence street, and is practically a bus
mess street, it would not be injured,
but would be benefited by having a
street railway run through it. More
over, at present it lies central to the
bulk of population in the Seventh and
Eighth wards, and those who could not
more conveniently Teach it in a moder-
ate walk could do so by several street
car lines-the University, Rondo, Selby
and Grand-which intersect it,
OF course cross town line to serve
it's purposes must not only traverse the
Seventh and Eighth wards. but the
Fifth also. As5Dale street does not
afford any direct hccess to the Fifth
ward it would begIsecessary, if adopted
as a cross towns afne,9 to turn off saw
westward three9 blocks to Avon and
southwark down Avon for four blocks
to st. Clair street. thus occupying the
least possible FNstance on residence
streets. st. Cg54Fs street crosses the
Fifth ward as neat the central line of
its population 4axspossible, and is in
fact the only street through which the
Fifth ward is accessible by a cross
town line. This is by far the most
convenient and practicable route for
cross town line for the bulk of the
present population of. these three pop
ulous wards and will continue to be so
for many years to come
The time is rapidly approaching, if
1t has not already come, when the
construction of such line can no
longer be delayed on the plea that it
would not pay the cost of operation.
In summer it would very largely in
crease the travel to Como park by the
addition thereto of the many thousand
residents of the western wards of the
city who can now only reach it by the
long and circuitous route involved in
trip down town to transfer points on
Wabasha or Robert streets, where they
usually find the cars on the Como in
terurban so overcrowded that they
prefer to stay at home The cross
town line would largely relieve, the
congestion of travel on the Como cars,
Moreover, with the completion of the
improvements now in progress and
contemplated at Fort Smelling. this fort
will become more and more attractive
to visitors. and thus the stream of
travel both ways during six or seven
months in the year would afford an
increasing volume of traffic to the
cross-town line. Furthermore, there is
group of industries employing large
numbers of men, and women located on
or near Dale street, and to these are
soon to be addedi that two or three
thousand more who are to be employed
in the recently constructed shops Of
the Great Northern. It is quite likely
that many of these may have homes In
the Fifth ward, or would have them
there if they could readily reach them
by a cross-towps line. There are so
many ways in which such a line would
serve the public convenience that the
demand for it's construction will soon
become too urgent-to be resisted
For the residence districts west of
Lexington avenue, or the Tenth and
Eleventh wards embracing Merriam
Park. Union Park, Hamline and MacaI-
ester-Snelling avenue will afford the
crosst town line of the future There
are many reasons why it should be
constructed now so as to afford the
many residents of these districts access
to Como park.-The Pioneer Press,