The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-16
CROSS. TOWN LINE IS NEEDED
Be Fed What People Think of the PROPOSAL

St. Paul needs a cross-town street
railway line. Chicago has croSS-toWH
lines about every half mile. MIME
apolis has them and public conven-
fence requires at least one noW-and IN
the not distant future more than one
will be required in this city. There
are at least two routes where such
a line would have an Independent
value as a passenger carrier, ire
spective of the existing lines, and IL
at least on one OF them street rail-
way were built it would have an I'M
measurably greater value as an aux
Hilary to the present lines by relieving
them of passengers at times of great
traffic congestion, as well as by con-
tributing traffic to them at times when
they have ample car-room to handle
it. Public convenience, as well as the
profitable, economical, well balanced
development and operation of st.
Paul's street railway system, demands
a cross line from the Seventh street
line at Toronto avenue north over
that thoroughfare, st. Adams street to
Grand avenue, thence on Grand 10
Dale street and thence north on Dale
street to Como avenue, distance OIL
three to three and one-half miles
Such cross line, having its termlnl
at Seventh street and Como avenue,
and crossing Grand, Selby. Rondo and
University avenue, would cross or
strike every line in the city save the
Mississippi and West st. Paul.
Another route less desirable at pres
ent, but presenting many strong argu-
ments in it's favor, would be north and
south on Victoria street, straight from
Como Park past Calvary cemetery,
through or near Ridgewood, which
has had practically no car service
since the st. Paul company discon-
tinued it's suburban service, and south
wards over the bluff into the Fifth
ward of the city, and crossing the
Randolph street line to the Seventh
street line The Victoria street line
would possess these advantages:
Important Detectives.
At one end Como Park and Calvary,
the one drawing thousands Of pleasure
seekers, the other many visitors to
the graves of friends and relatives.
At the other end are the people of the
populated Fifth ward of the city.
The line would give an immense
impetus to the settlement Of the al
ready growing but comparatively I'M
occupied intermediate territory be-
tween it's termini 1t would be as well
a great convenience to many people
who are at present without any street
car service at all. Take RidgewooC
Park, for example. This locality came
into some prominence as desirable
residence property back in the SOS
when the st. Paul railway gave sub
urban service to the place. With the
advent of the electric railway lines the
st. Paul went out of the suburban
business so far as Ridgewood was
concerned and at present its people
are ten blocks from railway to serve
them.
Dale Street commends Itself.
But it is the Dale street-St. Adams
Toronto line which most commends
itself at present for a desirable cross
town service. T h e Glob has been
at some pains to ascertain the facts
bearing on this public transit neces-
Sity and presents them to it's readers.
Dale street is naturally a quasi bust
ness street. Some of its residents may
dissent from this suggestion, prefer
ring that the thoroughfare develop
along the lines of it's quiet
er, more elegant residential at
tributes. But it will not so
develop. It's past history and present
conditions make this manifest At
many of it's corners and in their neigh
borhood are already to be found drug
stores, groceries, markets and other
business places for the retail supply
of residents in the vicinage.
these stores have been located
where they are in the natural settle
ment of the street without the aid
or influence of a car line on the street
itself They show the natural tenden-
cies of the thoroughfare, which may
just as we'll at once be recognized
yielded to and promoted by street car
service-as they would be promoted
and property values enhanced. Ulti-
mately and quickly they will have to
be SO recognized and accepted. It is
not reasonable under present obvious
conditions to hope to keep Dale street
purely residential or driving thor
Oughfare.
Demand Is Insistent.
There are too large a number of
people who wish to ride UP and down
the street, trade at it's stores and
too many stores that want the bust
ness of street car passengers to put
off the railway longer.
Moreover, near the northern and
southern termini of the lDale-St. Al
bans-Toronto line there are important
groups of population whose relative
transit needs must be considered AT
the northern portion of Dale street
near Como avenue and the viaduct
over the steam railways, are the i'm
mense shops of the Great Northern
railway company, and other large cone
Germs. These works in the aggregate
employ thousands of workmen, many
of whom live in the Fifth ward. be-
low the bluff, near the southern enc
of the line, on both sides Of Toronto
avenue.
The line is a direct way for these
people to go to and from their homes
and work. But at present. without
a cross line of cars on Dale, st. Adams