Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1905-01-07
LETTERS FROM
THE PEOPLE


Editor The Evening Journal
Please allow me space in your valuable
paper for a few remarks. from lover
Of fair play relative TO the change in fare
ON the. Brandywine Springs Railway.
About four years ago when the Will
mington and Brandywine Springs Railway
wanted an entrance TO our city. and OF
course met with opposition, which was
not unexpected, n man who was little
known at that time. but has become bet
ter known since as his name has been
almost constantly before the public as
general manager Of the Peoples Railway,
raised the hue and cry that It was an
outrage to make the public pay ten cents
for a ride to the Springs. and If the line
he represented, could get In. the fare
would be five cents only.
The public became Interested and
brought such pressure to bear on the
Street and Sewer Commissioners. that
permission was given for the desired en-
trance, and the company was allowed to
tear up our beautifully paved streets and
lay tracks, wherever II was so minded.
The result was that the concern now has
more lines than it knows what to do
with, and instead OF trying to educate the
people to ride by running cars on all the
lines, it drops one line completely. and
runs the others on the hit or miss plan.
That is, some cold day you stand on the
corner for 10 or 20 minutes. When a car
looms up In the distance. you ind that
1t is labeled Rockford Park. Then you
back on and kick your heels against the
curb 10 keep from freezing and hope that
the next one win be yours but no, It only
goes TO Woodlawn avenue. SO back to
the curb again with more kicking and
little growing. Presently another one is
seen approaching In the distance, and
you say surely this is It. but no. 1t is
another Rockford back again, and this
time the air begins to get hazy and your
language would not look we'll tn print,
and about the time you decide to walk.
along comes the Springs car, Is or 20
minutes late,
And this is what you are expected 10
give up two fares for; car every TWEEN
~ minutes, If it is on time. on a line
which none Of the officials will deny pays,
to help mako up a deficiency on a line
which has a car every ten minutes, and
does not pay.
the hills and look over toward Kenneth
Square. We see another electric railway
that is struggling along, and trying to
get out OF financial difficulties. II may be
possible that this is the object aimed at,
and the increase in fare is for the pur-
pose OF dividing the spells with the poorer
concern, for surely Il sends number Of
passengers who want to come in town,
and IL would be only fair to help 1t lit
tie
Next take the man who has built his
little home along the Springs line since
II was opened dt one fare True. the COM
pany is willing to make concessions to
him by allowing him 70 buy twenty ckets
for one dollar but Il is not always con-
venient for him to dig up a dollar when
all ne wants to spend at that particular
time Is "A nickel, and If the Railway Cum-
pany gets his dollar, what assurance has
he that the cars will continue to rum for
the company has already broken faith on
tho question OF fare. Then he has friends
who occasionally want 10 go see him.
What OF them? They must pay ten cents
each way. either to Elsmere. Roselle or
I Marshallton. VIII the Kennett line get its
share of this part OF the loot7
Now the whole thing looks to me like
a clear case Of hold-up. The management
seems 70 think that all il has to do. is
to raise the ante. and the public will stand
pat on pair Of fives. but viii we? or
shall we get busy and raise such storm
OF protest. through the columns of the
press that the owners OF the Peoples line
will he glad 10 dodge and get under cover
before IL begins TO snow.
A Lover OF Fair Play.