The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-10
WALKER TROLLEY
MAY BE 4 FACTOR
Likely to Be Sold to T. 9. R. T.
or Extended to Min
netonka.
Purchases on Big Island Indicate
Possibility Of an Amuse-
ment Park.

The st. Louis Park car line may cut
an important figure in the street rail-
way. situation, now that the Twin City
Rapid Transit company is building to
Lake Minnetonka. 1t is possible that
the street railway company may take
over the Walker line and use it for To-
cal traffic between the terminus at Hop.
kins to Twenty-ninth street and Hen
nepln avenue, leaving the New Mime
tonka line open for thru express traffic.
Stor les to the effect that the big COM
pany has already absorbed the country
line, have been floating about st. Louis
Park. and Hopkins, but they seem pre-
mature. The inhabitants Of both vii
lagos would prefer: to travel on the
Walker line, equipment and service be-
| ing equal, owing to its accessibility.
The projected Twin City line skirts the
south edge of Hopkins, while the other
line comes nearer to the population cen
ter to the northeast. In st. Louis Park
| the situation is similar. q Il:
Plans made public by the street rail
WAY company tend to show that the
Minnnetonka line is designed primarily
to serve for thru traffic, or to get pas
sengers from Minneapolis to Excelsior
| in The qffuickest possible time. Inter
mediate traffic, then, to a certain ex-
tent, would be a drag. The purchase Of
the Walker line would solve the prob
lem, and if equipped with standard cars,
run on better schedule, that would be a
perfectly satisfactory deal to the sub
urban patrons. ar~~@ 81. .. go
| "a, A Second Lake Line. :
On the other hand the Walker line
may prove boon to the south shore
people on Lake Minnetonka, who have
been passed up by the Twin City com
pany. So far as cottagers between
Solberg's Bay and Gray's Bay are con,
cerned, there might as we'll be no street
railway line. The route is out of reach
to the south. AS the original purpose
of the Walker line was to build to the
lake, the demand for competition with
indifferent railway service may result
ly intended, or use Of the Milwaukee
tracks. It is suggested also: that fierce
competition may result in the electrif
cation Of its lake system by the St
] Louis company, which has hitherto
lseemed to. comply with demand for rail
!!road Accommodations only, and not to
nurse the traffic into expansion. q
| The Walker line was built twelve
years ago by the Minneapolis Land and
settlers on the land owned by this
company and in the neighborhood
About six years ago it was: extended to
Hopkins for a similar purpose. While
it has not had a monopoly Of the traffic,
the line has been Of great service to the
suburbanites. Altho the care. are run
on the hour schedule, the business has
|geen growing and the returns are up
wards of 800 a day.
Big Island reject.
I Suspiciously quiet absorption Of .un
occupied land at the southeast end OF
Big Island are taken to mean that the
street railway company is buying the
property for amusement purposes: Al
l tho the scheme will not be exploited
this year.. it is said that another sum
mer will see big amusement park or
the island, to be reached from the mai1
shore by barge and! from the city by
the street railway line.
! p, The idea :: is said to be further
strengthened, by the close relation which
the real-estate firm which is conduct
ing the negotiations has with the stree
IN ;11x,ou crar,oant