New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-16

Amid the craze for despoiling fine suburban
roads by constructing trolley lines along them
and witness the repeated efforts thus to rum
the noble Albany Post Road between 1onkers
and Ossining-it is refreshing and in a meas
IRE encouraging TO see now and then an eX-
ample of a different kind. There lies before
us an advertisement in a suburban paper or q
notice of application to local authorities to
construct and operate trolley line through
a town in the northern part Of Westchester
County. The road in question is 10 run from
the city of Danbury Conn. to Golden's Bridge
n Y Between those places there is pretty
direct highway. and it might be supposed the
plan would be to build the trolley line along
If Such. however. is not the case, as this adj
vertisement indicates.
Thus where the road enters the town Of
North Salem it is TO run for one-ffth of a mile
on private PROPERTY, thence fifty feet across
highway, thence twohfthS OF mIle on prl-
vate property. thence fifty feet across high
way thence eight-tenths of a mile on private
property. and so on. Summing up the various
distances thus traversed by the proposed route
we find that in crossing the town Of North
Salem the trolley road is to run something less
than siX-tenths of q mile on public highways
and nearly four miles across private property
where of course. the company has secured the
necessary right of way.
That is precisely as it should be The results
of such construction will be that the pubic
highway will not be despoed or made peril
Gus for ordinary use that the trolley line will
no inst ohout as accessible as though it We're
on the highway. and that q much better ser
vice will be possible since the cars can be run
ON their private right of way at higher speed
and with fewer Interruptions than would be
possible on the public highway. We have no
idea that this road is being built and will be
operated by philanthrOpists, at loss. We sup
nose its projectors are ShreWd business men,
who expect to make it pay. We are inclined to
think then that if it can be thus constructed
and operated in such region the same can
be done with other roads elsewhere. OF course
If does not cost nearly so much TO purchase
the right of way in North Salem as it would
ip-1e+ rs sav-Irvington and Tarryt0Wn, but,
tbeD neither will the road in North Salem have
as mich patronage as would a road in more
popllIous and frequented community.
The example of this Danbury and Harlem
road must soon. we believe he generally fol
lowed. Electric 1ailroads-for that is what troll
ley lines are-must be treated as are other rail
roads in being separated entirely from other
bipbways. executing. of course, on city streets.
If iS anomalous that we should ne moving so
strongly for the abolition of grade crossings so
that not even to that little extent shall steam
railroads trespass upon highways. ana yet at
the same time let electric roads, with cars run
ming at almost as high a rate of speed, not only
cross highways at grade. hut run along them
for miles Steam railroads in many places nave
found it to their own profit to abolSh graue
crossings and so 10 fence in their tracks as TO
T,rorant any trespassing upon them. 1t will in
time he found profitable for electric roads TO
do the same-or, however that may be. it will
he deemed necessary to compel them to do so,
for the welfare of the public.