The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-10
show a specific damage as legal
basis for an Injunction?
FREIGHT Line Is Undesirable.

show specific damage as a legal
basis for an injunction?
Freight Line is Undesirable.
An interurban freight line is con-
ceded to be undesirable on any resi-
dence street 1t not only impairs the
value of residence property, but de-
tracts from the comfort of living. And
yet the importance, benefit and desir-
ability TO the city as a whole, of such
a freight line and service, is also con-
coded. If these statements are true
what is the logical solution? Clearly,
to locate the freight route where it
will not damage individual citizens,
but where the damage, if any, falls
upon the city as a whole. If all our
people share in the benefits of an in
terurban freight traffic. why should
they not all share in the burdens nee
essarily incident to that traffic? This
condition is fairly met by the Twenty
third street or park route.
But the park route was not only a
good compromise, it is a good route
on the merits of the case. 1t means
vice. 1t means greater convenience to
the masses Of our people in utilizing
and enjoying their own beautiful park.
AS to the assertion that it is dan
gerous for children, we answer that
children never congregated in that
part of the park. People do not care
to picnic in an old cemetery, even If
the graves are leveled and the grave
stones out Of sight. The distance
from water would be enough to pre-
vent it. The danger from automobiles
all over the Glen drives is much
greater than the car line crossing the
drive at grade could be, even if chill
dren did play about there; for the
freight cars must approach that crown
with minimum speed and they make
more noise than the swift and silent
autos.
Fact of Routes Utility.
The fact of the routes utility is con-
clusively proven by the fact that each
year the Chautauqua managers want
temporary car line run into the park
but short distance from where this
permanent track will run. Why do
they ask this? To mar the beauty of
the park? To endanger the lives Of
women and children the very time of
year when such danger could exist?
Nay, nay. They ask this line, with all
its unsightliness because it is a rea
convenience and benefit to the masses
not to those who own carriages and
automobiles, but the plain people
those who need and use the park the
most
Suppose in addition to the present
! convenience of such route the city
would in a few years erect in the Glen
large auditorium. What better
place for it than the natural ampithea-
ire, the little open field surrounded
by trees, near where this track will
be laid? A fund is now being raised
from the chautauqua profits which is
set apart for just such a purpose.
Why shouldn't it be built there, and
be used, in addition to the chautau-
| qua, for concerts, public and political
| meetings, home commers meetings.
old settlers meetings, industrial and
fraternal conventions, and many other
functions? Why could it not be
| heated, SO as to be available at least
the greater portion of the year?
Public Gamer by Route.
The splendid utility and the versa
tile benefits Of the park are only in
their infancy. The park is the peo-
pies playground, the peoples escape
valve, the peoples education, the peo-
he
ton. The street cars bring the peo-
pie and the park together-bring the
people to their own. And the nearer
the heart of the park the cars can run
the better for the people. To keep
the cars out means to keep some peo-
pie out. 1t means more labor and
more Inconvenience to all who have to
walk from the car line. To have a
day or half day at the park means a
dinner or supper or both. This
means heavy baskets and all the i'm.
/ pediments incidental to day in the
woods. Who can tell how many over
worked wives are kept out of the park
by this very lack of conveyance in the
park? Is not this a common expert,
ence? Let the cars go into the park
Let them go to the very heart Of it If
possible. 1t is the tired mothers that
need it most. The people will only be
the gamers, and the park will lose
nothing in beauty, because there is
the truest beauty in utility and help.
fulness. Nothing is more sacred than
the mute claims Of tired women and
weakly children. A park that is to a
degree inconvenient or inaccessible to
the common people is to that extent
a failure. The street or interurban
cars multiply it's benefits because
they multiply its beneficiaries. They
will bring gladness and rest to many
people who are now too tired to walk
so far from the car and back again.
Let us not be so devoted to art and
beauty that we neglect people, the
very people who need these things the
most Art is a splendid thing, but
humanity is beyond all price. Beauty
is splendid thing, but utility puts
into it shining soul Let us not fol
low the shadow and forget the sub
stance, that which makes nations
great and men diyine-that sweat