Evening journal., 1911-01-19
CITY MAY GET
A WHITE WAY
Market Street Merchants Are
Willing to Pay for Better
Street Lighting
AT LEAST ONE SQUARE
WILL Be ILLUMINATED

Is Market street to be transformed
into a Great White Way such as
other cities have made Of their main
thoroughfares. through the adoption
of extensive street lighting? This is
the question which is In the minds OF
nearly all of the business men on
Market street and the greater part OF
the citizens thoroughout the city Tho
matter is under consideration. City
Council and Mayor Spruance have
voiced. to certain extent, their ap-
proval of the idea. The Board o.
Trade is becoming active In the mat
ter.
TO the ones who are working for
~ this Is indeed gratifying aud this
stand has greatly encouraged TIE VIII
mington and Philadelphia Traction
Company, under whose operation tho
system will probably be carried out.
The idea. however. is gradually
nearing a head in one block on Market
street from Fourth TO Fifth. Among
the merchants in this block who arc
active In the project are Lyn Thomas,
Toplds Brothers and several others.
Mr.. Thomas this morning expressed
himself as being heartily In favor )f
the plan and said that he was ~eady
TO go ahead with IL Immediately if
the other merchants IN the street
would bear their share of the venture.
He said that the Wilmington aud
Philadelphia Traction Company Is
willing to erect the standards and all
the work for throo-yoar contract and
do II at price which he considers
more than reasonable.
The plan OF erecting only the
standards. such as that in front OF
the trolley Offices does not agree with
Mr.. Thomas views. however, Il being
his plan 10 have arches across tho
! street, perhaps four OF them in each
/ block
/, Mr. Thomas feels that the merchants
5 should not have to pay taxes and
o light the city also. II is strange TO
y him, he said, that the people did not
q Immediately agitate the better light
y ing Of Market street. as soon as the
D lights which were left hanging at the
time of the fi~omen's celebration were
l. taken down lIo had thought that the.
u would have acted for the white Way
e Immediately. e---t-u,.
% Mr.. Thomas said. "Ono of tho bes
Z advertisements a city can have is th'
y reports which are given by travelling
men. Men come here and see thu
inadequate lighting Of the main stree
and go and speak Of Il elsewhere T
d.. II is good lighting they will talk abou
= Il all the more and It VIII do the cit,
= world OF good.
II Is the best thing that the cit.
could do and the White Way" mus
l. come sooner or later. The smaller
q cities are taking Il up and carrying II
4 or and If Wilmington is too conserv9.
v e In her stand she is apt to suffer
Tho Board of Trade Is taking step IN
their project OF efetric sign advcriis-
ing and the city should work with
them in maintaining well lighted
street
/. Mr.. Thomas is willing to pay for The
, lighting of three or four of the eight
= standards needed IN the block If the
other merchants will pay for the re-
mainder.
h Charles +. Rudolph, a member o
the Street and Sewer Department. ha'
expressed himelf as being IN accorf
with business men, who are workini
for the lights and Topkis Brothers
,e have also voiced a desire to stant
40 some Of the cost
n II is Mr. Rudolphs plan TO have th'
r lights extend from Front and Marks
,e streets to Tenth and Tatnall streets.