Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-07
Reprinted by Courtesy OF the Chicago
Tribune.

Reprinted by Courtesy OF the Chicago
Tribune.
T WAS told the other day to run down
The idea was TO discover If there was any.
thing Chicago enjoyed that Philadelphia
lacked-a sort of municipal undertaking
expedition. 1t was an awesome assign
ment. When a provincial person from
the Middle West visits the great cities of
the East he expects to be overcome with
admiration and envy. He knows too well
the manifold shortcomings of his own
vast village by the lake. He is aware
that in sophisticated circles it is taken
for granted that Chicago is an impossible
place. He has been amused by the patron
izing condescenslon of eastern visitors.
So it was with the feeling of small
boy who is expected to be impertinent to
his elders and betters that took one of
the fast trains for the city Of William
Penn. Now Chicago is the terminus of
some twenty-seven railroad systems. OF
the scores of through trains which are
down on Chicago timetables, one-half
start from this city and the other half
end their runs here. None goes through.
From the railroad standpoint Chicago is
the beginning and the end of all things.
Not on Schedule
II was startling, therefore, when the
first bit OF information / picked up was
that Philadelphia is not on the railroad at
all. SO far as the fast through trains are
concerned that statement is exact. In
Justice it should be quickly added that
Philadelphia is by far the most important
siding on the main line of the Pennsylva-
MIA between Chicago and New York,
It is also to be admitted that the fast
trains run through a suburb called North
Philadelphia where they can be tagged
TO take on or discharge passengers And
North Philadelphia is connected with the
city proper by regular hack line, AS
the typical Philadelphian rarely leaves
the city limits and is quite Indifferent to
the coming of visitors this arrangement
is generally satisfactory
Local trains on the "Pennsy" do run
into the Broad Street Station and that
great railroad. which has something like
a proprietary interest in the city. has
within recent years permitted two or
three other minor railroads to come into
town, or at least to establish modest sta
tions in adjacent suburbs.
At that far from being railroad cen
tire, Philadelphia is hardly spot on the
circumference From the railroad stand
point, calling the city the most important
siding on the main line OF the "Pennsy"
is doing it no injustice.
Saving of Streets
AS the visitor drives on into the bust
ness district he is struck, first of all, by
the narrowness OF the streets. All the
land between the two oceans was avail
able when William Penn laid out the city
800 years ago, and it must have been
the earliest manifestation of the proven
bal Philadelphia thrift which made VIII
liam SO saving. At any rate, most OF
the downtown streets are so narrow that
street cars and other traffic can only use
them in one direction. When the digni-
fed members Of the old Union League
Club come to luncheon 1t is even neces-
sary to park their automobiles half on
the sidewalk and half In the gutter to
leave room enough for the street car to
get by.
Il 4 largely due to the narro1ness Of
tbs streets that Philadslp,iis has one q