Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-05-14
EVOLUTION or CITY RAILWAY
TRANSPORTATION.


tiinuic NhC NuliH 9blNNh"'
From 1865 10 1881. the elts rail-
way was developed IRON a somewhat
fndifferent convenience into q vital
necessity 70 the community inns
Wrs accomplished by the creation OF
coaullcaa routes Dy means OF cross
N1ea and through the Introduction
0f Ike transfer privilege; by the ELI
minaUol 0f unnecessary duplication
EN- aarQice and by the initial move to-
ward correcting Improbable ana
harmful competition. twenty-five
Veay apo almost 10 q day rapid tran-
slt on practical scale was started
Ia baltimore. for II was on May ~,
lsql that the Druid Hin avenue
cable system began operation
Prior to the coming OF the first
street car the people OF Baltimore
were served BY stage coaches ana
Duaee The STAGE coacn,~ the very
earliest reans of puoiiq passenBef
ffAnsportauon ia this colntiy ma
tNuliy faVerscd az lrast 2ofIop
IN snch cities as 1t served SO the
txtont. ihen that STAGE eoaeh con
neciine Baltimore wiCh Deaipy towns
r t,kt with distant citles might
cover part oil the citys streets ana
onflyins roads in its Journey, 10 Chat
safar extend was IL available for SER
,3cp NV citizens who could use Il NJ
shortening long trip in on through
the eity rhe omnibus grew out Of the
starc coach idea una up TO the TIME
fhnt street railways were started,
the bus was the chief moderate
price means OF getting about the CITY.
The bus never sought, however, 10
build q network Of connecting lines
Sui II followed somewhat seitishly
the path of least resistance, namely,
those rev routes which offered the
lnaximnm business for the minimum
effort ana cost Both service ana
routes were more OF less uncertain,
ANA no effort was made TO open up
new territory on the prospects OF fu-
fnre business. AT the time street
cars were introduced in Baltimore,
fhe one hundred and seventy thou
sand people living here were depen-
dent IN part on three bus lines, Dut
ia q larger measure they were de-
pendent upon their own feet TO carry
fhem on their errands, whether these
trrands were for business or pleas
ure.
The stage coach was the father Of
tho omnibus The stage coach had
never been operated with a view OF
aervng the people OF o city with city
fransportation Indeed, created In
an ufe of inconveniences, It conten-
ted itself ia relieving the public or
very small part OF the Inconvenience
II travel in those days. Following ~
the steps Of the stage coach, the om-
nihua war not an agency which con-
sidered too carefully the peoples
comfort or convenience The BUS
itself was uncomfortable, and its
hiahest aim, doubtless, was TO give
fhe wayfarer a rlift" toward his des-
tinatlon The public did not appre-
clafe the difference in service which
thc car line was to offer nor did the
0lfv itself at first understand the I'M
nortance 0f this mode or city trans
narration both ais q business tactor
ANA as 4 community developer y
dnfn IN confirmation OF this were re-
ouired III can be found In the fact
that the business people OF Balti-
more Street were almost an unit IN
opnosine the laying OF ear tracks on
that business thOroughfare. Then v
WAS presumed that q car line would
he detrimental to the growth OF
hhonping street, while today not on
M wfll retail merchants protest
Aeainst diyerting q car line which
passes their doors to some other
fhorouehfare, but in the hope OF de-
vnlopine the business OF their own
street merchants seek to divert TO
their street car lines which may be
la operaton on other thoroughfares
which are not given up as largely 70
business
As has been stated. the first street
cai operated in Baltimore ran on luly
26 1859. MS route was from Feils
Point Markes up Broadway TO Baltl-
more Street and then west to North
street. The line had been projected
fnriher westward on Baltimore ST.,
bnf some OF the business houses that
opposed the coming of streetrailway
obtained an INDUCTION restraining
me Company from laying double
tracks 0n parts of Baltimore Street.
Thla Injunction was subsequently dis
solved and the western section OF the
line. which had been constructed
meantime, was Joined to the line
which had first been put into opera
tion This nrst line was the nucleus
0f the routes now operated by tne
Madison Avenue and the Cay street
lines. Light rails and but scant
Foundations for this superstructurei
enabled the railway companies 70
hnild their roads practically over
nieht. As consequence as soon as
stpeet railway operation was started
in baltimore IL did not take long for
the pioneer company TO project Q net
work Of lines The Baltimore Street
lire was extended to FranldinSquare'
ia the same year the Pennsylvanla
Avenue line was put into operation
on tie street OF the same name.
reaching out as far as the Boundary
or what is now North-Ayenue. az
nthnr route was established on Mad
ison Avenue starting at the Boun-
dary and Joining the FIRST line q
baltimore ana Eutaw Streets All OF
these lines were established by the
oity Passenger Railway. In the days
~ their Introduction and until cons
paratively late years the different
fonies were designated by colora,