Year: 1879

| alien followers; and let them not stand on
the order of their going, but 60 at once, if


this country and its institutions are SO odious


to them IS they and he pretend.


| -.-.~--=


ELEVATED-RAILWAY SPEcULAT0RS IN
| CHICAGO.


It is probable that the alarm the residents


of several streets of this city have taken at


the suggestion Of eleyated~railway projects
| is premature, for two reasons, W.: ~ Be-
! cause the Council has no authority to grant
the right Of way for any such speculative
scheme on any street in the city without the
consent Of majority of the property 'front.'
| ing on such street; and (2) because there is


no trustworthy indication that there is sufh-


cient capital back of any one Of the schemes
presented to the Council to build single
| mile Of elevated railway. Nevertheless, the


emphatic popular protest which is making


itself manifest on the streets, in the newspa-


pers, and through public meetings may be Of
service in restraining the Council from lend
ing itself to any OF these wild projects for
any purpose. If there be no intention and


no capital to actually build these elevated


railways as projected, then the purpose of
appealing to the Council is corrupt, and every
Alderman who votes with the schamers will


in the expected benefits Of the swind1e. II
there be IN intention and sufficient capital
to construct the proposed railways, then the
Council has no right to proceed in the mat
ter under the charter, except upon petition


from the property-oEuers according to law.


In either case, the schemes in their present


shape should be unceremoniously and incon-


tinent1y kicked:out of1the Council Chamber
There is provision in the General Incor-
i poration act, under which the city is now
governed, prohibiting the Council from


granting "the use Of or the right to lay


down any railroad tracks in any street of the


city to any steam or horse railroad company,


except upon petition OF the owners Of the


land representing more than one-half the


frontage of the street, or so much thereof as


is sought to be used for railroad purposes"


There is not the slightest doubt that this


prohibition would be held to include elevated


railways, for it would be the grant of the


street for steam-railway to allow any CON-
pany to erect huge platform either in the


centre or on both sides Of street over which


to run steam-cars. The law was obviously
intended to protect tue owners Of property
against the destruction Of their. personal


comforts and Of the value Of their property


by running the use of the street which makes
such property habitnble and valuable. But


there is no device in the shape Of 8 railway
which SO completely and irretrieyably de-
stroys personal comfort, business, and prop
erty values as does an elevated street-rail-
way. The property Owners and the residents
Of the streets along which the New York
elevated railways run have discovered this
to their sorrow. The constant jarring
and the incessant and internal noise of the
trains have seriously damaged business, and
created such q nuisance Us to drive people
away. There is no privacy, for the trains
run along at an elevation which enables the
passengers to look in second-story windows,
into bed-chambers and living rooms at night
as well as day. The stores cannot be rented
at anything like their proper value, be-
Cause business is practically excluded from
the street. The elevated railroad is death
to the sick, and unceasing misery to the well
people. Millions upon millions Of property
values have been destroyed On those streets
in New York, and the same result would be
inevitable hare.


It is obvious, then, that the law will pro-
tect the streets against occupation against
the wishes of the property-owners for such |
purpose, which is infinitely moro objection
able than either ho1se-railway or steam
railway on the street level; and the Council
have no right to consider any proposition for
a right Of way that is not accompanied by q
petition of property Owners, as required by
overwhelming majority of the propsrty-own-
ers on any street will join in any such peti-
ton.


There is another view to be taken Of the
matter. New York embraces about three
times the entire population Of Chicago, in an
area not much, if any, larger than the North
and South Divisions Of Chicago. Into this
contracted space, between two large rivers,
is crowded the population Of Chicago, st.
Louis, and Cincinnati. The lower two or
three miles Of that city is packed with bust
ness -places,-the upper stories OF thousands
of houses being used for tenements, and the
ground-story and basement for stores and
shops Of all kinds. The upper end Of the
peninsula is devoted to residence purposes,
SO that between the business and residence
portions Of the city are necessarily very great
distances. Herein is found selfish
reason for the sacrifice Of the property on
certain streets to elevated railways which
does not exist in Chicago. This city is spread
out like fun. There is a common centre
for the three DIVISIONS, and the distances
from the business centre to the city
limits in any direction ara not long
enough TO. render transit by horse
car oneroas in loss or unreasonably incon-
yenieat. ~ to the suburbs Of Chicago, there