Year: 1875

| desirable and valuable thoroughfarea in Chica-
/ go, instead Of one Of the most disagreeable and
| Improbable. There is no longer any sense
! or reason in quarreling with the horse-rail-
| road people. The tracks are laid and the
| be required to do. Had the Common Conn-
! Gil consulted the interests Of the people in
the first instance, and granted the right Of
| way to the Company otfsring the highest
! consideration therefor, it is likely that the
paving Of the entire street would have been
| undertaken by those enjoying the franchise.
But this was not done, and there is no use in
losing time and throwing away an opportuni-
ty in order to moan over betrayal Of pub
Lie trust which cannot now be helps d There
il no question but the horsa9ailroad will
help the street If the prope1ty-ownars will do
something for themselves. The avenue is in
splendid condition as far south a. Congress
street, aud for this distance the horse-railroad
tracks have not disturbed it. From Twelfth
street to Twenty-second the tracks have rath-
er improved the street than otherwise, as it
was nearly impossible before, and a the
tracks now furnish bed for wagons and
trucks to run upon Between Congress and
Twelfth, however, the elevation of the track
above the surface Of the old worn blocks
seemed to be inevitable, since it was necessa-
~ to furnish gradual decline from ths nav
grade at Congress down to the old But the
Company is filing up between ths tracks and
at the sides, taperng of the elevation down
to the curbs. Nothing more can bs dons un~
til the street Is paved.


The property-owners On Wabash avenue
should need no urging to proceed at once
with the repaving at the avenue batwean
Congress and Twenty second It is pri-
marily IN their own interest the public
benefit is only incidental thereto. Every
dollar invested in new pavement On Wabash
avenue at this time will bring back at least
twenty in the increased valuation OF the prop-
arty, the }easing Of property which cannot BE-
rented at all at present, and the increase in
rents Of buildings now occupied It is pzoba-
ble that the property owners can contract for
the repaving OF the street this summer at the
rate OF So foot. The curbing is al done
there will be no filing except between Con-
gress and Twelfth, and the railroad company
has already done large part Of this and
there is nothing to do but the 1nying Of the
blocks. Whatever it may cost it is entirely
safe to say that it can be done for less now
than ever before, and as little as ever again in
the future. The pavement has lasted for nine
years as long as the ordinary block pave
ments can be expected to Last unless laid Of
white oak During that time it has been kept
in repair at the expense Of the general public.
II the Property-owners of Wabash avenue Kre
waiting in the hope that the avenue will be
repaved oat Of the general tax, they will ba
very much disappointed This cannot and
should not be done~


4 new block pavement On Wabash avenue
would, with the horse-rai1road running cars
every two or three minutes (as the Company
would run them in that oase) take position
equal to, if not in advance OF, State street.
The very best class Of stores and shops would |
be located there, and it would be altogether |
The pleasantest street in tho city for the trans
action of retail business Within two OF three |
years there would be IN uninterrupted !
ine Of stores all the way south to |
Twelfth, and property which will not now
'ent for enough to pay insurance aud taxes !
would then bring in d fair interest on the in
'estment. It is extremely short-sghted for |
he Wabash avenue property-owners to defer
he rapaving OF the street any longar. The |
,ontract should be made and the pavement |
begun within the next two or three veak1.