Year: 1871

TAe vlAAsss RaiIway-rhs Cause or Dc


People Against tho Schemes or the Pols-


ticians.


The vast importance Of the viaduct Railway
to the people Of New York renders the sue
cessful carrying out Of that project . matter
Of necessity. No public Improvement now In
progress or ever contemplated is 80 essential
as this. Rapid transit through the island.
from end to end Of the city, is the first and
foremost want Of the population, and can no
longer be delayed. Hitherto tho idea Of .
steam car road has been cherished by those
who have recognised In such an enterprise Z
probable means Of rapidly realizing large tor
tunes, and attempts have been made from
time to time by the lobby politicians and their
scheme from tho State Legislature. But
% the object OF such men was sim
ply money making, and not the pub
Lilo good, their plans have been
crude and impracticable, and by one means or
another al their efforts to obtain the valuable
grant have been happily defeated. The law
passed by the last Legislature was the pro-
duction of practical men who had studied tho
railway systems In European cities, and who


were anxious to accomplish tho work, not for
the sake Of immediate profit, but for the future


advantages It promises to city property, and


because Of the great Impetus 1t would Ger.


tainly give to the growth, business and wealth
of New York, in all of which they are materi-
ally interested. Hence their proposition II
feasible, and their charter is framed with .
view to the bona jade construction of the road
as . permanent investment. They have mot
been idle since the law passed. Already an
amount Of over one million dollars has been
actually subscribed End ten par cent Of the
amount paid up, and the company ID entitled
by the terms Of the charter to the fve millions
to be subscribed by the people In their
corporate capacity. Surveys have been made
of the routes, plans prepared and the prepara-
tory groundwork of the business laid down. II
only remains for the directors to commences
the actual construction Of the road, which they
are required to do before April Of next year.
in order to obtain vested right In the charter,
and to render them secure against the corrupt
schemes Of the political lobbyists and adven-
turers who are plotting to get the grant into
their own hands.


The city of London has greater facilities d
transit than any metropolis in the world.
There are admirable roads to travel over,
street cabs, open or closed, single or doubls.
at insignificant rates Of fare; cheap omni-
bus lines in every direction fast pas
senger boats running all along the riva
line on both sides at the trifing charge
Of one penny from Westminster
to London Bridge; and yet all the city rail-
roads, underground and viaduct, carry their
hundreds Of thousands daily and pay large
dividends to the fortunate shareholders. The
tunnel road is OF course out Of sight and
greatly relieves tho traffic on the surface bat
the viaduot road is the greater success Of the
two, and equally unobjectionabls % far ~ strsse
travel is concerned. It runs between blocks
and CROSSES the streets at height which, with
the addition Of low wall on each side Of tha
track, prevents the horses below from catching
sight Of the passing trains and removes the
danger of accidents. Upon this plan the
directors propose to construct our own road,
and when It is completed the people will won
der 1t their own folly 10 denying themselves
30 great public benefit for 90 many
years. After It has been in operation
twelve months We venture to predict
that our citizens would - speedily think a
abolishing gaslight a. Of dispensing with their
railroad. It is boon Of which they cannot
properly estimate the value until ito beneats
have been tested by actual enjoyment. II +,
in fact . truly popular improvement, and The
voice Of the people should be unanimously
raised against the attempt Of few political
strikers to embarrass and defeat It for their
own corrupt and selfish purposes.


As we have already stated, the company has
raised over one million dollars In actual sub.
scriptions, with ten per cent paid up, and b
entitled to claim Eve millions more from The
city-an investment Of which every .ssnsibls
taxpayer Will heartily approve. II II thus
in command Of six million dollars,
and has only to break ground on the
work and to show its determinatios
and ability to push II through to completion
in order to secure ~ much Of the stipulated
capital Of twenty-five millions as il may re-
quire. We have no doubt that there are ten
thousand people in tKls city who would gladly
take one share of one hundred dollars each,
with the sole object Of securing such facilities
Of travel a. would enable them to obtain for
their families comfortable homes In healthy,
clean neighborhoods, at reasonable rents,
within reach Of their daily occupation. These
are, Of course, outside the large number who
would seek for shares in the enterprise as
solid, profitable investment. But the property
owners themselves should be farsighted
enough to see the immense advantage the con-
toynr,loknd rood ia corfain tn ha In than RAal