244 The Story of The Bronx 



ground railways by stating that the existing railways of the 

 city would soon be inadequate for the increasing traffic, and 

 that the construction of an underground railway was desirable 

 and would be soon absolutely necessary. In view of these 

 facts, he suggested that some scheme should be devised to 

 advance the credit of the city for building such roads, as a 

 large amount of capital would be required ; but nothing came 

 of the Mayor's suggestion. 



In 1 890, the Legislature enacted a rapid-transit bill affecting 

 cities of over one million inhabitants. Under the provisions 

 of this act, Mayor Grant appointed the first Rapid Transit 

 Commission, which made a report, June 16, 1890, in favor of 

 an underground railway. Routes were selected, soundings 

 made, consents of property owners obtained, other property 

 selected for condemnation by the Supreme Court, and, finally, 

 the franchises were offered for sale, but no responsible bidder 

 appeared; the plan, which had cost the city over $130,000, was 

 dropped. 



In 1893, a responsible banking house offered to construct 

 the road if the city would loan its credit to an amount not to 

 exceed thirty millions of dollars; but ex-Mayor Hewitt pointed 

 out that the city was forbidden by the Constitution of the 

 State to loan its credit for private enterprises, and that the 

 city must own anything for which its credit was advanced. 

 A bill embodying the ideas of Mr. Hewitt was passed by the 

 Legislature and signed by Governor Flower May 22, 1894. 

 A new Commission was appointed by the Mayor, of which 

 Alexander E. Orr was president, and William Barclay Parsons 

 was chief engineer, both of whom held the same positions when 

 the road was completed. The act authorized the use of the 

 referendum at the election of November 6, 1894, to see whether 

 the people were willing to increase the city's indebtedness by 



