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Brooklyn Citizen - Tuesday April 10, 1888 - Brooklyn Public Lib

page 1

The First Train

Formal Opening of the Myrtle Avenue Branch

Rapid Transit Here at Last

The Union Elevated Comes to Time - A Distinguished Body of Citizens take the Initial trip - mayor Chapin Is sponsor for the first Locomotive and is the guest of the company - the Joyful Event Celebrated in Becoming Style at the Claredon.

selections from article:

"All the passengers for the 11 o'clock special ascended the stairs on Myrtle Avenue, over Werner's hotel. The station was decorated with flags. The rain did not give the guests much time to inspect the structure. They got on board the train as soon as they reached the platform. When "All right" was called out by the station agent, the new Locomotive drew the cars out."

"The windows of residences along the route were open and the inmates consisting of men, women and children, cheered the first train as it shot past them in good railroad style."

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"On Myrtle avenue many enthusiastic property owners had flags displayed with this praise-worthy motto: "Welcome the Elevated Railroad"."

"James B. Healy one of the largest property owners in the city, said that this was the inauguration of prosperity on Myrtle Avenue, and he never saw so many delighted real estate people. The train went along the track as if it had been in use for years and no sand was needed to overcome grades and hills."

page 4 Brooklyn Citizen -editorial April 10,88

"The Union Elevated Open

*the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge

Since May 24, 1883*, now nearly five years ago, no event more memorable in the history of Brooklyn's development as a city has occurred than the formal opening to the public of the Union Elevated Railroad on Myrtle Avenue, the particulars of which are reported in our news columns. It marks a departure from the narrow village life of the community as great as any that has yet been taken, and it may be fairly compared of the Bridge of which it is a direct and inevitable consequence. It places Brooklyn at once on a level with the