Zn DEVELOPMENT OF STREET RAILWAYS 
better paid class of workmen, brought by electric roads within 
comparatively easy access of their work, have moved away 
from the cities, their place has been taken by newly arrived 
immigrants from foreign countries, This modification in the 
character of the population of the more crowded portions of 
the city is readily recognizable in Boston and its suburbs. 
Real estate values also have been affected in a marked degree. 
While, as is natural, these values still remain high within the 
older city, owing to the constant growth of the cities and 
consequent increased demand for land for business purposes, 
the value of land in the suburbs, which before the construction 
of an electric road was held at acre prices, has risen so that 
such land is now sold by the square foot, and large areas of 
unimproved land are rapidly being cut up into house-lots. 
A great social gain from the extension of street railways has 
been the establishment of parks and amusement grounds in 
the country, along the lines of the roads, within easy access of 
the cities. These parks are maintained by the street railways 
to increase traffic along their lines, and are not operated for 
profit in themselves, admission to the park being in most cases 
free. Such pleasure grounds furnish many different forms 
of amusement, for which small fees are charged. A very 
general custom is to provide a vaudeville theatre with per- 
formances afternoons and evenings; band concerts are fre- 
quently given; a pavilion for dancing is provided, and swings 
and carousels are regular features of the parks. Wherever 
ponds or lakes are included in the park areas row and sail 
boats and electric launches are provided, the use of which may 
be hired for small sums. A small collection of animals is also 
found in some of the_street railway parks. In this way 
attractive places are provided, where, at a very slight expendi- 
ture of time and money, people living in the cities may reach 
the country and find amusement in a variety of ways. They 
may wander about the fields and woods or drift about in boats, 
or they may dance or see a theatrical performance in an open- 
air theatre, but in any event they are brought out into the 
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