Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-14
The Herdfc Coaches.
WHAT TEE INVENTOR HAS TO SAY ABOUT TIL
POINTS OF OPPOSITION,

WHAT TEE INVENTOR HAS TO SAY ABOUT TIL
POINTS OF OPPOSITION.
In talk with STAR reporter YESTERDAY
Peter Herdic discussed the opposition which
his coaches are meeting with all over the coun.
try. 1t arises, he says, not from any fault Of
construction, but from the very excellence O.
the vehicles. Street car companies, coach
builders, all in fact who are concerned In the
business OF personal transportation, are realizing
that the new Invention must ruin them IL they
DO not succeed IN killing it at the start.
They have spared no pains TO do this. LtOalous
attacks on the patent, Influences Of all kinds
nIo0gnt 10 6ear on parties who took the estab-
nshment OF the new lines ia hand, even inter-
ference with the construction OF the coaches
SO that through fault OF material or finish they
might break DOWN, are, Mr.. Herdic claims, the
means that his opponents have taken to pre-
tect themselves at his expense.
THESE" said the patentee, ''are but some OF
the ways IN which l have been attacked. You
see, by the combination OF my inventions this
coach Is bound 20 supersede all the Old forms.
IL enables one horse TO do the work Of two and
Tor the business OF general transportation Ii has
tse advantage over street railways that no ex-
lenslVe road has to be constructed and kept In
repair. Our lines can be started for about a
quarter CT what it takes to start street rail-
road In Washington the Car companies re
dueed their fares to three cents and put On
twenty new cars, but SO far from hurting us
Our receipts went up an average Of fifty i've
cents day for each coach within the next
week. They have since had to take off some OF
their cars. and believe no one viii ride with
them at all when we have coaches enough to
meet the emergency.
Now the coach builders are against me, too,
Tor they see there Is going to be a revolution In
tneir trade. The principles on which build
are equally applicable TO all sorts OF vehicles,
and got on May 81 four new patents both
here ard In Europe. for running gear and other
matters. Oi course, as Is always the case,
my invention was not perfect at first. and have
been making constant Improvements. A num-
Der or the nrst coaches built were made to ap.
pear defective through the bad material put
INTO the axles by those whom employed to
make them. So all the faults, real or apparent,
were SO much for my enemies to trade on
They nave been used all over the country to
UIe.
AS TO efforts made by railway companies to
buy him out, Mr.. Heroic said: ''They can't d.
lt. when the coaches come they come to stay.
l nave been offered large sums. but am deter
mined the public shall have the benefit OF this
means OF cheap transportation. now put in
all my licenses provision that those VINO take
the privileges for various towns must put on
and keep running ali the conveyances that
win pay twenty-five per cent on the actual
money invested. You see IL the railway com.
panies ouy out their opponents they must keep
Jue caches running or else all the rights re-
vert TO me. Thar ts all l want. / AN deter
mined that they shall have fun opportunity to
nght their way or their Own merits.
The demand Is Increasing so r.pidly every
Were lat u could turn out fifty day
coL.d not meet It. l am going to get all the
hrstTat eco, eoaen nal4ers can to build them
small cab on t@o wheels and seating four per
sons. II Is 10 beintroduced to carry persons In
any direction at twenty-five cents for a trip not
exceeding thirty minutes"
In conclusion Mr.. Herdic reiterated his con-
Vietion That In any town the coaches would
realize profit Of over fifty per cent II any way
wen managed. and that, despite all the opposi-
I.on made 10 them, they would yet prove their
value.