, 1884-01-22
STREET CARS.
The Builder of the First Tram-car
for Street Service
Notifications OF the Original Type---
Progress or street Railroads.
The idea Abroad---The En-
terprIses of To-Day.


ain 1884, said John Stephenson, the vet
eran builder of horse-cars, to a reporter, Il
designed and built the first tram-car OF the
first railroad for street service in this country
or abroad. This car consisted of three sepa-
rate compartments, each compartment hold
ing ten persons, and being entered by
separate doors on the side from a guard rail.
Seats were provided On top Of the car for
thirty or more persons. The car was very
much like the English railroad coach, though
It was set considerably lower. 1t WINS hauled
by a team Of horses, the conductor remaining
outside on tine rail, rain or shine. The com
pany for which II was built was called the
New York & Harlem road, running from
Primes street, on the Bowery, along the line
OF the present Fourth avenue to YorkviIle
and Harlem. Fourth avenue at that time
had not been opened, but the line had been
surveyed in 1910.
'rhe fare paid varied with the distance.
being sixpence, or six and one-quarter cents.
from rim street to Fourteenth street, six
pence more to a point where Forty-second
street now runs across Fourth avenue, six
pence mors TO Yorkville, and twenty-five
cents to Harlem. These fares were paid in
the silver Of the old Spanish currency then
prevalent. In time through fare was reduced
to eighteen pence, and then to twelve. But
the road did not succeed. In 1897, after six
years of construction, 1t temporarily gave
way to steam-cars. In 1915, however, 1t re-
sumed working under its charter, which had
not been given up-and which, by the way, is
the charter under which the present Fourth
avenue horse-car line is operated. In that
year, 1916, the cars were remodeled nearly to
their present style, the great feature being
the adoptioV Of end platforms and entrances.
No other horse-car line was built till 1852,
when at about the same time charters were
granted for the Second, Third, Sixth and
Eighth avenue lines. Outside of New York,
In this country, Boston first adopted the sys-
tenn in 1855, Philadelphia following in 1857,
after which It spread over the country. NNw
Orleans In 1851 was the first to adopt the
small car, or, as 1t is called, the bob-tail car.
And / should like to say right here that out
of the 42s horse-car lines now existing in the
United States, 279 use the small cars only, the
remaining 149 having the conductor cars.
w come now to the Introduction of the
Idea abroad. In 1850 George Francis Train
started a line, for which l constructed the
cars, in Birkenhead, opposite Liverpool. in
England. Popular feeling was against the
idea, however, and the line proved a poor
affair. / believe 1t did not declare a diyi-
lend in twenty years. So intense was the pop
ular prejudice in England at that time that the
starting of a horse-car In London caused a
riot, and the rails were torn up. Nor could
an ect Of parliament be obtained until as late
as 1870 for the construction OF other roads.
Now lines are operated in the American
style in most OF the principal cities in Great
Britain, our cars by their combination OF
lightness, durability and comfort having
won the day against English manufacturers
an 1895 South America took up street
railroad enterprises on a large scale, Brazil,
Venezuela, Chill, Peru, Uruguay. Ecuador,
Costa Rica, and the Argentine Republic all
adopting them. And it may DO stated In
general that our shipments to-day are to the
remote corners of the globe-to New Tea
land, Australia, Java. India. Japan, the Cape
Of Good Hope and Port Elizabeth In south
Africa, as well as to Canada,
France. Belgium, Portugal, Austria, Hol-
land, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Nor
way and England. The English cars, for
which We have large orders, differ from
American cars in having winding stairs at
zach end, by which to reach the seats on top
of the cars. The fares. too, in an English
car are so much a mile, as Is the case with
most of the European lines. There are three
other companies constructing horse cars In
this country, at Troy, st. Louis and Phila-
delphia. As an institution the system Is pc
culiarly American, both in point OF original
conception and its development"