Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-26
The TRIAL TRIP.
The First Car Crosses The Bridge
Line.
An Important and Memorable Jour.
ney 'na Street Car-Incident. OF an
Historical Event.

An Important and Memorable Jour
ney a Street Car-IncIdeut. Of nm
Historical Event.
AT $50 o'clock Wednesday evening a
double carriage rolled out of Snider's liv>
cry stable on Third avenue, and proceeded
across the bridge and Island of Rock ISL
and to Davenport. 1t contained C. ].
LUCK superintendent of track operations
OF the Chicago City Railway companv's
system. Henry Schuyler, general superin-
tendent of the Holmes street Car system
IN the tri,cities. james Cozatt, superin,en.
dent of track building of the same lines an
an ARGUS representative. Uoon reaching
Davenport the party was driven to the
telegraph office where Supts. Luck and
Schnltger ahghted, and soon re,
turned to the carriage with
lengthy telegram 1t was from
Mr.. G. B. Holmes, president
of the syndicate and dated Chi,
cago. The message gave directions as
to the running of the first car over the
Mississippi river between the cities of
Rock Island and Davenport, and outlined
the route to be followed. The party was
then driven to the corner of Second and
Main Streets, where it was Joined by 9TH
ers whom MIR. Schnitger had invited, and
all were soon comfortably seated in car
No. 4, of the new Bridge, Second Street
u Northwest Davenport line, which is
part of the Holmes system The car had
for motive power an cid time and faithful
street car team popularity known as
Tom and Jerry" pair of mules which
for years preceding the Introduction of
electricity on that road, pulled the Gem
tral railway cars Up Brady street hill, but
when mule power was abandoned Mr.
Schnitger bought the team, and it was a
wise purchase.
The journey to the bridge was com
menced at $40, Sapt Schnitger himself
M nipulating the brake and handling the
reins, while John Hentzelmann acted as
conductor. Full fare for the round trip
ten cents-was collected from each
passenger; none were exempt The lis,
of those on board, which is appended.
was carefully tsken, and Supt Luck took
tito Chicago with him Monday night where
it will be filed for court record:
CT Luck, Henry Schnitger, JOS Hebert,
Alex Anderson. John Hentzelmann, John
Mccarthy, Patrick Doyle. James Digman,
James COZstt, August Carson, John
Hemdort, Chss SchIunz, W Fl Larkins
John Silver W F Coulter, Davenport
Democrat Gazette; F " Rlnck, Rock Isl,
snd Union; II P Simpson, Rock IslanC
| ARGUS.
The car assembled the Davenport ap,
proach TO the Rock Island bridge withou
incident. while the trip across the crea
structure was most enjoyable, the ca
running as smoothly aud comfortably a!
if on cable or electric road. At tn,
first curve on the island the first difficult,
was met. There the car left the track.
and all hands had to contribute to the
muscular power of rIghling it, All wen
well across Armstrong avenue until tn,
next curve turning into the csuseway was
reached. There the car went off again
and all aboard got out il the driving rail-
to strsighten things out This tint
Supt. Scbnitger unhitched the mules anC
permitted the good natured animals Il
view the exertions and skill that com
| oiuru human stroustn could Uriug 81
bear in q predicsment such as this. The
mules pricked up their ears and seemed
to enjoy the scene hugely. They vert
soon attached again. however, and tn,
other animals reentering the car, the
! journey was resumed About half way
| down the causeway one of the
| mules missed his footing and went down
into one of the uncovered tie bitches.
while the other WAS so full of joy owe
| the distinction that had been conferred
upon him and his companion,
that he Was for going right along
This tangled things up consider
ably and Supt. Schnitger putting on
brakes and turning the ribbons over
to Joe Herbert, allghted, and going up tC
| the head of Jerry, the enterprising mule
| whispered something confidentially in hi,
ear. The mule looked at bis companion
Tom, who braced up and the car moved
again. The little bridge was crossed il
safety. The car crossed the numerou.
railroad tracks safely and then off sh,
went again. The former mode of putting
it back was again Introduced and the ca
glided up Twenty-fourth street anC
around the curve into Third avenue. The
passengers instinctively jumped from the
car at this curve, but tbs car fooled then
ard stuck to the track and then the poo
mortals who had earned their ride already
were obliged to race after the car, fol
Supt. Schnitger and his mules had i'm
proved an opportunity to give thei
guests a chance to test the muscula
strength of the lower as well as the uppe
limbs. All finally got aboard again, bu
at the junction of the Union line at Nine
teenth street the same old story was for
cib!y impressed upon the minds of tn
passengers. The Car went along a
right to Fifteenth street and north t.
Second avenue, running into the tracks
of the Moline s. Rock Island line. Tn
mules were detached, hitched to the othe
end and the journey back to Davenport
was made much more easily.
All along Third avenue between TWEEN
ty-fourth and Nineteenth streets, wher
the new line is built, people rushed t
their doors and cheered the car as
passed. A new enterprise was welcome
which BY this altogether enjoyable act
had firmly and permanently establishe
the only street Car line over the Missis
sippi. and those who had ridden in th
first car had taken part in the enactmen
of an historical event.
|
The Art OF Dancing.
A foreign correspondent notes Il