Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-12-05
THE STREET RAILWAY
LARGE BLOCKS OF TaR STOCK CHANGING
HANDS, OF LATE.
4 New Management 10 Take Control, and Radical
Improvements 10 DO Made for the Better
Accommodation Of the Public.

Ever since the inauguration Of the elfc'
trical street railway service in this city,
and especially since the destruction OF
the Main street bridge, there have been
complaints without number from the pto-
pie, at the ~iuadequscy of the service. 1t
is no upususl thing for psrtons to have to
wait twenty minutes for a Car, while lack
of means for personal transportation for
fifteen minutes is so frequent as to
scarcely excite comment.
TIE street railway authorities early had
q realizing sense Of the trouble, and the
company did all in its POWER to remedy
the matter, but such was the arrangement
of the switches that no more than seven
cars could be placed upon the single track
line, the remsinipg five Being compelled to
lie idle in the buildings. The matter was
carefully co 'sidered by Superintendent
LOTUS and the Directors, but il wss Con-
clusively demonstrated that TO put on q
single additional car would inevitably le-
suit 10 frightening instead of diminishing
the interval between cars, aud it was given
up. Increasing the spted WIS then tried
by the uss of ''spee ders," but this resulted
in burning out certain psrts of the ma
chinery, aud could not be kept up.
It was then realized that the only alter
native was the completion of the double
line throughout the city, by extending
the existing plant On Min and Market
streets up town, and on Cbapline and
Main, from Twenty-seeond TO Twenty
seventh streets, Goati along Chapfioe,
Eoff and Jacob streets, before any relief
could be afforded thu people and a sufi
cient number of cars put on the rails to en-
sure their passage along the streets at rta.
sorably shorter intervals. To accomplish
this a large additional sun CT money was
necessary, aud a consolidation Ofstock in
the hands CT cartsiu gentlemen, financially
abe to ses the big improvement through,
became imperative. Shortly after this con-
clusion was arrived at. Mr.. Updegrsf, pSi-
vate secretary of George Westinghouse, OF
Pittsburg, and others, who had been inter
este1 in the matter, began to negotiate for
stock with 8 view to obtaining, in company
with c9rt4in Wheeling gentlemen, a coz
trolling interest in the roads. Old stock
toldelS Iesliz'd the necessities of the
road, and under the stimulus Of good
cffsrs stock began TO chlnge hands,
upt now many OF the old share
holders are ont at a handsome profit, from
1920 up to $3.50 and beyond, having been
offered 70. shares in the road.
Within the the past day or two, it is
believed, a majority OF the stock has besn
consolidated in tie hsrds of the new
management, to this fact being largely due
the activity lately displayed on the Ben.
wood extension of the road, several times
referred to in the REGISTER, and the fur.
tier fact that as soon as work is finished
on the extension, which with good weather
will be on Saturday night, the fcrca Of
hands will be brought up town, ard set to
work at laying down rails on the extension
Of the lines within the city, if the necs-
sary authority can be had. But the most
convincing proof is thu ordinance intro
duced Into Couuc | last night.
The ordinance, which was objected to in
the Second Branch, whsrei it first came up,
by Mr.. Kettlar, gives the Wheeling Rail-
way Company the right to construct a
street railway on Jacob street, from Forty
second to Forty.third street. This will no
doubt have a familiar sound to most citi-
zens, inssmucA as there have been two or
thlea ordinances to tbs effect introduced
into Council during thu past year, each
effort to close up the gap Of ore square in
the present line of the road meeting with
defeat. In the present ordinance, how
ever, in Seton 2 thereof, it is provided,
that "Tie said Wheeling Railway Com
pany she'll r0s be entitled to the benefits,
rights and privileges by this ordinance
granted by the city, unless it
shall, within six moths Of the
date of the acceptance Of this ordi-
nance, complete the construction of tracks
and operate cars thereof, On and over the
following route, Nh 1t is on Twenty seventh
street from Chapline street. to EQff street;
thence on Eoff street from Twenty-Seventh
street to Thirty ninth street, IN Thicty'
ninth street from E9ff street to Wood
street; on Wood sire t from Thirty ninth
street to Forty-thiId street; and on Forty
third street to Jacob street, sui isct to the
agreements, conditions and restrictions
which are imposed and mentioned in an
ordinance entitled an oriinsnce granting
to the Wheeling Railway Company the
right to construct q street railway Oh the
streets of the city.
"SEC. 3. The failure to uso any Of the
streets named in this ordinance for a
period of six months shall constitute a
70 ,ieiture OF all right to ure said street IN
der this ordinance"
These are the unusual features of tie
ordinance, and indicate the Company is
willing AID anxious to push the building
Of additional lines on the South Side with
whatever expedition plenty Of money and
a siLcare demand to better the facilities Of
the road may be able to command.
Nor is the improvement to stop with the
work above outlined on the South Side, il
what is to be heard about to wn can be re-
lied upon. There is talk of the Company
extending it's line up Market street, from
Tenth street north to Seventh, and to Fifth
if,,possib'e, and that accomplished, cars can
be run pOFthEard on Market street end
south on Main. oron parallelstreets on the
South Side, from Fifth street to Forty.
third. This is the regular city method Of
conducting street Car traffic, and is the only
manner 10 which rapid transit can be Sc
cured, unless there bea double track on the
same street.
Of course these improvements will cost q
great dealof nSney, but those a. the head
Of the company, whi'e consc:OTsthat there
must be a cessation of dividends for a
couple of years, are convinced that it is
the Only way 70 give public satisfaction
az at the same time make the prcp?rty Of
the company remunerative.
At present the road is earning a little
money, ana could ii get its track connect
ed at Forty second street, thus allowing
the doing sway with of horses and stable
hands, it wcBld earn a little more, but
this would not be Ter the public service or
provide for the hundreds of passengers
who are now compelled to mics cars every
day. When o oitizs IN wants a street car, he
wants it right away, snd ut present, he is
compelled 10 wait from FIVE to ffteeu min
uVes.
Doctors complain that when DR.. Bulls
COughSyrup is Used they don't get a chance.
Salvation Oil is unequslled as q psi des-
NJ aAzkao hnNt'n