The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-06-02
by LIGHTNING.
A Solid Citizen ofCouncil Bluffs who wants
u Franchise for an Electric
Street Railway.

OttaWA can NJ ldet set bsiue ni oPPiS"S"
sion Of continued dependence upon sole
leather. or Q chance Samaritan with nm
empty seated wagon, for the transportion
her busy men and women. No longer may
the sidewalk with the loosened board arise
and smite our shins, or the leering CLASSY
eyed banana peel humble our pride, or the
The moaning blizzard retsrd our ambulations'
We may have street railway for the saying
90. Two companies want the fanchise, and
between them il is not assuming too much to
say that we will get the best the market a.
fords.
The second proposition comes from Mr..
Jos. Evans, Of Council Bluffs. He is a gen.
tleman of integrity, business standing and
abundant means, and is we'll known by the
older residents Of the city, having been a
resident Of the west end of the county for 20
years prior to his removal west We under
stand he is the gentleman whose name was
given to Evans township in which Wenona is
located. He came to this county in the for
ties, settling on farm near Peru, and later
was engaged for years in the lumber bust.
ness at that place, removing to the west in
1866. His business frequently carried him
through this city, and while engaged in the
construction Of the bridge across the Mis-
souri, river. between Omaha and Council
Bluffs, the question of the motive power for
the street cars to pass over the bridge was a
subj ect of much thought. He at length con
cluded to investigate electricity, and after
On investigation of about 100 plants, at
length recommended to his company the
construction of road in Council Bluffs upon
the Houston & Thompson plan, which will
be done. While placing the contract for this
road at the Bluffs, Mr.. Clark the agent of
system, asked him where there was o good
town in the west in which plant would be
welcomed. He recommended this city, and
Mr.. Clark proposed that he (Nr. Evans)
visit this city with him. and if the ground
was favorable, enter into partnership and
build the road, if franchise could be Sc.
cured.
PRELIMINARY.
They came here on Wednesday and looked
over the ground, Mr.. Evans pointed out the
most advantageous route, and agreed to make
the city a proposition. On Thursday Mr..
Evans was driven about the city by Judge
Eldridge, and expressed desire to meet the
business men of the city and explain his pro.
ject.
meeting Of business men was held in
he morning and second at 4 80 in the
afternoon, when over hundred of the solid
business men and manufacturers of the city
gathered in the Supervisors room in the
court house to hear the proposed scheme ex-
planned. Mayor Allen was called to the
chair and introduced Mr.. Evans, speaking
very highly Of his business and social stand.
ing.
Mr.. EVANS.
at u.s." said Mr.. Evans, "altogether out Of
my line to talk. am not in the habit Of
doing anything but run. am here to pre-
sent few facts relating to the construction
Of an electrical railway, applicable to this
city. am not interested in any ones pa
tent, nor am manufacturer, but only wish
to present proposition to establish an ell
eotrio street railway similar to those in op-
GRAFTON in Richmond, Va, Scranton, Pa,
Lima, Ohio, and Birmingham, Conn. have
examined about 100 electric street railway
plants, 80 Of which we're failures. They
we're failures because their promoters knew
nothing at all about electrical appliances,
the power necessary to generate electricity,
or the amount Of electrical power necessary
70 propel cars even on level, let alone on
grades. But the manufacturers Of electrical
appliances have taken hold, and developed
the fact that electric street railways are as
practical and as safe as horse cars or steam,
and can be operated more cheaply. built
the bridge across the Missouri river at
Omaha and Council Bluffs, and will put in
an electric street railway, and have travelled
much investigating the subject. After look
ing at the storage battery system, rejected
1t and adopted the overhead wire system as
the best and cheapest.
PARTNERSHIP.
"Mr. Clark, OF the Houston & Thompson
system desired to enter into partnership with
me in q plant here, and am here to place
proposition before you for road. As an
other road is seeking location here, do not
wish to appear IS asking that negotiations
with it be put aside, but as understand no
definite agreement has been made, do not
consider that am intruding. If you will
give me franchise will ask no exemption
from taxation or special privileges and will
have the road in operation within a year,
may be this fall, if can get the electric ap
pliances, for the shops of the manufacturers
are overcrowded on account Of many new
roads being constructed. 1 will state that