Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-22
THE EIFCTRlC CARS.

A Pamphlet from the Sprasue Company.
"The Richmond VA Electric Road ia tho
title Of pamphlet Just Issued by the sprague
Electric Railway aud Motor Company
II. johnson, prcsiiont-iu answer 10 tho s'ate-
mcnt tlst their equpmeat upon me Richmond
Union Passenger railway IS failure.
Following are extracts.
That tho condition u tho present equipment
IA not satisfactory Is ai nit'el by the opraguo
Company. and o. Is prop sel 20 explain 10 you
why. When that explanation Il given n Will
not be di 1icuit f1r Auy unprrluiic9d person 20
see mat tho 'roub o' m Richmond ucitherspring
from the failure OF the general IDEA of elc'tii al
propulsion nor from any inhereuf weakness ot
the cprngue system, lui are peculiar Q" me con-
di;ious exi-ting IN Richmond, and point 10 sen-
eral principle.
Itis undoubtedly true that improvements 10
mechanical devices and IA construction naNe
boon maIe within the last i@1 yett'. IL IS
equally true thut tho >pfaguc equipment to-day
4, iu many respects superior % Dc, Garner en-
doavOr-, but it IS not true ilnt ine ctUt mont on
tho Richmond Union Passenger Rails way COM
pany was fundamentally wrong. Ca mo cnh-
trary this company "a prepared o. show mat
other railroads bIili about the samo limo tha'
Il was aud similarly equipped arc operating SIC
cessfully, both mechanically aud c0umer,iahN
under con iitions OF work just as trying as those
existing In Richmond
NEW MOTORS.
A now Sprnguo equipment might bo placed IN
.}ichmond today which would uc as superior 20
rrat now There as the wofA of this company to-
dry Is superior - its best work whom tha. fndl
WIS put IN but that gives the kichWn'l fntl
no more tight % demand such new AMI I'M
proved equipment from this company Without
nav than a person who lad bought au old model
Of sewing machine wouli have tho right u re-
turn it ~ tne company from which 10 Was bought
and Insist upon its newest ana latest pattern
with al the modern Improvements.
IaYNS's FNTrBpms..
So much. thon, by way of general observation.
Now 10 the particulars OF tho hicnmond entor-
prise.
Ina The early part Of 1857 Nr Maurice y. Flynn.
of New York, visited Richmond. Va. 0ctaiu-t a
franchise f0r this Richmond Union Passenger
railway. ana at once made Hiih o., on psnai oi
lis own nrm Of Guy G.. Hotchklss, Field a c., "A
reconstruction contract
II was a profitable franchise and earned ,arge
revenues. uut they were diverted from tho dcy
il began operations, and largo sums nom ils IN
como which have been icpiortnteG rs chhts'-
able % iis running expenses Wrro withiraNn ny
Flynn on voIchors which aro not nov among
It's papers.
Mr. Flynn further formed an electric conf
pany principally Owned ~ himself, aud % hat
company ne leased an tho pOWer-plant ot tho
Union Passenger road no q very low ngurc, aud
then made a contract WITH h- cle.iri company
Ia .upqiy he railroad with power irom It's own
plant a. $50 q dag.
SD h-l.INlFAi =.
When Mr. Flynn obtained Lis construction
contract he made sub-contracts ID carry olt tne
same a, follows:
For the construction Of tho roadbed ho save
the contract o. q bgsIncs1 associate no . very
large price, part Of whi'n was paid n cash aud
part in bon AZ.
TITO roadbed and track we're built in tho most
perfunctOry manner The work WIS b7dly done,
the rails were 0f Inferior quality, an1 tho whole
contract was 50 wretchcf'y performed that tho
condition of lho rOadbei and track to-day rs ono
OF the most serious ~ al tho troubles with the
Richmond Passenger Railway Company
Tho rOadbCd was not properly allhsted; ths
curves were abrupt AMI unbound, and although
the track has been laid but two year.. the cOndi-
ton OF tie rails to-day is 80 wretched As % no.
ceasitato a large expenditure Amounting % up
wards OF SI2.yOO IN order % replace Tho ron al
ready worn out and 10 mako tho track nt Tor any
method OF propulsion
Tho pamphlet includes a detailed report from
Lieutenant Greene. statements ~ % recent pro-
ceednss ina our courts. list Of ths roads operated
By tue eprague systsm Gui gcuefally a def0ace
Ot their system against ali recent attacks.