St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-16

III%z** ; i: G :''i Is:
- eInO0n Frank
]. Sprague pulled the lever which
completed the circuit on one of
the cars which has been set up
down back of the base ball park. The
sparks flew from the motor under the
car, and it move a space along the track.
All yesterday afternoon men had been
engaged in setting up the motor, and
preparing it for the exhibition which is
to be made this afternoon. The first
movement Of the car was witnessed by
quite party Of street railway men, who
had come down from the West hotel
at the close of the sessions of
the conventions. There were present
Z. II. johnson. president of the Sprgaue
Electric Railway and Motor company;
Frank J. Sprague, vice president and
electrician of the company and inventor
of the motto : Capt. John 5. Wise, of
Virginia, general counsel of the COM
pany. and many agents of the Sprague
company. DR.. A. L. Everett, of the
East Cleveland company, was also there,
with other prominent stree railway
presidents and officers. A number of
citizens had also gathered about the lit
tie line of track. During the time that
the last connections were being made
the party stood ABOUT talking and joking
with each other They presented the
appearance OF being capable and ener-
getic men with the life and spirit in ev-
eTything they did that calls forth admi-
ration. The party gathered there was
fair representation Of the 200 or 800
men who will this week gather in Min
neapolis to attend the conventions.
They are for the most part young men,
| though there are few grey heads in
| the party. Among one of these was
DR.. Everett, of the East Cleveland COM
pany, who is president over the largest
electrical motor company in the world.
SeVenty-fiVe motors are now operated
Oh that line.
Frank j. Sprague, the inventor OF the
motor. was one of the yOungest-appear-
ing men Of the party. He is a shrewd
and at the same time pled6ant-lO0king
man of about thirty years. He was
originally a lieutenant in the United
States navy. He gave up his commits
sion to take position with the Edison
company. of which he soon became SUI
peFlntendent. He went to the Paris
exposition, and there saw an accident
which caused electricity to be motor.
From this impetus he dug out his in
YentiOn, and was the first to apply
| electricity for the purpose of locOmO-
ton. His company is closely allied to
he Edison company, and has sprung
into prominent existence in the last two
years.
Yesterday he showed himself to
know the motor by heart, as he caused
it to move back and forth along the lit
l., lin 90 yrrirG han ~
power from the dynamo extend along
above the track. The motors borne be-
meath the ears are connected with this
by means OF a trOlly, which being at
tached to the car runs along beneath
the wire. The ciIcuit is completed by
means of the track. The car glides
along nOiselessly like thing of life,
and it is provided so as to carry a
trailer" or simple ear, behind.
The Sprague people constructed this
little model as surprise for the repre-
sentatives to the conventions. 1t was
also a surprise to the other companies.
1t is constructed down by the Manitoba
tracks. a short jaunt down Sixth street
from HenneDin brings one directly to
the place of operation. The track is
LOCO feet long and terminates in a
tOlerably steep grade of about ) per
cent. The power is furnished by the
Edison station. The car is one which
was taken from the cars en- route for
Tacoma. where the company is putting
in a plant. The whole affair is in per-
feet running order and doubtless will
have many spectators to-day.
THE THREE CONVENTIONS.
To-day is to be the principal day of
the great street railway conventions,
the preliminaTieS of which have been
held at the West hotel during the week.
Yesterday was rather day for visiting
the city with most of the railway mag
mates than for strictly convention at
tending. Most of the prominent
men are now in the city.
There were ninety representa-
tives at the West hotel last night.
forty more are expected this morning.
The West is flooded with literature of
the various companies. and never took
on more busy appearance than at the
present time. Among the notices most
conspicuous were of the Gazette, a
! street railway paper, of which Z. v.
Cavell is the hustling editor. That gen.
tleman seems to be the one man of the
100 present who knows all about the
The first floor room at the Hennepin
and Fifth street corner of the hotel
is occupied with the exhibits
of the various companies. They
make an interesting exhibition
and will be a feature of the convention.
Among the companies represented are
the Railway Register Manufacturing
company, of which Z. Beadle is general
manager: the John Stevenson company {;
Adams Il Westlake Lamp company !;
Johnson Steel Rail company; PomerOy
& Fisher, Varnishers; the National Car
heater company; the Garrett &AppersOn
company; John Brill Il Co.. of Philadel-
phia; and on the outside of the hotel is
car and exhibition of the St.
Charles Car company, of st. Charles,
Mo. Post IL Co., the Baltimore Car
Wheel company: Lewis IL Fowler, car
trimmings, are also exhibitors.
The SpTague company agents closed
their session last evening by listening
to an interesting address by Frank J.
Sprague, They will probably be in the
| city during the week however. The
! following statement made by the sec
retarY shows what their work has been:
| The Association of the Sprague Agents
| of the United States, held its Semi-an-
nual convention at the West hotel on
! the 18th and 18th inst. Delegates from
the principal cities of the United
! States were present. and business
of general interest was thor
oughly discussed. The sessions were
private and the matter which was con-
sidered was largely of technical char
acter, relative to the construction of
electrical motors for street railway
equipment. and for milling and mining
purposes. The Interchange of opinions
proved to be not only interesting. but
will undoubtedly be of value in further
ing applications of electricity to the
| transmission of power.
The field of mining, as discussed by
the principal representative of the com