Wichita eagle., 1889-03-10
ELECTRIC SPARKS.
THE CURRENT MAKES THE CIRCUIT
AND THE WHEELS TURN.
An Established Success and Now Reach
ing out Over five Miles--The Excur-
sion Party With Some Cpturned
Interesting Legends.


ing out Over five Miles--The Excur-
sion Party With Some Upturned
Interesting Legends.
Yesterday afternoon at 8 o'clock found
two cars at the corner OF Market and
Douglas ready to carry an excursion party
over the electric railway to the end of the
line in the Alamo addition, about five and
quarter miles northwest. The party
consisted of majority of the members
of city council, school board and num-
Der Of the leading members of the board
of trade Every one was soon in place and
the electric current was turned on the
motor and the cars started on the pleasant
Journey. The track WAS smooth and the
and the cars glided along lightly, turning
into the switches rounding the curves. and
the general conversation was Of
a complimentary character on the 'sper-
formance." In a few short minutes Or
in fraction of the same the party was
across the Little river and gliding around
the gentle curve in Riverside park Pass
ing the former station the residence por-
tion was soon reached and the cars were
turning the short curves common in
streets, with speed and apparent ease
| that could scarcely be expected. Owing
to the inability OF the company to secure
the right of way through and over private
property the line is constructed along the
streets, making many curves necessary.
While this was suggested as a criticism, it
was also stated that the ''zig-zag'' arrange
ment would reach more people than an air
line to Almo.
In due time the end of the new extern
sion was reached, which is about two and
a half miles long. The two cars
were the first trial of the circuit
and everything worked as nicely as.if it
had been used for a century. The party
landed in Alamo, short distance north
the famous sand hills. Mr.. J. r. Mead in
terested quite a number with some early
day recollections of events in that vicinity
1t was in the early days of '64 that Jesse
| Chisholm, in honor of whom Chisholm
creek was afterwards named, established
a trading post at what was known as
Walnut Grove" on a spot north and east
Of the sand hills, protected from the
| sweeping winds of the plains. In the
same year the establishment was pur-
chased by Mr.. Mead who run a trading
business with the Indians for over three
years. In the year 65 the two rivers got
on a high and occupied all the level
country between the two rivers
forcing the Indians to crowd up
the sand hills for more liberty in breath
ing. They remained ''treed' for about
two days, when they were permitted to
come down on the damp plains to get
good-size bad cold without much extra
extra effort The trading post site for
some time has been owned by Mr.. j. G.
Davis, who has taken considerable inter-
est in the relic evidences in that vicinity.
While Mr.. Mead was doing business there
one of his employees, Jack DAYTON by
name, fell victim of bullets from gang
of outlaws that frequently run a govern
ment of their own in those days and had
forcble way of asserting their power.
There is well remembered legend
among the old settlers about party of de-
serters from the Mexican war who camped
on the sand hills near the trading post in
the days of '46 and got into gun perform
ance with the Indians. The latter
as legend has it, overpowered and only one
fellow got away, he bearing evidences of
the battle. He fell into canoe and
fioated down to Fit Smith. where he told |
Uut SUOiJ Vi Vic lslc u tuc parry, anu
stated that the squad had with them
valuable treasure of gold, which had been
buried in the sand hills while they were
camping there. He died in few days
from his injuries, and so the story goes |
that once upon a time, soon thereafter, a |
gang of Fl. Smith fellows made an effort |
to find the treasure but failed. The plow-
ing for gold according to the corn route by |
Mr.. Davis, has revealed many arrow heads,
stone implement and pieces of pottery, but |
no chunks of solidifed gold of any alarm
ing proportions, such as legend has IL,
was left as a secret for the sand hills.
The legendary remarks over the trolley
arms were turned and soon after ''all
aboard" the cars were skipping south over
the new track through the sun shine and
moderately cool air of a March day. 1t
was rounding the curves and ''down the
stretch" and soon the current broke in for
the station. The striking thing at this
point was business like engine working
on dynamo forcing the gener-
ator to whirl around several hundred
times minute, which sent out the cleo
trio current on It's trip for business as well
pleasure. The facts around the station
were three large boilers, each forty horse
power, sixteen feet long, forty four
inches in diameter. The engine
which was beauty to even semi
mechanical eye was an eighty-fye horse
and giving close attention to the Thomp-
dynamo which is a fifty horse
power of five hundred volts one hun
dred, and forty ampheres. The current is
sent out through the wire overhead and
through the track assisted by a
wire on either side. 1t is conducted from
the overhead wire by the trolley arm TO the
motor doing it's work thence to the return
part of its trip. Each car is provided with
4 lightning arrester which enables the car
to run during a storm without molesta-
lion to motor or passenger. The same I
are provided for at the sta |
ton which enables the company to do a
business without being
by any other enterprise Of that
sort.
The company has ordered another dyna-
no of capacity of about double the one
1ow in use and also ordered three more
,ars each nicely and handsomely equipped
and much larger than the ones now in
use. They will be on hand in about two
weeks. ,
The extension just put into service shows s
, fine class OF work exhibited clearly in | J
.he adjusting of the overhead wire. 1t is
in the company circles that an
hxzra -far. ~. vii in |