St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-12
TWO CABLE LINES,
Important improvements in Transit
Accommodations.
A TOTAL COST OF s,ooo,o 900.
The Motor to Be Replaced by Cable
Cable on Washington Ave-
nue. Also.

st. Paul has had cable line for some
time, while Minneapolis residents have
had to get along with the motor and the
street cars. But Minneapolis will soon
have two cable lines, one to replace the
present motor line and the other to run
from Cedar avenue to Twentieth ave-
nue. north on Washington. The total
cost Of the work will be something like
$3,000,0OO, and from present appear
ances the lines will be in operation by
Jan. next. This news comes from
Thomas Lowry, president of the street
car and motor company direct, and is
therefore reliable.
1t has long been the intention of put
ting in cable lines, and now that the
time is near at hand when steam must
be discarded as motive power on the
motor line. and as the street car lines
are losing money, it was decided to put
in the cable lines as soon as possible.
According to the books OF the company
the street car system has been kept uD
at loss during the past two years. The
following figures, taken direct from the
company's book, show the actual earn
ingS and expenses of the company,
leaving out the cost of extensions made
during the year:
Earnings of the street rail
road. s57S, S74.O1
Earnings of the motor line. 1874, 1Sl.09
Total earnings. ........ .s743, O55. 10
Operating expenses Of street
railroad ........... ....... 472. 623 .63
operating expenses OF motor
line. ....................... ISL, 214.32
Total operating expenses .S623, S37. 95
Total earnings. .............. 743, 055. 10
Total operating expenditures. 623, S37.95
Net above expenditures. .s119,2l7.15
For interest on street railroad
bonds. ~, S4467
For interest on motor bonds. 45,2S0.17
Total. Observation-Disclosures. s11s, 1884
Amount above expenditures. 119.2l.15
Amount paid III interest. =. rs, 124.S4
Profit. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. S1,092.31
According to this statement, s1,O92.31
is left to pay the expenses of building
four miles of new track, $59.27960, and
defraying expenses of paving, S0,974.34.
In addition to this there is the cost of
new cars and purchase money for
horses. Mr.. Lowry said the actual loss
of the street car company last year was
$4,000.
To make matters still worse, the city
council has ordered sixty blocks of
sewer laid in streets on which the cars
now run. This means that the tracks
will have to be taken up when the
sewers are being laid, and then put
back again when the work is finished,
at an enormous expense to the com
panY. More bonds must be issued to
pay for this. and this enlargeS the
amount of interest to be paid at the end
Of the year, thus cutting down mate
rally the small amount left after pay
ing the operating expenses. In addi-
ton to this there is the extension of the
Washington avenue line clear to Shin
gle creek, necesSitating the laying of
mile and half of track which can
never be made to pay. The cable line
will be put in on Washington avenue
from Twentieth avenue north to Cedar
avenue, and as the steam franchise for
the motor expires Nov. /, cable line
from Washington avenue, and very
likely from the Union depot, will be
built to Thlrty-first street, as soon as
the sewers are put in from Twenty
ninth street to Thirty-irst street. From
Thlrty-firSt the passengers will be
carried to Minnehaha falls, Washburn
home and the lakes, as they are now
by motor trains. The cable will follow
the same streets now used by the mo-
rs according to present plans.
The cable system to be put in is the
same as the one now being operated in
st. Paul. There may be some minor
changes. OF course, but in the main the
system will be the same. The power
plant will be in large building one
story in height above the basement.
This building will contain all the boil
ers and machinery, and will, in fact, be
used also as general storehcuse. Fast
er transportation than is now to be had
will be secured, and the cost to the COM
pany will be greatly less. and nearly
half of the horses now in use will be
done away with. If a decision is reached
in the st. Manitoba crossing case,
now i'll the supreme court, this month,
the work on the cable lines will be he
gun before May l. If not, work may
not be begun until about June l.