The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-24

Evans, President OF the Eiectrlc
Street Railway Co.
The people Of Ottawa are q very conserva-
tive community as body. In business
energetic but careful In social relations
cordial, hearty, friendly, sympathetio. As
Q body the Ottawa business men are oare'up
psinstaking watchful for errors. And OF
late years they have made but few mistakes
Ottawa Is o poor town In which to work
snaps Q good thing that can prove Its worth
need 20 no further than Ottawa. But o'ta-
Va must be satisfied that what wants en-
oouragement merits it because 1t is going to
be IN advantage to Ottawa; and II it does
promise to benefit Ottawa, individuals dissp.
Dear and the whole town works together TO
secure il.
II took but Q few hours for Col. Thos j.
Evans to show that his Electric Street Rail-
vsy would benefit Ottawa. He was vel
coined with open arms, and granted whatever
he asked as necessary to the success Of his
project Of improving Ottawa; and it is only
fair to Col. Evans to say that he has never
At any time asked anything that was not
reasonable, or that could not, with entire
safety and justice to the public, DO granted
him.
Col. Evans came here last spring to put
down his road, and began with vim ana
energy that gave promise of Its entire COM
pletion before July lst. That it WAS not SO
completed was no fault Of his, for no one
could have anticipated the terrible Johns
town disaster, which is responsible for the
DELAYS encountered. But Ottawa has faith
in Col. Evans. How fully he had justified
that confidence can this day be seen in the
streets of Ottawa, where this magnificent
public improvement is visible actually.
The FREE TRADER last week spoke OF the
intense satisfaction the people Of Ottawa
feel in the partial completion and opening
Of one line Of this road. That enthusiasm
,engendered by that event seemed to grow
instead of lessen; and in order that 1t
might 90 concentrated as it were, and ex-
pressed in way that the protector of the
road might see it and feel it to be genuine
and deep, banquet to Col. Evans was ar
ranged for last Monday night at the Clifton
Hotel.
1t was attended by nearly every business
man in the city, about 100 gentlemen being
present. Mr.. Evans, as the guest OF the
evening, occupied the seat Of honor and or
left Of POSTMASTER Fullerton sat Theo. P
Bailey, formerly Of this city, now Of thu
Thompson Houston Co., and the resident
electricians, while on the right of Mr.
Evans was Mr.. Fletcher Of the Morris
Herald.
The superb spread OF Landlord W. W
Taylor having been done justice to, after &
blessing by Rev. NJ. X. Whittlesey, the
Tosstmaster, in introducing the guest Of the
evening, said the occasion was intended t.
celebrate in modest and quiet manner thu
completion of this road and to call for ex
pressions Ct satisfaction from representative
men Of the city; and also to express tn
hope that the cordial relations existing be
tween Col. Evans and the people Of Ottaw'
during the progress Of the work would con
tinue indefinitely.
COL Evans in replying said it was ex
oeedingly gratifying to him to hear th'
chair, and words were not at his command
to express his own feelings and heartfelt
thanks In spite OF the unavoidable delays
and hinderances he had encountered, ht
had satisfaction in being able to tender the
people Of Ottawa a successfully operated
electric railway-the only one in the United
States that was a success from the start
And he hoped this improvement would b.
but the forerunner of many others, alludinl
to the gigantic future possibilities Of thu
city when her clay banks and her water
power shall have been developed-the lat
ter of which he said was greater than thai
at Minneapolis which had made that city so
great.
Mr.. Evans was followed by song, with
orchestra, by Mr.. F. A. Kendall, who in re
spending to an encore gave the following
original song, set to delightfully."- catching
melody:
This tightening transportation is very strange indeed
1t knocks the Bobtsl silly. and cable, too, fol-
speed.
It gdes along smoothly, it seems almost on the
wing.
For pleasant locomoton the Evans line is king.
Chorus
All abord! How we sail, down the rial, delightful is
the open trail on August evenings warm.
In the SLOT you nickes DROP in pleasant weather who
would not? In sunshine or In storm.
we've had delays vexatious, and always unforeseen
The monetary losses must cut extremely keen.
But pluck and perseverance have conquered every
foe,
The Ottawa Electric Railway Is a sure go,
Chrrus-AN aboard! &C.
It's presidents dandy. On him there are no flies
It's DING to be frst-clsss. SIR from Trolley to the
ties."
The cars and power are elegant. let him deny who