The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-30
METROPOLITAN SERVICE.
WHAT THE WICHITA ELECTRIC
RAILWAY PROMISES THE CITY.
Thirty Miles of Electric Line to be Con-
structed and Equipped within Six
Months--Arrangem Made for
Commencing Work this Week.

WHICH Is the result Oh Il GOI1SOlOaIlOn Oh
the City Railway and the Riverside & Sub
urban, viii commence work in few days
and the result within four or five months
will be a greatly improved service 10 the
city. The capital stock Of the company is
one million dollars, and it is proposed
within the next six months to eXpend at
least $150,000 in Improvements. In addi-
ton to supplying the city with a much bet
ter service and making the city IN fact and
appearance more metropolitan, much of
the money expended in making the i'm
provements will go direct to the laboring
classes of the city The labor necessary
for making the Improvements IS of such a
class that practically all of it can be done
by laborers living in the city, which calls
for large per cent of the amount to be ex-
pended to remain in the city and possibly
go where it may be most needed.
Since the franchise was granted, less
than week ago, the company has been
quite active III getting ready to make a
showing of business. The first question
| to be decided was the electric system to
put in and in the face OF experience in the
city with the Thompson-Houston and the
! Sprague systems the former was the unan-
| imous choice 1t is expected that an agent
of that company who will superintend the
the construction of the line will reach the
city today and tomorrow will commence
work
The franchise as passed calls for eight
miles to be completed within four months
but the company proposes to put down
three or four times this mileage just as
soon as the work can be completed. While
it is optional to have only a few miles
( additional electric line and operate the
! suburban line with horse cars, it is pro
/ posed not to take advantage of that clause
! for the reason that it decided to be more
! business like to completely revise. rear
range and rebuild the entire line and make
practically all if not entirely all of it an
electric line. This will cause many dead
end" branches to be cut off without apology
or remOrse. Only such lines and branches
will be built as are known to a certainty
/ that viii be profitable. This may cut
down the number Of miles of track Oper-
ated and increase the dividends. In the
| rush of construction, resulting from de-
mand in many directions, at the same time
the city railway system has many sharp
corners and turns and often the lines are
much longer than they should be and pas
/ sengers 20 long distance to get only
! few blocks. While this has always de
tracted from the efficiency of the service it
at the same time has increased operating
expenses. The result to the company was
more expenses and not so many nickles.
In the new it is proposed to give careful
attention to the new lines with reference
to taking the best possible routes to accom-
mOdate all the people. While the system
will be composed of a less mileage it is
proposed to increase the efficiency of the
service to every part of the city, which
will be an arrangement and a change most
acceptable to the city as well as to the COM
pany.
As outlined at present the new system
will include line from Carey park on the
north to the fair grounds on the south
along Main street through the center of
the city From College Hill on the east TO
Garfield university on the west occupying
Douglas avenue. From Douglas avenue
north on Topeka avenue to the packing
houses A line will branch off Douglas TO
the southeast part of the city but the route
as yet has not been determined upon. This
is a general outline made 50 far and is a
fair frame work which will be rounded out
as the demand suggests.
The company has decided to use the
Johnstown rail which is generally referred
to as the best for such purposes. 1t is
proposed this week to put men at work on
Main street and on Topeka avenue and
within two weeks probably 200 men viii
be engaged on track and line and remain
at work until the system as outlined has
been completed.
..
Davidson stated yesterday that the com
pany would follow closely the asphalt on
Main street and and the new track COM
pleted there and paving also completed as
soon as possible which would turn the
street over to the public. On Douglas
in all probability the new tracks would be
down before the paving is completed and
the track would be paved just as soon as
the street on either side. The company
would endeavor TO disposed of the paving
question just as soon as possible.
1t comes on secOnd-class authority that
Just as soon as the line on Main street is
ready TO operate the Water street line
and the few blocks on Market used for
the old Riverside line, may be abandoned
In such an event the track would be re-
moved from both and on Market the space
now used by the track can be paved with
the asphalt. making solid street. Wheth-
er this will be done depends on some mat !
tiers which as yet have not been settled /
bat viii be determined upon within a few
weeks, or by the time it would be possible
to make such a change.
The service, assured, viii be such a. 10
make IN every respect the most complete /
system in any city in the west Nestibule /
electric cars used in the winter and in
summer the open cars. At first thirty
motor cars viii be put into the service +
each supplied with one trail car 10
use on extra occasions. Three to five min /
utes servive viii be given on Main and /
Douglas and fifteen minute, service 20 the I.
packing houses. II ! estimated that on
schedule time as admitted by he franchise
the service viii enable citizens 10 20 rs far f.
in five minutes as they have been accus-
toned TO travel in fifteen
Some of the citizens interested in the +.
general appearance of the business streets (
have suggested that as the iron poles are
to be used in the center Of the street be-
xeen double tracks. that an electric light 7.
ornament the top of each pole. This would T.
place the lights on Douglas aud Main
about one hundred any twenty feet apart
and about double the amount 81 light n I.
the business part of the city. It has been
suggested a. the clever thing 10 do for ne
railway company 20 furnish some Of the
lights and The city would have the present
lights removed 20 the poles and ia tai> Way
the design as suggested could be carried
out
JOHN EXTON ABOUT PAVEMENT.
\ property ownertr Of Douglas avenue 4
wrote TO John Exton 70 20 TO - Paul and .
-. Co-nraI D-aaa and hL- ia.ra--t-- ~