The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-05-10
wnEEuSGS STREET CAR SERVICE.


How Increased Patronage Inns Followed
Enlarged Facilities.
The people Of Wheeling who DO not
travel much have q very inadequate con.
ception OF the importance OF WhcelinR's
street car service to the city, and are IN.
able to compare the service rendered in
Wheeling with that rendered In other
cities OF tho same population.
Tho fact is that tho Wheeling Railway
Company Is In advance Of the town, and
is furnishing better Bervics than my
city In tho country Of tho same Bize Is
receiving.
There, arc too many people and es.
pecially too many councilmun who i'm
agine TINT when they nrc placing re-
str!ctions on the street railway company
which will hinder 1t from making time
OF reaching different parts Of tho city
with Its linee, they arc tiampling on IL
monopoly and making heroes OF them.
selves before tho people. This Is au
erroneous and mischievous iden. Every
timo n stle.t car is held back,
tho street.car travelling public. which
Is the great majority OF the
people. Is losing just that much
valuable time, aud ia suffering m
annoyance which in no way affects tho
dividends OF the stock holders.
The old time horse car line, with all
its delays and inadeQuacies, nude more
money for tho stockholders than the
new electric road docs, with It's fast time
and big, airy, easy cars, yet with the
costly increase OF facilities hus come IN
increase in street car travel OF which
few people, ever those who travel most,
have all adequate idea.
The Wheeling Electric Railway was
the first ono Of its length put In opera
lion in tho world, and It runs It's cars
closer together and with more regularity
than any other line of any kind in {
city the size Of Wheeling. 1t hal
brought the long, badly scattered towr
close together, aud a man can 60 the full
length OF 1t in Il hall hour. 1t has In
creased the price Of building lots in al
parts OF the city, and has made 1t posi-
BILE for a man to work in Beuwood ant
hto IA 4Noltu " leelluH.
It accommodate, just three times Al
many people as the old horse cars did
and has in a single day handled LOO
people. II has furnished conductors |,
help ladies on and Off aud collect fares
and on the whole has dono more Ia
wards keeping abreast OF the times thai
any other institution in tue city.
Two years ago the old horse car lin
was at its best, but was entirely unabl
to handle the people. AT that time ,h
average number Of riders per inhabitan
per year was twcnty.six. To-day, witt
increased facilities, the average is up t
seventy.scven, or within one OF tire
times Us many as In 1855, The stree
car company runs a special early car eacI
morning Tor those living in tho uppe
part Of the city and workingi In Denwood
This special trip hauls ninety-nine pas
sengers each morning, although til
!, present arrangement hinders the earl,
cars from going above Tenth street
Ihese n%lnety.nine people oil live il
Wheeling and work in Denwood, while
were it not for the rapid transit, the,
would be compelled to live in Benwood
Main street business men, who at fire
opposed the line OH that street, hav
been converted, and no one doubts tina
further increased facilities would in
crease the benefits derived from tho line
It will not he many months before th
street railway people will begin on thei
t Martins Ferry line, and that old tow
will undergo such a waking up as i
. never dreamed possible. And this vii
} be for the coed q Wheellog, too, as
will place her within q few minutes
ride Of one Of her strongest aud MOI
:. imnortant anhprk5