The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-08-17
THE ELECTRIC CARS.

ana Cheap Rates.
II the late Joshua T. Heald could
have arisen from his honored grave |
but for few moments on Saturday
to have seen handsome street I
ears with handsomely curtainod trail
ers" scud to and fro on Delaware ave-
nuo as II impelled with an Invisible
power, how he would have opened his |
eyes with astonishment to see the pro-
grass the street Car riding industry
has made in the city he did so much to /
develop. Most of those on the trial |
trip OF tho Delaware avenue electric
line GU Saturday evening recollect how
Mr. Head worked like q Trojan to get |
the commenest kind OF a street car
line run by horse power in operation
away back in the year 1865.
1t required push and grit and energy, |
patience and cash to establish the line
from tho z. W. & b. depot. Mr.. Head
possessed all these elements except
the cash. and of this he furnished q
large proportion, having strong faith
In the future growth of Wilmington to
repay him again. Enterprlslng neigh
bors, spurred up by Mr.. Heads en-
thusiasn and large faith, came to his
assistance, helped with money and
sttcetrailway WAS put into operation.
For many years the. venture did not pay
but 1t was getting better all the while,
Delaware avenue builtup rapidly with
line residences, Mr.. Heald'sat that time
being the farthest outfit is still one of
the handsomest on the avenue, though
the builder of 1t did not long live In it.
Forty Acres sprang up with almost
mushroom growth beyond the middle
depot, and soon there was demand
FOR an extension of the road to the
Rising Sun.
1t was built and then followed sue
| ce5sful effort by Mr.. Head to build up
and develop the Highlands, which will,
in the not far distant future. be one Of
the most beautiful suburbs OF VIII
mington.
Frequently is the remark made that
Delaware avenue should have been
named Head avenue in honor OF the
man who laid 1t out and laid tho first
RAILROAD ON IL.
But the spirit OF improvement start
ed by Mr.. Head has never tagged.
Others came to the good work and
now Wilmington is In fair way to be
gridironed with street railways, cleo
tiicity having been developed and APP
pied as a motive power for street
railways. Wilmington was amongst
the first to fall in with this new method
OF propelling cars. and the now line
| to Mycrview was the first to be put
Into operation.
1t worked SO we'll that the Eighth
street line from Market to Fifth and
| Union was made an electrical line from
the start. Now follows the the oldest
OF all the lines giving up horses and
small cars to DO succeeded by large
and handsome cars TO be propelled by
| "a n Dre ali
Rebuilt, remodeled aud overhauled
horses and horse cars have been dis
carded and this morning beautiful
bright new electric cars flew along the
avenue like thing of life.
The trial trip OF the new cars under
the new system was given on Saturday
evening at O'Clock. The sky was
clear, the air balmy and pleasant and
n genial and delighted company OF in.
vited guests enjoyed the ride over all
the eompany's electric lines.
Amongst those who participated in
the ride were, uperntendent II. A.
Archer, who handled the motor. Mayor
>. j. Wiley, City Solicitor G. NJ Cur
tie, City Treasurer Joseph X Adams
Street and Sewer Commissioners, j
Newlln Gawthrop and Samuel Cham
bers; Niee-Presidcnt of the Company
Preston Len, Secretary of the Compan,
}, +. Miller, .cashier of the COMPANY
Charles II. Smith, City Councilman
Franklin Il. Cotton, Ticket Agent b. 1
o. Railroad II. A. Miller, Civil Engl
neer OF the r., W. & Il. Railroad, Al
met u. Reed, Secretary of tn,
Board of Health William G. II
Colquhoun, Henry Charles, Colo
mel William A. LaMotto, Washington
Jones, Il. b. Shaster. A, Il. Reed, ID. W
H. | \. !
Stone, Isaac Baird, A. G. Robinson
Henry Baird, DR.. L. G. Shortlidee
Harvey b. Nandegrlft, Charles ii
| Donghton, and representatives Of III
. press, II. i, Price, William Springer
l W. II. kurtz, 5. Hcisey, G. b. Palmer
, w. ii, Walker and Harry Young. III
= train was made up of new electric ca
No. A, with a handsomely eurtaine
4 trailer attached. THE "trailer'' la
, been cut down from u Frontund Unto
: horse car by the Jackson a sharp Com
pany.
Before they were cut down the
would not seat comfortably tina
fourteen persons, but metamorpnose
+ into IN open ear, with six cross seat.
G they now seat thirty persons uuit
t comfortably. These trailers are 70
i UP in a %ery hands ONE manner St
: body would suppose for an instant l.
L looking at them that they had bee
k the little d!ngy four window cnrs ,
Q the Front and Union line. The canyf
I striped curtains work with rings q
: iron rods and can be closed or 10
I apurt Mt pleasure. The cross Beats al
h Slated finished in raw wood and III
II very comfortable.
y lhc little excursion was schedule
to start at 4 p. M, but II was two mi
h utcs past that hour when Supeiinten,
y ent Archer called "all aboard" and Il
guests scrambled in and took the
seats. The trailer seemed TO be Il
favorite, though one-half ON 1t had
ride backward.
y, With horses II balk at the start won
u not have been strange. but not so wi
10 electricity. The cars started right {
as ii they had always been used
3. running in that way All Mr.. Arch
had to do was to turn the motor al
away the cars started. There was /
hating this time for tow horse
Delaware avenue and Clayton street.
4 large crowd at the middle dep
waved their hands and handkcrehie
as the cars left, ana all the way up I
avenue to the Soldiers Mununel
, and from that down the avenue
Market street, there was hardly Il iou
al which the cars were not pleasant
salu; ed. Ladies' waved their hundlt
nd chiefs, boys shouted and nalungsi
ny or after the ears and men laughed al
sh made other demonstrations OF deIiEl
Everybody seemed pleased that eli
en- tric ears had at last got to running
Id Delaware avenue.
vi AS the cars passed down Mark
TO street the excitement increased. t
people caue running out of til,
stores and houses to see the new ga
People standing at street crossin
tr,Fr Tn. ,.1,s a,,ttfI NOT