Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-04

OF all the trusts and combinations that
have come irto existence within the mast
rev years none have operated more Noise
iessiy or much more successfully than
the trolley octopus. Without moral sense
ana moved only by the acquisitive desire
its tentacles have fastened themselves on
many cities. and despite the struggles of
those who desired to be free have retained
their deadly grip mistaken. BROOKLYN
Philadelphia. Pittsburg, Cleveland. Omaha
and a score OF other important centers ot
commerce and civilization have yiccumbet,
10 the monsters power. Washington e
threatened and unless the prophets are
very much mistaken New York is also in
DANGER In many of the cities where the
trolley method of street-car propulsion pre-
walls the roads are owned by the octopus-
known to the public generally as the
Widener-Elkins syndicate But all of the
syndicate's property is not trolley; in New
YORK IL Is the Broadway Cable Road. and
s1ngularly enough that cable will not act
as cables have acted and do act in other
cities Every day or so a car manages to
get its mechanism so mixed I'D with the
cable that runaway ensues. much damage
Is done and traffic is seriously delayed
such repreben sible conduct, exciting
though 1t may be for awhile would doubt
less become ,nonOtonous, so In the interests
OF variety the wire rope is snapped occa-
sionally and then the road goes to sleep for
as long as six or seven hours. New York
erS VINO have to patronize the road when
II IL in operation are disguised with its in
ehciency and complain loudly because
they are being experimental with. They
were assured when the privilege Of con-
struction was granted the octopus that a
system would be provided which would he
INFINITELY superior to that in use on any
other surface road in the world and as
eaole Hnes IN other cities had worked most
sausiactorily they are righteously iudig-
nant over the failure by which they are
Immediately affected But these extrsor-
dinary vagaries of the Broadway cable are
not as mysterious as they woui5 ar frst
glance seem TO be. There is n coaI-bIack
EthiOp in the fuei-heap: discovered h,,
the New York Evening Post. That journal
nad It's Philadelphia correspondent inter
view the octopus heads-Mr Widener az,
MI Elkins-and In treating their expla NJ
tons editorially says:
Mr.. En<ins tells our CORRESPONDENT. a..
hS r .h experience has Convinced
MIN that. while the cable is an i'm nroI,s
nlent on the horse car, the trolley Sy-rtar,
Is az Improvement on both. Is this an
these capitalists on orr local sihi., OF
VIII De Tor permission to run trolley wires
up up ana 1l Gown Bro adway? Caa ii be that
the defects of the cable syste.r are aIIoTSJ
10 manifest themselves 50 thar the daiiobts
OF TIE trolley can be in1pr er.sej mon oIr
p p,a9 Win the help Of p number of nuz-
hss, ssMss5pacers, the triI,Iey system has
peen widely extended in philadelnbia In the
aace o, public opposition. We can promise
a an g. very lively tirne who has in view
1 wa SRpncation for trolley permit in Broad
ms revelation should interest Washing
,on very much. foS- the octopus is here
w. 40 railroads are now possessed by 1t ana
Is great M elihood OF others being
&dptNred In the near future. Just now the
principal motor on these two lines is horse
out the octopus has golden-hued
sn'eering tentacles at the Capitol ami