Omaha daily bee., 1893-12-31
street RaiiwHys.

II is conceded by those who are IN a
position 10 know best that the street rail
way business Is one Of tine best iuancial
~bsrODeters il the country and that the
daily crop Of nickels harvested by the en-
plOyss % these corporations is q sure index
OF the prevailing prosperity or poverty.
The reEulnr business travel IS q basis which
remains about the same, whether times are
good or bad, hut what - known us the
pleasure and shopping travel IS
something that fluctuates according 10
the easIness or stringency OF the
times. Repeated inquiry has shown
that on the DAYS when the merchants re
ported n bIr business, the receipts Of the
street railway company have invariably
been large ana il is therefore commended
thut this IS III unfailinr source Of lnforma-
tlOu as 10 the prevailing financial condition.
Without regard 10 the correctness or mac
curacy OF This position, IL IS u fact that the
receipts Of the street railway company have
shown b falling of IN 1893 Of from S25O 10
$500 q Gay, which would seem 10 be enough
10 put any corporation severely on the re-
urenchmeut order, but Tins company has eX-
pended Il little over $1,000 II
extensions, improvements and new rolling
stock. The extension Of the HanscOm Park
line 30 Sheeley was begun in 1872 but only
the necessary grading was completed. The
line Is about twO-thIrds OF q mile long, ana
when the iron was first laid il was outside
the improved district, but the council
created new paving districts and 1t became
at once necessary 10 take up the I rails and
replace them with Cirder rails, requiring an
aGdItiOun- outlay OF $1,000 for labor
alone. The total cost OF This
Improvement was q trttie over Sla,OOO.
No other extension OF Lines was made dur
ing the year just closed, but q part Of the
line on Military avenue was double-Jrncked,
Us WINS also u part Of The Ames avenue eV-
tension, In order 10 admit Of u shorter train
service. The company mas reduced It's list
Of employees by less than u dozen men and
there are now on the pay roll 52b men. who
monthly draw from the treasury Of the
company S15. 600. This does not include
IRON thirty 70 forty-ive street laoorers,
who are employed from time 30 time in vHri-
Gus improvements and VINO IRE not on The
regular pay roll. Ihe company expended
So, 20 in new equipments ana rolling stock
during the year. Tine company is capital
lied Tor 81, 900, 600, and the greater part Of
the stock is owned by Omaha men. Tn
company has elEhty-nine and oDe-half miles
OF road, Of which sixty-five is electric, six
and & half cable and eighteen horse.
The Benson * Halcyon Heights Street
Railway company operates two miles OF road,
extending from the end of the Walnut Hill
line Of the Omaha Street Railway company
at Halcyon Heights 10 the suburb Of Benson.
NO extensions have been made during the
year just closed, and the only improvements
made have been il the way Of improving
the road bed and track. The company en-
pioys from five TO eight men, giving double
the service in The summer months, and the
monthly nay roll averages 1895. Power 10
operate the line Is furnished by the Omaha
Street Railway company.
The East Omaha Street hallway company
has expended over S30, 600 during the past
year IN extensions and improvements. A
line was built early in the season TO take
care of the travel 10 the new sunmer resort
q Courtlnnd beach, and the old line was
double-tracked from the connection with the
city line ut Sherman avenue and Locust
street 10 the switch, where the new line
leaves IL, o distance Of q mile, making two
miles Of new track that was laid during the
year. The equipment was increased by the
addition Of four new motors and four open
and one closed trailer. A new car barn wns
also erected. The company employs twenty
men and The monthly pay roll falls but little
short OF 81, 900.
The Dundee Place electric road, owned
and operated by K. W. Patrick, is d mile
and q half long, and runs from the end Of
The tarnam street line, at Fortisth street
TO the center Of Dundee Place. The power
is furnished by the city company and close
connections are made by the cars Of the two
companies. The Dundee road furnishes en-
ployment for five men and disburses $500 in
wages each month.
The cars of the main line of the Omaha &
Council Bluffs Bridge and Street Railway
company enter Ihe city over the Douglas
street bridge and pass over the down town
loop of the Omaha Street Railway company.