Evening star., 1894-03-26
II Mr. John d. crimmins of New York city

II Mr. John d. Crimmins Of New York city
knows what he Is talking about-and Mr..
Crimmins Is not given to unwarranted ut
terances-the great trolley combine is on the
verge Of acknowledging the superiority Of
the underground trolley as an electrical
means to q transportation end. Mr.. Grim
nins. who is undoubtedly well informed as
% the things contemplated or being done by
The Metropolitan Traction Company of New
York. says that that corporation will proba-
bly, equip some OF its lines in Gotham with
the system now in use in Buda-Pesth. II
this be true. and there is no reason for be-
heving 1t to be otherwise. the city of New
York will reap rich reward for its attitude
of never-yielding opposition to the obstruc-
tive poles and dangerous wires Of the
echeap and nasty" overhead system. The
rational stubborness Of public sentiment in
this city and the incessant anti-trolley agi-
tation for which The Star may reasonably
claim the credit. have done much to aid the
New Workers who insisted that there were
other and better motors than that which
was being forced upon unwilling purchasers
BY the trolley-combine. Hitherto 1t has
been asserted by those most deeply inter-
ested IN the Metropolitan Traction Company
that there was no choice between the poles
snd wires and the cable. and that the latter,
by reason of the expense Of equipment and
maintenance, was in most cases barred out
This argument. however, failed to result in
the granting of trolley privileges in New
York. 80 the Traction Company has finally
concluded to admit that there is a system
less expensive than the cable and fully capa-
BILE of arording satisfactory transportation
to the residents OF a great center Of poplla-
ton. The equipment of a street railroad in
New York with the Buda-Pesth system or
with such q system as gives pleasing results
on the U street road IN this city cannot be
regarded as experimental In Buda-Pesth
the underground contact is thoroughly sue
cessful and in this city somewhat similar
but probably improved motor does duty all
the year round in an altogether admirable
fashion 1t Is unaffected by snow or rain or
heat. and has survived the assaults which
have frequently been made upon 1t by those
whose material interests compelled fidelity
to the antiquated overhead-trolley. For
years the trolley attorneys have done their
utmost to prove 10 Congress and to munic-
fpal legislators that the Buda-Pesth sy stem
was fake" and that storage batteries
were decisions cherished only by the insane;
every procurable patent that promised to
damage the overhead-trolley arguments
was promptly purchased by the combine
was done TO discourage invention and to
open up still wider field for the most OBJ
3ectionable of motors. Some of the people
VINO desire to see an underground system
operating in New York are fearful lest the
electricians in charge be subsidized to prove
II failure, but in view Of the success that
mas marked its workings in the most pro-
sressive Of European capitals 1t is hard to see
how failure can be demonstrated in New
York The Philadelphia Press does not
prophesy unreasonably when it says that
every large city in the country will prompt
y follow any real success that is attained
IN either New York or Washington with a
system asserting greater security to life
and property and less obstruction to the
streets than the overhead system now gen.
orally used elsewhere" The test in this
city has been impartial and the results en-
tirely satisfactory. The street branch of
tne ROCK Creek road has been operated with
less interruption than the lines on the SUBJ
urban end Of the company's right of way.
Tne tug Of war has been between the un
oersround trolley in the city and the over
head-trolley in the suburbs and the under
ground system is considerably ahead on
every point