The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-15
r. TROLLEY ROAD.
.,oated in All the Cities Of the
West and South.
-. WORK CITY LAGS BEHIND.
~,.~.rgc locomotive Expected to
Make One Hundred and fiffy
Miles an Hour.
vaw YORK Sun.

re g-g street railway companies
fns' ,.,itad states. The number varies
- .~.~sof,s cities from one 10 twenty
" .s5rg highest. Of course, In New
sc. o. the Federal census Of ls9n. 5,7ij
fs1A - the United States were returned
ss,.scw AZ that time more than l.ts9
1900 So II IS evident that the num-
p-s tarre towns which are without the
E,.sre Of street railway facilities -
- raweh greater than the number OF
.sx,s or cities 50 supplied.
- ne latest figures ar hand. up 20 Au-
!. aupears that the total mileage
..,.ef railroads Of the United States
80. Thes@ figures are not surprising
-. nonanarpd with the steam railroad
80 ~ the country, which II 1890
- ant what 81 surprising is the eX-
-, !. vhlch. especially in the cities OF
v1.,h and West. electricity has super
80 - uss ~ horses for traction pur-
- - ~ the II. 80 miles of street rail-
- track In the country. 1898 miles. or
- than fwo-fhirds. are operated by
s.s.saad troileys. 1915 miles by horses.
- ~ cable traction. and the balance. 100
-ase hv other methods OF traction
....r mule power, etc. In other words.
.ss~srseiiy may be said 10 nave very near
!. .auarseded horses on the street rail-
...Ss If the United States. the one con-
.ssruoa,s exception being the city or New
v.,t Here with the exception OF the
...axsd district and a short portion OF up
- third avenue and West one Hundred
snd Tnirty-ffth street. there Is no trolley
: use and horse power and cable power
.rs me familiar systems Of traction. OF
.sv.n,ssn surface street car companies in
- city proper. or rather on Manhattan
.sssss. fifteen still adhere 10 the use OF
horses, and. from present indications. H.
may Be- many years before a change is
Elected.
Meanwhile other cities Of the country
are constantly developing electricity as a
tsree In transportation. The work is easier
n such cities for the reason that a very
hrss proportion OF the trolley roads, so
called do not connect different parts Of
he city. but different cities and towns,
al run, therefore. through territory
which, in part. AZ least. is unsettled. The
srrenses OF cable construction are very
grts, and wholly ont OF proportion to the
simple method Of stringing electric wires
ever a cheaply constructed roadway. In
efdsr 10 secure an adequate return for
e4elisl invested IL is necessary for cable
roads 10 depend chiefly upon what rail-
rad men call way or local traffic. fur
alshed by persons whotride distance of a
few blocks and no more. Trolley roads. as
rule. have very little OF this traffic, de-
pending chiefly on persons travelling long
distances az cheaper rates than steam rail-
roads charge II is this consideration OF
extra cost which Will probably bar. except
N the larger cities Of the first class, any
further extension OF the cable system on
broad scale
The figures Of surface railway mileage
and construction are not as readily attain
able As those OF steam railroads, the Sc
earitss Of which are largely. dealt i'm oy
Investors and by specializing persons.
Holders az such securities insist on know
ing something Of the exact financial condi-
ton OF steam railroads. whereas the stosk
o. The surface railroads is held in Few
hands and is not the subject of stock ex-
caAnge fluctuations