Kansas City daily journal., 1896-01-01
The NORTHEAST ELECTRIC.
REVOLUTION N ITS AFFAIRS DURING
THE PASr YEAR.
Under the Management of Mr.. Robers
GfIham 1t Has Become Highly
Valuable aud Efficient Rail-
road Property.

/ tittlflf fNitl, lUONEH tiAt u No''N.
! this line is not shown superficially, II -
| yet one OF the most promising street rais-
| way properties in the city. Under such
| manaeement as has controlled and op-
| Grated il for the past two years, IL cannot
| fa| to realize the possibilities that he
within It, For there Is very intimats
| relation between this road and the terri
tory through which It runs-more so than
Is the case with any other line IN the city.
For the section Of the city traversed by
this road is one which is undeveloped, but
steadily growing The road has become
popular fixture; its patronage is constants
" increasing, and it Is working out It's
own development by contributing to the
growth of the territory through which 1t
runs.
But It was not always popular, and es-
pecially hadJm ho, favor with its owners.
Two yc ON tbe DIE bondholders thought
they Vtel in its acog-holders. They had a
white pest IN pheir hands. The prop
'its 'ouse has a. VI VIII 'neS ut'u 81
it aw most promir only a dead weight, but
it greti wheneverh. as human hair some-
times VsvvvIl housa this respect its vitality
was "a ssW h. ~ WIT was losing money right
thingsy be -four lust riFbt. il found Itself
In theit fnenu5f a receiver
That, w. lh' lucky day for the owners of
the rotS. ~ )m the little bob-tailed line that
was th " ule of the people who We're COM
PEELED l. Il tronize 1t or walk. IL has be-
come q able and paying property. Dur
ING the & year extensive improvements
have be, made in its equipment Indeed
the equii mt has been practically made
new. Il Northeast electric line of to-
day Is he Northeast electric line OF
two yeal 40, except in the fact that 1t
runs TIN h the same streets. In every
other re ct, 1t is the successor of the
old line. in accord with the spirit OF the
times, 1t !uld be known as The Greater
Two : ago MIR Robert Glilham took
hold oi line. In fact he took hold OF
the lin md from that time to this he
has he ie reins tightly over the road,
with q, suit that it IS making money
instead amaning rat hole. The old
car bar IS burned a year ago. or to be
spring u arm was rebuilt some distance
from tn ~. { the old. The new barn is
much il. han the old one; 1t Is OF
brick and sla dtabe one in every respect,
In additio this the line was extended
to Bndd 3 from Elmwood avenue, tho
old termii of the road This extension
gave anot nalf mile of road. and makes
the North "a electric the only line in the
city which runs to park owned by the
last year, and as the park board is con-
stantly planning improvements, II will un-
doubtedly grow in favor this summer. II
is very pleasant place to go for a few
hours OF rest and recreation. The North
east electric runs to the very gate.
year and replace the old bobtaii cars,
which were more like relics of some for
gotten civilization than part of the equip
meut OF street railway in n city OF Kan"
sns City's size. The new ears are from
the works of the Brownell n Wight Conn
pany. of st. Louis. The trucks are OF steel
and the ears are as comfortable and commo-
dous as any in the city. The electric equip
ment Of the road Is from the Westing-
house firm. OF Pittsburg. whose reputa-
ton Is second to that of none In the coun-
try. THIS assures the high standard of
the equipment of the road in every respect.
The improvements which have been made
in the road since Mr. Glllham took, charge
Of 1t have cost $1,000 but every dollar has
done the work that two usually do. The
expenditure has made new road out of ths
line. and, aside from the fact that
existence Of the road. Il has been
money exceedingly Wen spent. The bond
outlay, for 1t has reiuvenated their prop
erty and placed It upon a paying basis for
The car mile cost Of operating this lin.
has been reduced 70 less than that of any
judicious management OF Mir GnIham,
whose faculty for details is somewhat mar
farious duties which his business interests
compel him to perform, he finds ample
goes. when an extra man Is put on, when
there Is the slightest leak of any sort, And
about two minutes 10 make effective re-
pairs His methods have been reduced to "A
suits achieved by him in the management
Every 'i: ear on the line runs 40 miles every
day, and Mr. Gillhqm, can get more work
out OF "A car wheel than almost anybody
else, If the wheel does not run 50,0O0 miles
manufacturer Of ear wheels. since the lst
day Of February, lsJ5 the cars on this line
times the circumference OF tie globe The
cars run 5000 miles every month.
Sol 40 messengers. In This connection it is
interesting 70 know that 40,oGO passengers
from the Metropolitan Allowing the sans
number of transfers or the Northeast eIe-
tric 10 the Metropolitan. ii is seen Sat
month. This effeetuaily disabuses the
minds of the people OF the idea that The
transfer business is one of small propor-
tiOns. The road transfers 10 the Metropolis
tan at Fitth and Main streets, passengers
branches al their pleasure. No arrange
ment has yet been effected whereby pas.
avenue branch Of the Metropolitan system.
The Northeast electric owes its growth
fact that he has given the public service
not SURPASSED by that OF any other line IN
been sighted The personal appearance OF
his conductors and motormen, and, above
venience Of the public, has been given spe-
eiai consideration, He has insisted upon 4
of the public, and there are no street rail.
way employees IN the city whose personal
Saryns eonreg Il sshs5 G e ph2s parons 0o Of
the road exeeels that Of the ,st9- en-
fact IS attested every day by the patrons
OF the road. who appreciate II. and who IN
many ways convey their appreciation 10
the management. Mr.. Gillian has pro-
ceeded upon the theory that the public ap-
preeiates the Efforts Of those who cater 10
their little conveniences and that IL Is the
correct theory IS amply demonstrated in
the wonderful growth Of the line in popu-
larity during the past year.
The development Of this line has already
had a marked effect upon that Of the ter
ritory through which it runs. This section
Of the city IS becoming more thickly popu-
lated every month. Reliable and efficient
service have brought this about. Values
are increasing ia that part Of the city.
Homes are being built every day, and the
whole region tfayersed BY the line Is feel
Jug the beneficial effects of the prosperity
Of the line itself the growth of each hav-
ing very intimate relation to that of the
other.
The Northeast electric begins the new
year with the confident hope on the part of
Its management that Il Will be he most
prosperous in IFS history. For the sama
policy that Ia guided the management
during the past two years will continue ia
force, and IT'S effect must be the same
as in the past